In order to promote the Windows 10 system (hereinafter referred to as Win10), Microsoft has been providing free upgrades in the past few years, and the Win7 free whitewashing strategy is still working.
Microsoft's generosity also makes many people forget that Win10 system is charged, and the price is not cheap. In China, the home version costs 1088 yuan, and the Pro version is even as high as 1,800 yuan.
Due to such a large price difference, many people buy the activation code online to install the "genuine" Win10. It can be purchased for 5 yuan in China, and it is not expensive on eBay and Amazon overseas, usually a few dollars or a few euros. .
Merchants will often tell you that this activation code is genuine, but this is not the case. Microsoft was too lazy to take care of it before, but now some departments have begun to take legal action.
According to reports, the Koblenz Public Prosecutor’s Office has already begun operations. Some merchants selling activation codes on eBay have received court summons and have been charged with serious crimes. In addition to copyright infringement, there are also suspicions of money laundering because of these so-called genuine copies. The price of authorization is very cheap, and it can only be an illegal copy.
Not only that, there are also people who have encountered housing searches as a result. Some lawyers advise on the Internet that anyone who receives such a subpoena should first consult a professional lawyer.
According to foreign media reports, the scope of this case is very wide. Among them, the Koblenz Procuratorate submitted at least 10,000 cases. The activation code is not only related to the Win10 system, but also Office software.