Windows 10 Piracy Loophole Closed

The issue of exactly who gets a free copy of Windows 10 has continued to confuse the tech community. It now appears a couple of loopholes have been closed, restricting the pool of people getting the free upgrade.

Windows 10 will bring us very close to the end of the era of having to pay to use the operating system. Not only will it be the last completely new edition of Windows (with future changes made through major incremental updates), but it will also be a free upgrade in the first year for those running Windows 7 or 8.1.

In March, Microsoft also revealed that users in China will be able to get the free Windows 10 upgrade even if they are running a non-authentic (that is, pirated) copy of Windows. It later clarified this to say that this piracy policy applies worldwide, but the upgraded copy of Windows 10 will itself be considered non-authentic and thus subject to "nag screens" and other limitations.

Windows Insider Program At Heart Of Confusion

The latest in the Windows 10 upgrade 'confusion' involves those who have joined the Windows Insider program to test Windows 10 during its development. The Insider Program was designed so that ordinary people could run a sneak-peak of Windows 10, try out its new features, and report bugs to Microsoft.

It seems some Windows Insider testers thought they'd found a loophole, however. It originally appeared that anyone taking part in Windows Insider 10 campaign would also receive a free, final copy of the Windows 10 system (also known as Windows 10 RTM, or release to manufacturing). It meant that anyone running a pirated copy of Windows 7 or 8.1 could join the program, and receive a free upgrade to a legitimate copy of Windows 10.

Over the past weekend Microsoft sparked widespread confusion with a blog post which was later reworded, then a follow-up post. The posts tried to explain the logistics of getting and installing the finished Windows 10 if you are part of the program. (Source: windows.com)

Finished Copy For Legit Customers Only

While there's still confusion over the posts, the best interpretation appears to be that unless you already have a genuine copy of Windows 7 or 8.1 on your machine, you can't get a copy of the official final release of Windows 10 RTM, which is the final version installed on new computers that are typically purchased from stores. (Source: zdnet.com)

Windows Insider members who were running a non-authentic copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 will instead have to continue running their test editions of Windows 10. These may receive some minor updates as Microsoft continues ironing out any bugs which come to light as the new system goes mainstream, but there's no guarantee how long this will last for, and Microsoft reserves the right to deactivate the test editions at any time.

What's Your Opinion?

Should Microsoft give a free upgrade to everyone who has tested Windows 10? Would doing so be a fair reward for their help with the testing program? Or would it be wrong to give a freebie to people who were previously running pirated copies of Windows?