Free XP for pirates?

[XTC46]

Customers whose copies of Windows are found to be pirated have two options: send in a pirated CD and fill out a piracy form to receive a legitimate copy for no charge; or, in the case that there is no CD or proof of purchase, buy a new copy of Windows XP Home for $99 or Windows XP Professional for $149.

http://money.cnn.com/2005/07/26/technology/microsoft_windows.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes


so who wants to be the fist to fill out a piracy form and get your free copy of XP? for some reason I dont trust this. lol

[Kthln01]

I read that they could receive a legit copy for the reduced price once they fill out the piracy form. If they have proof of purchase its no charge.

cant recall where i read it though, i think /.

[zencoder]

I believe the point is, you fill out the piracy form if you bought a copy of XP with good and proper intent, but ended up with a pirated version. I'm certain they will require some sort of proof-of-purchase/transaction.

Bought any XP disc's off eBay lately? That's what this is for. It's an attempt by MS to avoid the potentially huge negative fallout of their Genuine Advantage (http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2140359/microsoft-cuts-pirates) rollout, which will leave some poor saps who bought XP illegitimately (possibly without knowning it). Can you imagine buying a copy of XP, using it for 1-2 years, then being cut off and told "You pirated this! Bad hacker! BAD!!!"

[spamdies]

Originally posted here (http://www.AntiOnline.com/showthread.php?threadid=269560#post851687) by XTC46
http://money.cnn.com/2005/07/26/technology/microsoft_windows.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes


so who wants to be the fist to fill out a piracy form and get your free copy of XP? for some reason I dont trust this. lol

I see your quote and raise you one.

To get the free version of Windows, a customer must fill out a counterfeit report identifying the source of the software, provide a proof of purchase and send in a counterfeit CD of the software. If customers don't have all of that information, they can still fill out a counterfeit report and receive a copy of Windows XP Home Edition for $99 or a copy of Windows XP Professional Edition for $149, Lazar said.
http://www.techworld.com/applications/news/index.cfm?NewsID=4102

The free version seems to be with copys where the customer paid for a legit copy and got ripped.

[Kthln01]

that makes sense.

just might cut down on people that pass around os cds.

[Computernerd22]

I'm glad I bought my version from Best Buy ;)

[SirSub]

The free version seems to be with copys where the customer paid for a legit copy and got ripped.

So whats to stop someone from selling themself a copy of windows at a retail price, and reporting that he got ripped? All you'd have to do is get a friend to do you a favor, and set up an ebay auction, then have him wire you the money back.

[zencoder]

That would have to be a good friend...I'm sure Microsoft will follow up on as many of these as they can. Your friends are willing to take the rap on a software piracy distribution bust for you?

[nightcat]

All they have to do is say that they bought the copy somewhere else and Microsoft will go chasing their own tail lol.

[Computernerd22]

send in a pirated CD and fill out a piracy form to receive a legitimate copy for no charge;

Nothing is for nothing. Computernerd22

[Black Cluster]

* Pitfalls of stupidity *

they just want to know where their products are pirated the most, and then a massive crack down with conjunction of goverments. That's how things works out with MS. Doing the dirty work to attain the goal, regardless of results.

[sb_]

I think this is a wolf in sheeps clothing, but my copy is legit so I don't care much. Also, couldn't you use that crack/hack/patch of the GA thing that was recently released to obtain updates? Or download your updates manually for another site (or I thin M$ lets you dl them seperatly from their site).