zerugaze said:
If someone uses a pirated microsoft windows xp and downloads microsoft
reader, will they be caught?
i mean, can the microsoft people find out that they r using a pirated
version?
Boy, what a load of crapola responses of half truths so far!
They "probably" won't get caught, but try telling that to the millions
in China where Microsoft had its fill and turned off their OSs remotely.
Wish I could find the link to that now but I can't; sorry. It was on
ZDNet if you want to search for it.
More specifically and straight forward:
-- Yes, if Microsoft wanted to, they could tell whether it's a pirated
version or not but right now, not unless you contacted their site.
AFAIK they aren't actively searching out pirates with the exception of
those who contact the site for some reason like downloads, etc..
-- They don't seem to be going for the throat, but they do seem to be
making people who pirate and sell lost a substantial amount of money in
fines and jailtime if it's serious enough. I don't keep up with it
specifically; just what I read in passing.
-- If you have pirated software you will not be able to activate it and
if you mange to get that done, you won't be able to get any updates.
Updates are the channel they used to turn off all those machines in
China, where there were millions of installations but almost none of
them paid for or licensed.
Some are going to get away with it of course, but in these days of belt
tightening and needing every penny a company can get, I'd say it's
probably more dangerous now to run pirated software than it ever has
been. It's been shown that Microsoft goes after the little guy just as
fast as they do the big boys making all the money from it.
Don't take chances. Buy a license.
HTH,
Twayne
