Windows 10 will be a free update to pirates, but the license will still be illegal

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windows-10-pirate

Earlier this week, Microsoft officially announced that users who’re currently using illegally will get a free update to Windows 10 once it’s available. However, the company didn’t reveal much info on this back then. Nonetheless, on a statement to gaming news site Polygon, a Microsoft spokesperson revealed that the Windows license for illegal users won’t change. If you’re using a non-genuine copy of Windows 8 or Windows 7, it’ll still be non-genuine once you upgrade to Windows 10. Here’s the full statement:

“The consumer free upgrade offer for Windows 10 applies to qualified new and existing devices running Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1. Some editions are excluded from the consumer free upgrade — including Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8/8.1 Enterprise, and Windows RT/RT 8.1. Active Software Assurance customers in volume licensing have the benefit to upgrade to other Windows 10 enterprise offerings.

We have always been committed to ensuring that customers have the best Windows experience possible. With Windows 10, although non-Genuine PCs may be able to upgrade to Windows 10, the upgrade will not change the genuine state of the license. Non-Genuine Windows is not published by Microsoft. It is not properly licensed, or supported by Microsoft or a trusted partner. If a device was considered non-genuine or mislicensed prior to the upgrade, that device will continue to be considered non-genuine or mislicensed after the upgrade. According to industry experts, use of pirated software, including Non-Genuine Windows, results in a higher risk of malware, fraud (identity theft, credit card theft, etc), public exposure of your personal information, and a higher risk for poor performance or feature malfunctions.”

The spokesperson also states that the company won’t be supporting users who’re running Windows 10 illegally. The company also states that non-genuine Windows will result in a “higher risk of malware”, as well as fraud. This is indeed an interesting announcement from Microsoft as the company isn’t supporting illegal users but allowing them to upgrade to the newest version of Windows for free.

What do you think of Microsoft’s decision of allowing pirates to update to Windows 10 for free? Discuss in the comment section below.

Via: Polygon

More about the topics: Illegal, License, microsoft, pirates, windows 10

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