Extremely cheap Windows or Office keys have been available on the Internet for many years. Their legality and usability are discussed on the Internet. The fact is that these keys do not come from completely clean sources. These could be multiple activation keys (MAKs), but were not intended for use outside of a specific institution. Or licenses purchased with stolen credit card numbers. Therefore, it is possible that Microsoft will block a specific license in a few months or years. And that’s an even better option. In the worst case, you have problems with the law. I have not heard of any case in the Czech Republic (if you have any experience, you can share in the comments), but in Germany the authorities have been fighting against similar licenses for many years.
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In the last seven years, tens of thousands of lawsuits have had to take place in our western neighbors over dubious software licenses from Microsoft. Most of them were directed against sellers, but in some cases the authorities also targeted buyers. It is argued that the customer acquired the license in good faith that it is legal. The seller usually does not forget to mention that this product is “100% original”. However, law enforcement agencies refer to the extremely low price. While the original license for Windows directly from Microsoft costs 145 euros in the case of the Home version and 259 euros in the case of the Pro version, in online marketplaces such as eBay or AliExpress and many other sites, the prices of keys are usually around 10 to 15 euros. There are even Windows 10 offers for less than 5 euros.
According to a subpoena found by some buyers in their mailboxes, by purchasing a dubious key, they committed not only copyright infringement, but perhaps also money laundering. Tobias Kläner’s law firm has dealt with more than a hundred similar cases. He said prosecutors across Germany are now investigating cases of purchasing a Windows 10 activation key on eBay in 2020 for € 2.50. The lawyer warns that if the user “He voluntarily admits to the installation of Windows 10 with the acquired license on his computer, thus acknowledging the objective fact of copyright infringement under §106 UrhG and falling into the trap of investigators.”
There have reportedly been several house searches in Rhineland-Palatinate. The accused face a financial fine, although German law allows for punishment of up to 3 years in prison. Microsoft has also been fighting against sellers of cheap keys for a long time. In one of his earlier statements, he stated: “A functional product key does not imply a valid license. Product keys are not licenses, they only serve to ensure that a customer who already has the right to use (ie license) for a computer program can install and activate it. ” Looking at the great deals on Windows, you may notice that vendors usually only talk about keys, not licenses. In other words, the customer does not buy the right to use the software, but only a combination of numbers and letters.
Prices of related products:
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