Microsoft wants you to license your pirated copy of Windows XP
How's this for a sales pitch? We know you've got a pirated copy of our software. We're willing to turn a blind eye to the fact that you shouldn't have it in the first place, and allow you to get an official license and ongoing customer support. But you'll have to pay us for both the license and the support. Isn't that better than free?Essentially that's what Microsoft is saying with its new Get Genuine Windows Agreement. Basically, the company is trying to turn people who are using their software into customers, which isn't unreasonable. Microsoft estimates that 35% of the software installed on computers around the world is counterfeit or stolen. We're just not entirely clear on why a person or company using pirated software would take Microsoft up on the offer.
It's also worth noting that Windows Vista sales haven't been so hot. Microsoft has extended its sales plans for Windows XP, and the Genuine Windows Agreement program might be another way to keep people paying for software, even if they're not so much upgrading as legitimizing.
