While individual users are buying more often than they used the software in good faith, they can lose a lot of buying from an unauthorized vendor. Often, consumers want to buy legitimate soft, but choosing a cheaper offer unknowingly buy de facto illegal copy. Piracy causes a loss of the State or private companies.
In the online stores and auction sites auction, you can find hundreds of products in the digital version of unknown origin , stickers zerwanymi from dismantled computers and software used in boxed. Vendors often provide operating systems, office suites and software for professional artists for a fraction of the store price.
Using such offer very easily come across the scammers.
Users looking for software very often, because of how it might seem overpriced bypass official sales channels. The same product, at least in theory, can be purchased elsewhere for a fraction of the market price. It is not surprising, of course, consumers that want to buy as cheaply as possible.
Few people realize, however, that in most cases – and they are not exaggerated estimates – cheap keys for software purchased online turn out to be false. Buying such a “left” key, even on an invoice does not relieve you of the responsibility and entrepreneurs, if the key will be illegal or invalid.
Traffickers sometimes at the same insolent.
In preparation for this text, I had a long talk with representatives of Microsoft, who are constantly fighting against rogue vendors. The company regularly examines the contents of the websites dealing in key products. Are checked offer accounts that are selling massively keys auction sites such as Allegro. Microsoft itself also makes test purchases.
It turns out that the scale of the phenomenon of trafficking of dubious legality keys, is shocking. The chance to purchase legitimate Windows or Office at an attractive price at auction on the web is up to a few percent. The share of suspicious listings on third-party software is approx. 70 percent. sales (not just issued tenders!).
Why are illegal keys?
Windows 7 and Office 2010 have never been sold in the Polish digital distribution. This means that you can have confidence bordering on certainty: if someone says that sells Polish official license to this product for download in electronic form, it just lies and trying to extort money from a client for kosher goods.
Traffickers use various tricks, and the keys come from the strangest places. Some of them were simply in the world created, and others taken from the sticker on the computer or drawn out of the box. Widespread practice is to sell these codes repeatedly to different customers.
The fact that the software is illegal client can learn only after several weeks or even months after the transaction, when the key goes on the black list.
In Germany, in December last year, massive market investigation has shown that sold at various auctions so many times the same. master-key – the key that allows the installation of the system at dozens of positions. He came from a Chinese educational institution. Microsoft has generated for the company’s new key volumes; but the extinction of the previous, which already went into circulation, slightly last.
Buying such trefnego key for the client can be quite problematic. System or office suite can be activated properly, but as soon as the software maker detects that the key is illegal, it is at best end up blocking. The seller may send another key or return the money, but often recovery is impossible.
Then you not only will be without the software, but also without funds to purchase – this time from a reliable source.
In the worst scenario for the client, especially if he made the purchase on the company, the police may even commandeer the entire hard drive or computer as evidence in the case. If law enforcement reach customer lists dealer, who found himself in the spotlight, it can protect bought “product”.
In this case, the mere fact of purchase – even if it was an invoice – does not make it the buyer “is Indoor “. How very attractive price and a nice description of the “left” of the product would be, it does not make it the system or the legal office suite. For Microsoft Windows or buyer of such Office’s no different from … pirate.
This may seem rather harsh position, but when someone buys for 40 zł at auction to Windows key, costing a market about 350-400 zł, it should not count on the full value of the product.
The truth is that ignorance of the law is harmful and can not obscure the good intentions here. Even if one is not aware of market prices and buy software in good faith, it would be exposed to a number of trouble. Claims should be addressed directly to the seller.
It should not surprise anyone, because just this also works in the “analog” world. When buying a stolen cell phone, we will be exposed to unpleasant, when the police at a routine check IMEI number and discovers that it appears in the database of stolen phones.
To paraphrase a famous saying – if you offer software looks very attractive to be true, it probably is so.
If you are familiar with the Internet are aware that the payment of the popular rodent or other theater geek does not mean that the owner of the copyright to the music or the movie will see any money. This is the same software on the market – buying a key to the Windows or Office at auction does not mean that you have a clear conscience.
You have to remember that even such a large and well-known as the Allegro platform offers space for trade to other entities . Employees do not check with the principles of advertising, and even if they wanted to, it would run out of this capacity. In the case of software, it’s unfortunately be required to ensure that legitimate product to buy.
What to avoid?
Creativity crooks looking for easy earnings in the network indeed knows no bounds, and, according to IDC in the world 51 percent. bids for software in the network is trying to extort money. In Poland, in the case of such products as Microsoft Office 2010, it is estimated that the number of pirated copies sold online … it was 99 percent. all.
You should be especially wary when buying older software. For example, Office 2010 can no longer be one and a half year to buy the official sales channels, but such products Allegro is a dime a dozen. It does not prevent retailers license transfer of unknown origin.
What can threaten the illegal installation of the system?
The worst thing you can do customer is the suggestion of some dealers to install Windows from a random torrentowni and activate it specified key. Very risky upload system is also lost on the plate DVD-R, even if the seller provides that it “backup one to one” original CD.
Not only receive from the dealer the board itself should light up the lamp warning, it is for that you never know if someone in such a system has not added a few of his bits. You can unwittingly become part of a botnet, install excavator bitcoins some nasty malware or steal money from your bank account.
During a conversation with representatives of Microsoft asked also about telling the most interesting story related to cunning traders.
