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Microsoft Offers Pirates Amnesty and Free Windows 10 Upgrades

Posted by Soulskill on from the fighting-fire-with-free-gasoline dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Microsoft will make Windows 10 available as a free upgrade even to pirated copies of other Windows operating systems in China. Terry Myerson of Microsoft's operating systems unit made the announcement at the WinHEC technology conference in Shenzhen, China, and then told Reuters, "We are upgrading all qualified PCs, genuine and non-genuine, to Windows 10." Microsoft has a history of attempting to tackle massive and rising software piracy rates in Asia and developing countries, and periodically offers low-cost "licence amnesties" to the worst-offending countries, such as Indonesia and Kenya. Update: 03/18 14:59 GMT by S : Microsoft has clarified that the free upgrade will be offered for unlicensed copies of Windows worldwide, not just in China.

8 of 322 comments (clear)

  1. so, the key to amnesty... by tekrat · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Is to be overwhelming.

    In the USA, the relatively small number of pirates are treated worse than murderers and rapists, but in China, where piracy accounts for 80% of all desktops, there is amnesty. Go figure.

    --
    If telephones are outlawed, then only outlaws will have telephones.
    1. Re:so, the key to amnesty... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Microsoft has done this king of thing before. They used to offer Office at over 90% discount to students. No point trying to charge them money they don't have, they will just pirate. Microsoft found a way to turn them into paying customers, which is better than nothing.

      Since Windows 10 has an app market, maybe they will get a few sales too.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re:so, the key to amnesty... by Rob+Y. · · Score: 5, Insightful

      No, I think the key to amnesty is for Microsoft to decide that getting an upgrade out everywhere is essential to their business plan. I think the primary purpose of 'Windows 10 upgrades free for everyone' is to get Metro everywhere and jumpstart the WinPhone app store. But I wouldn't be surprised if Windows 10 (and their new 'not IE' version of IE) also forces Bing on you in ways they weren't allowed to in Windows 7 - assuming the clock has run out on the EU's monopoly remedies.

      In other words, the Windows 10 upgrade is free (even for pirated copies) because Microsoft wants to be able to use their desktop monopoly to help their other failing properties. Business as usual...

      --
      Posted from my Android phone. Oh, I can change this? There, that's better...
    3. Re:so, the key to amnesty... by thegarbz · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Is to be overwhelming.

      That's standard modus operandi.

      Embezzle $1m, go to jail.
      Embezzle $100m, get fired as CEO, collect massive golden parachute, go work for someone else for more money.
      Embezzle $10b, get a taxpayer funded bailout.

    4. Re:so, the key to amnesty... by tlhIngan · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Microsoft has done this king of thing before. They used to offer Office at over 90% discount to students. No point trying to charge them money they don't have, they will just pirate. Microsoft found a way to turn them into paying customers, which is better than nothing.

      More than 90%. I think my dad got a copy of Office 2010 for $10 when his company did a massive infrastructure upgrade and upgraded their entire system.

      The goal is strictly marketing - if you convince people to use Windows, they'll probably stick with Windows. You may not get much money out of them, but there are long term issues to worry about - namely, platform support. If you want developers to write for your platform, you need to convince them that your platform is worth writing for. If a Chinese user is forced to choose between Windows and Linux, and they start going Linux, it hurts Windows because developers might start writing for Linux instead.

      Microsoft had to lose the mobile battle to figure that part out - that it's no longer "if you build it, they will come." You have to convince them to come.

      Windows is under constant threat - even Microsoft itself is hurting it through competition (i.e., Xbox) removing a reason to use Windows.

      If they can convince people to stick with Windows, they're more likely to stick with Windows and Office in the long run.

      Ask Microsoft how much HP pays them for the Windows license on the Stream 7 tablet ($100 tablet)? It's basically zip. Nada. Microsoft is basically giving away Windows licenses to super-cheap tablets to compete with Android. (Not that I mind, I have an iPad, but picked up a Stream 7, basically because it's a full PC for $100. It's no screamer, but for $100, it's pretty neat that you have access to everything on the desktop, including Steam, a bunch of ancient Windows 3.1 apps I use, etc.)

    5. Re:so, the key to amnesty... by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 2, Insightful

      And there's back doors in it for the Chinese.

      Maybe not just for them. It's nice that Microsoft is willing to let people (and pirates - Arrrg!) upgrade for free, but it makes me wonder why they're so eager for everyone to have Windows 10. What's in it that they want to be ubiquitous and/or available? Backdoors, spyware, etc...? New ways to track people or help the authorities (and various 3-letter agencies) track usage? More A/V controls to appease the RIAA and MPAA?

      Ya, I get they want more market share - in something - but it still sounds fishy.

      --
      It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  2. Funded by the NSA? by Chrisq · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Funded by the NSA? After all we don't want them compiling their own OSs with home grown backdoors instead of American ones

  3. Re:Free is still too expensive by JohnFen · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Disk IO is better in windows 8 than in 7

    But not enough to matter unless you're doing something special.

    Startup times are better

    Why do people cite this as if it matters?