130 euros for a professional version is a lot of money, compared to offers made on trading platforms like eBay when you search for “Windows 10 Pro Key”: traders undercut each other: 6.99 euros, 5.49 euros, 4.99 euros, 4.89 euros, 3.99 euros! This is the only way to have a chance of being found by customers who sort by price. They all promise “lightning expedition”, “100% original” and “full version”. Descriptions always state that there is no physical product – instead, the customer receives a key and download link within 30 seconds and doesn`t have to wait for a postal delivery. Dealers cite the 2012 ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on Oracle download software and promise to legally resell used keys. If you`re still determined to save money and buy a cheap license, you need to know what you`re getting into. Websites that distribute corresponding gray market or volume licenses convince in most cases with their professional and serious appearance. However, there is almost never a verification of the person or company behind it. Providers such as Kinguin and G2A do not offer the buyer the protection of reputable platforms. Even if there are unforeseen problems with the purchased license, a reputable reseller should be able to eliminate them quickly. If you opt for the cheapest and most economical option, you should make sure before you buy that the credit card used for the purchase also allows international debits and be prepared for the fact that activation will not be completely frustration-free. Especially on the Internet, many obviously cheap software offers are circulating. These do not have to be illegal. Be careful though.
An extremely low price can be an indication of illegal software. The business model of selling Windows keys at dumped prices via trading platforms without being able to provide proof of purchase is therefore not legal. If a copyright infringement involves commercial activity, it may even be of interest to law enforcement authorities. Otherwise, the author`s civil actions are in any event admissible. Private users who “only” have Windows illegally on their computer do not have to worry about legal problems in practice. However, companies that have the idea of “laying off” Windows for 4 euros may encounter problems. The question remains why Windows doesn`t complain when activating. Using Windows 10 without a license – is it possible? And above all: is it legal? Read here how it works and what to look out for. By the way, Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 worked pretty much the same way.
Microsoft never officially allowed you to download Windows without a product key, and there was no way to fully switch to a licensed system from Windows. If you want to buy used licenses, there is unfortunately no universal trick to recognize legal offers. Common sense can help with selection: Granted, dealers can buy used licenses at low prices and sell them at Microsoft`s unit price – but at prices below $10, the likelihood is low that the business model will be legal. But even higher prices don`t guarantee authenticity. A single license of Windows 10 Professional currently costs 259 euros in Microsoft`s online store, optionally with a bootable USB stick. The so-called system builder versions of the operating system are much cheaper: they are available for about 130 euros. They are intended for the homes of systems that assemble computers themselves and sell them with a license. These can also be purchased by individuals. Unlike previous editions of Windows, a copy of Windows 10 from the system builder does not necessarily include a disk. The software can be downloaded from Microsoft.
The Home version is even cheaper, but it is less attractive because updates cannot be delayed. But how to get a Windows 10 license without being on the verge of illegality? The easiest way is to purchase an official license from Microsoft or a reseller. The cheapest way is with a System Builder license, which costs a good 72 euros for Windows 10 Home and from 125 euros for Windows 10 Pro. Another way is to simply use an older Windows 7 or Windows 8 license that is still available on older computers. Alternatively, you can also buy a defective computer used cheaply – the license is acquired. The good news is that Windows 10 runs for 30 days without restrictions and even after the 30 days have passed, these are rarely noticeable. However, this is only legal if you have a license. But here too, there is good news: as a result, Lizengo has also been targeted by the manufacturer of the distributed software, Microsoft. He checked the activation keys and found that they came from volume licenses in China and Bulgaria, for which Lizengo could not be the licensee, and filed a complaint against the distributor. The question of the legality of these transactions was again raised.
Meanwhile, Lizengo is insolvent, as the operation of the store had to be interrupted due to the lack of legal certainty and the ongoing court decision. It is not known whether the trigger was licenses for Windows or Office. Licenses purchased in other countries or continents could, for example, ensure that they are also used in the country of origin and not elsewhere by locating the IP address. Experienced users know how to bypass this geolocation of the IP address, or to provide the right answer, but a residual risk remains. In the worst case, this can result in the license mark as invalid by Microsoft and therefore remotely disabled. This can be especially problematic if your own Windows installation is always connected to other Microsoft services. Conversely, volume license activation keys may not work from the start. Less reputable dealers sell licenses multiple times and often don`t offer the opportunity to complain about an activation key not working. Still others simply stop working overnight, without warning. Even riskier are offers that contain Windows 10 installation media in the form of a USB stick in addition to the activation key.
These keys typically only work with the supplied installation media. So, if you lose it, you no longer have the option to install and activate the purchased license. By the way, the same method is sometimes used to prevent, for example, the installation and activation of a desktop PC with an activation key originally intended for a laptop. And we probably don`t even need to talk about the risk of acquiring software activation keys from dubious foreign websites. But how do keys and licenses work for Windows 10? Microsoft developed the operating system and owns the copyright.
