Microsoft is willing to sue you for activating too much pirated software

Even though Microsoft doesn’t really take action against all the pirated Windows and Office versions in use out there, the company is ready to go to court when it detects certain usage patterns related to illegal Windows and Office activations. Torrent Freak reports that Microsoft has already filed a complaint against persons behind an AT&T subscription who have activated multiple pirated copies of Windows 7 and Office 10.

Despite being one of the most pirated software vendors in the world, Microsoft doesn’t have a long track record of cracking down on individual pirates. In fact, two months ago Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella noted that in some cases piracy can act as a conversion tool. “We’ve always had freemium. Sometimes our freemium was called piracy,” Nadella said, adding that the usage first approach has its advantages. This doesn’t mean that all pirates can have their way though. Microsoft does keep a close eye on the unauthorized use of its products with help from its in house cybercrime center. Late last week Microsoft filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against a person (or persons) who activated pirated copies of Windows 7 and Office 10 from an AT&T Internet connection.