MICROSOFT plans to crack down on pirated software by forcing users to validate software online, said Pily Wong, the Cambodia country manager. The Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) would come online in the next few days and would give users 30 days to validate their software. Users found with pirated software would see their screens go black every 60 minutes and a warning flashed across the screen.

"We strongly encourage those who have not had the chance to activate their copies of Windows XP Professional to take the necessary steps to do so," Pily Wong said.

"Software is an intellectual property, which depending on its complexity, could be the result of the hard work of up to several hundred thousands of researchers, programmers and testers," Pily Wong said. He estimated that more than 90 percent of all Microsoft products in the Kingdom are counterfeit. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY GEORGE MCLEOD