To help customers who "may require more time to move to genuine Windows software," Microsoft will offer security updates through the Automatic Updates feature in Windows, with or without Windows Genuine Advantage. After the February deadline Download Center users with Norwegian, Czech and Simplified Chinese versions of Windows will be required to participate in the program.
Microsoft said today that it is planning to clamp down on software pirates by battening down the hatches on its official download services so that only users of genuine software will be eligible for future fixes and updates.
The crackdown will be administered by extending the Redmond giant's existing Windows Genuine Advantage program.
Introduced as an optional pilot program to users of English language versions of Windows in September 2004, the scheme checks the authenticity of a user's software and provides access to free software if the product is found to be genuine.
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