Software piracy harms your business by undercutting your ability to offer genuine Microsoft solutions and licensing services to your customers. And the use of unlicensed software can expose your customers to damaging code, prevent critical updates of their systems, or leave them without fully functional applications. Your expertise can help prevent software piracy, alleviating customer risks and protecting your bottom line.

You can leverage your expertise and customer relationships to help prevent software piracy before it starts - and capitalise on licensing revenue opportunities. Mention the risks of software piracy during sales calls and offer appropriate licensing services as alternatives to using unauthorised software.

Be alert when customers request PCs without an operating-system licence.

If they plan to install Windows on those PCs, let them know the risks and consequences of using unlicensed software.

Make sure your customers know about the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) program.

This online validation program determines whether installed Microsoft software is genuine. Your customers' copies of Windows software will automatically undergo WGA validation when they visit the Microsoft Download Center and Windows Update sites. Remind your customers that if their software can't be validated, they won't be able to get downloads, software patches and critical updates from Microsoft.

Genuine Microsoft Software Initiative

Unlicensed and pirated software threatens the entire software industry. Communicate the benefits of genuine software to your customers. Find out more about the Microsoft Genuine Software Initiative.

Report Piracy

Email ukpiracy@microsoft.com

Make sure you are buying genuine Microsoft software by working with an authorised Microsoft distributor, click here for more information.