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Microsoft Goes After Windows 10 Pirate, Tracks Him Down and Sues

One thousand activations recorded from same IP address

Jul 20, 2016 08:09 GMT  ·  By
Microsoft discovered 1,000 activations from the same IP
   Microsoft discovered 1,000 activations from the same IP

Microsoft continues its fight against software piracy, this time with a lawsuit against an unnamed party that has allegedly activated more than 1,000 copies of Windows and Office, including the latest Windows 10 operating system.

This is the company’s fifth lawsuit since February aimed at software pirates, after it discovered a growing number of activation attempts from IPs belonging to what could be retailers selling computers with stolen product keys.

Microsoft hasn’t disclosed the pirate’s name in the document papers but has called them “John Doe” - a name used to refer to an undisclosed or unnamed person or party.

Plenty of copies of Microsoft Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Office 2013, Office 2010, and Windows Server 2008 were activated using pirated keys, Microsoft says in the court documents, according to CW, so the company is now suing in order to identify the culprits.

Microsoft trying to find out the identity of pirates

In most of the cases, once Microsoft obtains the IP address of the defendant, the judge can subpoena ISPs to provide the identity of the customers.

“Microsoft’s cyberforensics have identified over one thousand activations of Microsoft software originating from IP address 69.92.99.109 ('the IP Address'), which is presently assigned to Cable One, Inc.,” Microsoft explains in court documents.

This is what Microsoft is trying to do this time as well, and the company explains that it wants the same judge involved in the other four similar lawsuits to be in charge of this new case because they’re all similar and are linked to illegal activities of its software.

Windows and Office have always been two of the solutions most often impacted by piracy, and Microsoft is losing millions of dollars every year because of activations with pirated keys or alternative illegal ways of activation. Windows 10 seems to be hit with the same piracy problems, but even though Microsoft is offering it as a free upgrade to Windows 7 and 8.1 users, the company is no longer willing to tolerate pirates.