Sponsored News Content on TechPowerUp

[BorgOvermind]

Guys, I have an official answer from a Microsoft Legal Director regarding the issue with cheap keys.

What the answer said basically is that having a working valid key does not make your product legit (and they exemplify with having a key to an apartment which you can use to enter it but you are not the owner of it).

They clearly state that a PK (product key) is not a license and simply acquiring a valid PK does NOT provide you the legal right to use the software.

Other things mentioned:

- COAs (certificates of authentication) are also considered invalid if presented without the software they certify.
- There are no lifetime subs for Office 365 and Office 365 subs are not transferable.
- SHS (second hand software) must have the consent of MS and must happen under EU legislation (in the EU) and similar in the US.

If anyone wants I can send you the official Microsoft response document but it's in Romanian language.
-Edit-
I have attached the answer.
Name is blacked to comply with GDRP rules.

 

[Frick]

Guys, I have an official answer from a Microsoft Legal Director regarding the issue with cheap keys.

What the answer said basically is that having a working valid key does not make your product legit (and they exemplify with having a key to an apartment which you can use to enter it but you are not the owner of it).

They clearly state that a PK (product key) is not a license and simply acquiring a valid PK does NOT provide you the legal right to use the software.

Other things mentioned:

- COAs (certificates of authentication) are also considered invalid if presented without the software they certify.
- There are no lifetime subs for Office 365 and Office 365 subs are not transferable.
- SHS (second hand software) must have the consent of MS and must happen under EU legislation (in the EU) and similar in the US.

If anyone wants I can send you the official Microsoft response document but it's in Romanian language.

Post it.

Also, about game keys:

Friday Facts #303 - Under 100 bugs (but still not stable) | Factorio

Under 100 bugs We have a record low in our bug report forum, of only 55 active bug reports. I don't think in the history of Factorio the bug forum has been so clean. No doubt once we mark 0.17 as stable the count will shoot up again. For this weeks graph I added the count of players on Steam...

factorio.com

Not piracy, but fraud probably.


Anyway. Sweclockers has the right idea for sponsored content: They do writeups on technology with the help of sponsors.

 

[BorgOvermind]

Post it.

I have attached the official answer to my initial post.

 

[Vayra86]

I called MS
I did online chat with MS
I filed a BBB complaint to MS.
I gave Microsoft all these links to threads STARTED by mods (btarunr... "Location: Hyderabad, India " ) saying Windows CD keys and Office Keys $10-$12.
I don't think it is right for any website to have sponsors that are not legit.
Why don't you do the same?

Like one said, take a Johnson & Johnson baby lotion sponsorship instead of a rip off overseas software scam company.

Since I lived in Bellevue Washington, I might contact a friend of mine.

Why? What is my stake in this? If this burns TPU, that would burn me indirectly because I like the website and its staff. If this burns me, its my own damn fault for buying a cheap key. If this burns MS... and you care about it, you need a life.

The only consideration and problem I have with these ads, is that it damages credibility and reputation of the site. Everything else, especially the money part, I seriously don't care and I'll be the last person to play the unpaid cop for any company. I'm not sure why you feel happy doing somebody else's work either, to be honest.

 

[BorgOvermind]

From a neutral perspective a website posting such ads may simply add something like "we do not guarantee the authenticity of the offers and we do not provide any type or guarantee for the listed products". That will make it clear that the possible buyers will have to inform themselves and then decide what's best for them.

Legally, things are a lot more complicated (and can vary a lot depending on the local legislation too). If an ad is posted by a website, how do the website owners check for authenticity of every ad ? Look at what happened to mobile phone industry: big ones like Apple/Google marked software as trusted while it was full of malware. And then ... when reported they just removed it and that what it.
No-one ever does check things like that. What happens is that if some of the ads have illegal content some 3rd party will report it and then the website can decide to take it down based on that...or let it on still and wait for an official complain from the original product owner, but at this point indeed leads to less credibility and things can get more hardcore on the legal side.

As for MS, we now have a clear statement on this which can take us to the conclusion that they don't approve of such things but they don't care enough to act on it. For them, informing legit partners of such issues seems to be enough.

 

[R-T-B]

Seriously I love your stance and effort with TPU. I'm sure you're aware of the potential problems with these ads, for as far as they matter to you. I just really, really hope this won't backfire at some point.

You have my support - just wanted to make that clear - despite my concerns with this.

In the end, this is how I feel as well.

 

[64K]

Here's an easy way to support TPU:

Get more from TechPowerUp on Patreon

Hardware Industry News, Reviews and Software for Enthusiasts

www.patreon.com

I have been doing this for a few months now and nothing bad has happened in case some of you are concerned about Patreon.

