Microsoft tries to lure Office pirates with 50% discounts

Microsoft Office, probably one of the most pirated pieces of software, steadily increases the number of its users year over year. Relatively affordable and flexible prices paired with a steady flow of new features attract new consumers and keep existing ones on the hook. It appears that Microsoft now tries additional tricks to lure even more people to the Microsoft 365 subscription.

Users with a pirated version of the Office suite report getting a somewhat interesting banner inside the apps. Microsoft wants to convert pirates to legitimate users by offering up to 50% discounts for a Microsoft 365 subscription. One of the messages spotted inside Excel says the following:

Get up to 50% off. For a limited time, save up to 50% on a genuine Microsoft 365 subscription.

Clicking the “Learn more” button redirects a pirate to a web page where Microsoft explains the downsides of using pirated software. The company says counterfeit software copies increase security risks by exposing users to viruses and malware, corrupting files, data loss, and the inability to receive critical security updates. Apart from using legit software, Microsoft 365 subscribers get 1TB of cloud storage for no additional cost, further increasing the service’s value.

Users with pirated Office copies can select a family or personal subscription right on the landing page and apply a discount during checkout. Microsoft also makes it clear that the offer applies just to the first year of an annual subscription. Interestingly, there are no discounts for perpetual Office releases.

It is also worth answering a silent question: Regular consumers that abstain from piracy cannot exploit the offer to get a 50% discount. And you probably should not install pirated software just to trigger the discount message. Microsoft lets everyone trial the Microsoft 365 for one month to decide whether it is worth it or not.

And as the legendary video says, piracy is a crime. But in this case, you can get a nice discount on legit software if you do.