The History of sharks heard a lot of business, but very few of them sticks to my mind. One of the merchants Microsoft’s lawyers admitted that the keys acquires from China and gave even Skype numbers and e-mail to its suppliers, which included members “key” in the name suggesting clearly the nature of business.
Other sly indicate that the keys come from “scrap computers”, although the OEM license expressly prohibits the resale. They should end the life of a sticker and certificate, together with your computer. Sellers, however, this does not acquire in China is even a special recycling center, which recovers the keys.
There are also “entrepreneurial” and honest students who freely sell given to them by the university of keys MSDNAA.
Some gazelles trying to illegally keys do substitute the real product and such. tear original box into three parts and sell the same key for three different clients. Fake and counterfeit plates or certificates are not uncommon, but some sellers even this will not forcibly – brazenly ensure customer counting on the ignorance that everything is carried out in accordance with the law.
There’s been already a situation where the company that won the tender for the institutions of the state, its dozens of systems supplied on CD … DVD-R. They were all versions of Windows, and Office, to choose the color. In this case, the keys were delivered in the form of a table. Microsoft did expertise of pirated software, and the case went to the prosecutor’s office and waiting for your final.
Is it possible to effectively combat these practices?
Microsoft reports Give suspected wherever it can. So far, the situation is dramatic, especially looking at the revenue that such trade can generate, but you can see the light at the tunnel. It happens that the turnover of several hundred per month, generating a turnover and sellers of this size, there are many. Microsoft began in mid-March, again working with Allegro to detect violations and reported auctions began within a few hours to disappear from the site.
Software manufacturers are almost helpless in the fight against cheaters creative. Catch someone red-handed it is often not enough to auction websites such delinquent account suspended and the court ruled against. Sometimes, even after Microsoft acquired as part of the so-called. Mystery Shopping several products (and proved that they were sold illegally) continue seller only function and increase your income.
This does not mean that traffickers with impunity, and have been taken even the first convictions without so. “Hinge”.
The traders who generate really high speed, is interested in sooner or later … IRS. Microsoft representatives laugh that fraudsters selling software – dealings today considered to be much more profitable than selling drugs! – Fall like Al Capone: not a crime, but the tax cheating. Office party fall even suspicion of money laundering.
Microsoft employees have already participated in cases where the Tax Audit Office asked for an analysis of the software sold. Offices of tax offenders, who traded commodity trefnym can not pull money – then the matter shall be referred to the prosecutor. Companies with the so-called. tax havens and suspected use of VAT carousel are monitored.
Microsoft does not want to fight with customers, even if you buy pirated Windows for 40 zł would only soothe your conscience.
The most important is to hinder life traffickers that their business is no longer profitable. Microsoft wants to combat this phenomenon at the source. It is also important to build consumer awareness of the legal and illegal software.
You have to mention threatening consequences for the use of illegal software and distribution takowego. Falls even exaggerated comparison software to arms: in both cases, you need to take not only the product, but also the appropriate license.
The problem of illegal keys should pay particular attention to the company.
Licensing of unknown origin Office are bought almost wholesale for small businesses . This is a cheap electronic keys wasted money and a really risky game. In the case of the control has no chance to defend. You can try to show good will and avoid punishment, but the examination can take several months.
The loss of a disk that zarekwiruje student dorm after the raid and as the evidence of the police, it is a personal inconvenience to the user. If you run 50 such drives in the company, the same thing that makes her huge losses and bankruptcy. Protection orders illicit trade items are no longer issued.
So where to buy the software?
It will not be surprising that a software manufacturer suggests buying in one with authorized partners. Companies such as Microsoft, of course, they can not accuse any particular seller in the dark, and the final decision to purchase a product where the user belongs to. However, everyone must answer the same, whether such “savings” and purchase a key suspect is the game worth the candle.
Mi would be foolish indeed to charge your bank account hustla the company registered in the Seychelles or the Cayman Islands. I will not give money to someone who pushes me a key generator or fake box, which is reminiscent of the real – even with the film! Looking for Windows should go to Gaza Marek Allegro or shops such as Komputronik, Media Expert or Euro RTV.
The piracy lose lawful seller.
Microsoft is trying to educate customers, but not limited to the Redmond giant and treasury are losers on pocederze selling pirated keys. Many of the auctions and tenders in the network report to the official partners of Microsoft.
For them to sell their illegal keys for next to nothing is asked to develop a thread of unfair competition. It can not be affordable to fight with the pirates who do not pay taxes.
What sets apart OEM versions and BOX?
If someone insists on the to look for opportunities to go against this decision is unlikely to dissuade. In this case, I encourage you to read the Microsoft site called How to Tell, where you can find out what to look for when buying a used key. In an interview with Microsoft was able to also clarify BOX software and OEM versions. BOX license version can be installed on any hardware. You can even sell it, provided you remove the system from the previous machine.
Licenses OEM means assigning it to a particular computer. System sold with a laptop can not be transferred to a desktop computer. However, private users can buy never used OEM that bind to a particular computer – understood as the motherboard – the time of the first activation. Such a system can only sell the machine, which has been uploaded. If your computer gets broken, and the motherboard will go into the trash, then you lose the right to use the system.
At the end make no mistake: the purchase of software at a reduced price will usually be a bad investment. On trade in pirated keys in the long term gains not one, but home-grown business.
Some graphics from website Shutterstock.
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