 

[eidairaman1]

This right here is illicit.

Introducing BZFuture: Authorized Security Software Vendor with Free Windows 10 Under $10

You've probably heard of anti-virus software being bundled with Windows, but have you ever heard of Windows being bundled with anti-virus software? BZFuture (pronounced Busy Future) is an authorized system security software vendor and distributor for some of the industry's most trusted security...

www.techpowerup.com

(Funny how when I said I never Heard of them that my reply got removed and the topic got locked)

 

[dorsetknob]

my reply got removed and the topic got locked

Those "Topics are open for 30 min-ish" (doubt if op has privileges to lock them) before they are locked and sanatized of any posts

O/s Licensees for OEM are tied to Qualifying SUPPLIED Hardware ( motherboard /CPU/Hard Drive) and not to a Bundled Software package.

 

[eidairaman1]

Those "Topics are open for 30 min-ish" (doubt if op has privileges to lock them) before they are locked and sanatized of any posts

O/s Licensees for OEM are tied to Qualifying SUPPLIED Hardware ( motherboard /CPU/Hard Drive) and not to a Bundled Software package.

Yet in other news replies those threads become drawnout stupidity.

 

[Frick]

"Genuine".

 

[W1zzard]

Here's an easy way to support TPU:

Get more from TechPowerUp on Patreon

Hardware Industry News, Reviews and Software for Enthusiasts

www.patreon.com

I have been doing this for a few months now and nothing bad has happened in case some of you are concerned about Patreon.

Just had an idea, Patreon ad-free will also not see sponsored posts anymore. Adding code for that right now

Edit: this has been added. @64K can you verify to confirm?

 

[64K]

Just had an idea, Patreon ad-free will also not see sponsored posts anymore. Adding code for that right now

Edit: this has been added. @64K can you verify to confirm?

I'm not sure what you want. I almost never visit the front page but I just looked and there are Articles tagged Press Release shown and in new forum posts there is one post listed under a Sponsored Article.

 

[W1zzard]

I'm not sure what you want. I almost never visit the front page but I just looked and there are Articles tagged Press Release shown and in new forum posts there is one post listed under a Sponsored Article.

Thanks working as intended then

 

[kapone32]

For anyone who is worried about the $10-12 keys being legit....they are. Windows 10 is sold around the world in all economies. The keys you are seeing on these sites are probably sourced from Asia or even Africa. The other source of keys is from volume licenses. Apple is entrenched in most school systems in North America to counteract that Microsoft has been doing volume licenses for schools for years. The thing is Windows is just an OS and as long as your key is registered it will activate regardless of the source, If it does not activate then you are getting it from an illegal source. I have been using "cheap" keys for years from Amazon as I am a system builder on the side and I have never had an issue. Someone already mentioned that you only get to update Windows once or twice with volume licenses and that also is true.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

The title "Windows 7 Support Ends This January, Upgrade to Windows 10 from GoodOffer24 Starting $11.38" is misleading. Windows 7 can still be upgraded to Windows 10 for free. This title does not server the public's interest/bad journalism.

 

[eidairaman1]

The title "Windows 7 Support Ends This January, Upgrade to Windows 10 from GoodOffer24 Starting $11.38" is misleading. Windows 7 can still be upgraded to Windows 10 for free. This title does not server the public's interest/bad journalism.

I dont trust any of those sites.

 

[R-T-B]

I'm not sure why you feel happy doing somebody else's work either, to be honest.

As I said, I don't really take pleasure in it. But I'm (or rather, was) a software dev and greymarket sites like this that violate our written eula piss me off.

I also love TPU though so I really was torn filing the report. As I was canceling my $15 per month Patreon... but I really couldn't stand the idea of supporting anything that feeds this.

I am glad nothing came of it, but I had no question on my moral obligations there, even if Microsoft is a megacorp the concept of abuse is the same.

Here's an easy way to support TPU:

Get more from TechPowerUp on Patreon

Hardware Industry News, Reviews and Software for Enthusiasts

www.patreon.com

I have been doing this for a few months now and nothing bad has happened in case some of you are concerned about Patreon.

I was doing it until this started.

W1zzard has my protest withdrawal noted.

 

[Vayra86]

As I said, I don't really take pleasure in it. But I'm (or rather, was) a software dev and greymarket sites like this that violate our written eula piss me off.

I also love TPU though so I really was torn filing the report. As I was canceling my $15 per month Patreon... but I really couldn't stand the idea of supporting anything that feeds this.

I am glad nothing came of it, but I had no question on my moral obligations there, even if Microsoft is a megacorp the concept of abuse is the same.



