No more pirated copies of Microsoft Office: the company has found a way to fight illegality and get the most out of its most famous software
Using pirated copies of software is an illegal practice, as well as extremely risky for the health of your computer. For years, companies have been fighting against piracy in a variety of ways, the latest of which is Microsoft, which has chosen a method that could perhaps convince even the most reluctant to go on the side of legality: if the stick doesn't work, let's try the carrot.
Involved in the operation conducted by the Redmond giant are those who have installed a pirated version of Microsoft 365, the package formerly known as Office 365, on their machines. The bundle contains some of the programs that have made the history of the IT giant, from the word processing application Word, to the spreadsheet Excel, passing through Powerpoint, Outlook and much more. In order to take advantage of this software, some users decide to resort to an illegal version without giving too much thought to the consequences, even though the laws of many countries provide for heavy penalties for those who act in such a way.
Microsoft, a "bonus" for Office
In order to avoid running more serious risks, and get a profit even if in a smaller measure than originally planned, Microsoft has decided to offer a 50% discount for those who, in possession of an unofficial copy, decide to return to legality by buying an original version of the subscription package. To report it is the site Ghacks, which also showed the banners that some users of the "pirated" version would have begun to see within the pirated programs.
Clicking on the link contained in the notice, the user is redirected to a web page dedicated to the annual subscription to Microsoft 365 with a 50% discount compared to the list price. The costs, in this way, drop considerably: $35 compared to $69.99 for the Personal version and $50 compared to $99.99 for the Family version, which allows the use of groups of up to 6 people.
In spite of the fact that the page in question is accessible to all, in order to have an effective feedback and view the lowered prices, it is necessary to connect through the specific link within the applications.
Microsoft and Office discounted, how many will take advantage of it?
This is undoubtedly a tempting offer, given the price difference between the normal subscription and the one offered to say goodbye to the copy in black. At the same time, it's impossible not to notice how it's a limited benefit, valid only for the first year of subscription; from the second year on, in fact, users will have to go back to the starting price, a decision that could lead to a new switch towards under-the-table copies of software.
Of course, Microsoft's decision opens the door to a change of course that could in the future give life to new similar operations, stemming even if only partially and not without difficulty the age-old problem of computer piracy.