Windows – Is ‘Windows 8 pro permanent activation trick’ illegal?

windows 8

I got the following via mail:

Steps to permanently activate Windows 8 :

  1. Go to http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/feature-packs and enter email for media center key. You will recieve the key in email.
  2. Follow the steps in the mail to upgrade to PROWMC (RESTART NEEDED)
  3. RUN CMD >> TYPE "slui", HIT ENTER >> ACTIVATION WINDOW APPEARS, CLICK ON "ACTIVATE" BUTTON (INTERNET CONNECTION NEEDED)

Is it some vulnerability? Would this be called illegal?

Update:

I emailed the source and they sent me this picture :

enter image description here

Best Answer

Its violation of the EULA, which doesn't need to be illegal. For example, it maybe financially advantageous to break a EULA and pay the fine and it won't be more illegal than your plumber messing up.

This is to say that MS can peruse you, but the government won't peruse you because you didn't violate the law of the land.

I really liked the breakdown offered by David Madden, who is more of an expert than I.

There's a whole lotta issues in your question, so it's impossible to give a definitive answer. Some EULA terms are simply unenforceable (for one reason or another), so nothing will happen to someone who violates those terms. Some EULA terms are enforceable, but only on a contract basis, so if you violate them, you'll probably only have to pay money damages, and/or lose your right to use the software. And some EULA terms may connect to copyright, so violation of those terms would constitute copyright infringement. Of these, only copyright infringement is actually illegal. It's even possible, but not common, to go to jail for certain types of copyright infringement.

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