I was doing it until this started.

W1zzard has my protest withdrawal noted.

Honestly, much as I had expected. MS doesn't give a damn about these grey market licenses, and historically they never did. Hell they even update known illegal Windows 7 ultimate. Clearly they've got bigger issues to worry about than a handful of cheapskates

 

[R-T-B]

Honestly, much as I had expected. MS doesn't give a damn about these grey market licenses, and historically they never did. Hell they even update known illegal Windows 7 ultimate. Clearly they've got bigger issues to worry about than a handful of cheapskates

That's probably why the Windows 7 free activation is still unofficially running. Not that that is any more legit than this, but at least it's free.

 

[notb]

For anyone who is worried about the $10-12 keys being legit....they are.

I don't understand why there are still discussion like this one on TPU.
It's like if people here were unable to learn the concept of software license...

Yes, the keys are proper, as in: they'll unlock a Windows installation.
But having a correct key doesn't mean you have rights to use Windows, so it's not "legit".

Similarly, if you try a brute force approach and have enough luck to get a proper key, it doesn't mean you've "mined" Windows...

The funny part is... software rights are often very different from what we're used to, so they're hard to understand.
However, "keys" work exactly the same:
- The fact that you've found (or even bought) car keys doesn't mean you're allowed to use the car they correspond to.
- The fact that you know a credit card PIN doesn't mean you can pay with it.
- The fact that you know a safe combination doesn't mean you can take whatever you find inside.
Everyone knows that, right?

MS doesn't give a damn about these grey market licenses, and historically they never did.

Correct. It makes no economical sense to go after a few home DIY PC users will illegal Windows (civil lawsuits would be too expensive).
They know this and they won't try.
For exactly this reason they're changing the license strategy.
Soon every new Windows PC will come with a free basic Windows (likely still called Windows S) that will work offline.
However, you'll need a confirmed MS account to upgrade to a higher variant.
Windows Home should still be free - you'll only pay for Pro and above.

 

[Octopuss]

You can still upgrade? How?

 

[tabascosauz]

I called MS
I did online chat with MS
I filed a BBB complaint to MS.
I gave Microsoft all these links to threads STARTED by mods (btarunr... "Location: Hyderabad, India " ) saying Windows CD keys and Office Keys $10-$12.
I don't think it is right for any website to have sponsors that are not legit.
Why don't you do the same?

Like one said, take a Johnson & Johnson baby lotion sponsorship instead of a rip off overseas software scam company.

Since I lived in Bellevue Washington, I might contact a friend of mine.

You sound like you'd be fun at parties.

I can totally understand contacting customer service, escalating the case, and contacting BBB or CAMVAP......if the company was Ford and this was the lemon of an F-150 I had. It isn't Ford, you aren't the owner of that F-150, and you don't even have a stake in this entire ordeal at all.

Why don't I do the same? Because TPU has been a great place to chill and chat for me in the past 4 years, and I care if GoodOffer24 becomes the downfall of TPU. Judging from what you evidently enjoy doing, you don't seem to feel the same about TPU; in fact, you seem a bit bizarrely bent on ensuring TPU suffers harm from this.

If TPU doesn't bring some semblance of enjoyment to your life, why don't you consider going somewhere else? The world seems to have a lot of positions open for people who care so much about certain issues, such as yourself.

 

[R-T-B]

You can still upgrade? How?

Type in a Windows 7 serial into the installer. It won't do a true "in-place" upgrade install but it'll activate fine.

You sound like you'd be fun at parties.

I can totally understand contacting customer service, escalating the case, and contacting BBB or CAMVAP......if the company was Ford and this was the lemon of an F-150 I had. It isn't Ford, you aren't the owner of that F-150, and you don't even have a stake in this entire ordeal at all.

Why don't I do the same? Because TPU has been a great place to chill and chat for me in the past 4 years, and I care if GoodOffer24 becomes the downfall of TPU. Judging from what you evidently enjoy doing, you don't seem to feel the same about TPU; in fact, you seem a bit bizarrely bent on ensuring TPU suffers harm from this.

If TPU doesn't bring some semblance of enjoyment to your life, why don't you consider going somewhere else? The world seems to have a lot of positions open for people who care so much about certain issues, such as yourself.

See that's where I am torn.

I do feel strongly on issues like this. And I also enjoy techpowerup. Ultimately, "love it or leave it" hopefully does not apply to me.

I get it from some guy who flew outta nowhere to report us though...

 

[Deleted member 67555]

You can still upgrade? How?

Are you "blind"?
Do you have "reading comprehension" issues?