Microsoft replaces counterfeit Windows versions with genuine software

Redmond (WA) - Microsoft expanded its efforts to battle piracy by removing counterfeit versions of Windows XP from the market. Users of "high-quality" pirated versions of the operating system will receive a legal key for their software and a setup CD - if they reveal the seller’s identity.

Microsoft is getting more aggressive to limit the distribution of pirated versions of its operating system. After announcing last year that illegal version of Windows XP would not qualify for software updates anymore, the company now is bringing an exchange program that was originally launched in the UK to the US.

The new initiative offers a "genuine advantage kit" of Windows XP Professional, if users can prove that they are using a "high-quality" copy of Windows XP that closely resembles the original Windows package. Microsoft said that only edge-to-edge hologram CDs are considered for a free replacement. The participation in the program also requires users to agree to a full scan of their system files and to reveal the identity of the seller of the counterfeit software.

Users of "low-quality" pirated versions of Windows XP also can request an update to a legal version of Windows XP. In this case, the upgrade how is not free of charge and costs $149.