Windows 10 will be free even for pirated Windows versions

UPDATE:- Microsoft has cleared the confusion that the Windows 10 upgrade for pirated versions will not change the original state of the license(pirated)

“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 mis-licensed prior to the upgrade, that device will continue to be considered non-genuine or mis-licensed after the upgrade.”

In an interview to a website, Microsoft’s Windows Chief Terry Myerson said that Microsoft is extending its Windows 10 program to offer a free upgrade to Windows 7 and Windows 8 users who have pirated copies of Windows to Windows 10. According to him,’ all qualified PCs, genuine and non-genuine’ will be upgrade to Windows 10.

This is a very bold and surprising move made by Microsoft. This literally means that millions of PCs running pirated version of Windows will receive a free copy of Windows 10. People who are running Windows 7 or Windows 8 without acquiring a license will get free Windows 10. This means that Windows 10 will treat both the users who bought the previous Windows versions and the ones who pirated it equally.

Microsoft has long been trying and making efforts to stop piracy of its Windows OS. It started back in 2000s when Microsoft release Windows XP which required a license key to activate product. But the pirates and hackers quickly decrypted the mechanism behind activation and made the Windows XP available for free on the internet using only a single key for all.

According to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, one in every 10 PCs is actually using the original and bought Microsoft software in China and other regions of the world and due to this, the company has suffered great financial loss. But whatever the case is, Windows 10 will be offered as free upgrade to everyone regardless of the legality of their previous Windows version.

This decision by Microsoft doesn’t seem to provide any straight forward business impact to it but it is a great move to bring more people onboard to start using legal software and leave piracy behind. Once people with pirated copies transfer to legal Windows 10 version, Microsoft can then offer its paid services to them just like in-app purchases offered in mobile apps.