Does KMS count as "piracy"?

[DaemonWarrior44]

Does activation software like KMS count as piracy? I've been arguing with a friend of mind about whether if it counts as piracy or not. What do you think?

[Railgun]

Googling KMS software just gives me a bunch of unrelated things. Can you please explain what KMS is?

[Electronics Wizardy]

yes it is.

[TetraSky]

Yes. You are circumventing a form a DRM to avoid buying a license to legally use the product. That is the very definition of piracy.

[C:\\Mat]

so using microsoft toolkit is also a form of piracy??

[DaemonWarrior44]

18 minutes ago, Railgun said:

Googling KMS software just gives me a bunch of unrelated things. Can you please explain what KMS is?

It's a tool for activating WIndows or Office.
P.S: This post is a sort of investigation, I'm not suggesting the usage of this software for self profit or any other illegal activities.

[TetraSky]

1 minute ago, DasBassDropz said:

so using microsoft toolkit is also a form of piracy??

Um, yes? If you activate Windows with anything other than a license that is paid for, it IS piracy. KMS and MS toolkit (not made by Microsoft) are tools to curcumvent the DRM of Windows in order to illegally activate a copy of Windows.

[Electronics Wizardy]

3 minutes ago, DasBassDropz said:

so using microsoft toolkit is also a form of piracy??

you not using their tool kit as intended, your making it activate when it shouldn't

[DaemonWarrior44]

@Electronics Wizardy @TetraSky and what about YouTube converters? Like youtube-mp3.org or similars,

[2FA]

Just now, DaemonWarrior44 said:

 and what about YouTube converters? Like youtube-mp3.org or similars,

You're trying to justify one thing with another that is just as bad. Also, copyrights are only infringed if you try to distribute it. 

[C:\\Mat]

2 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

Um, yes? If you activate Windows with anything other than a license that is paid for, it IS piracy. KMS and MS toolkit (not made by Microsoft) are tools to curcumvent the DRM of Windows in order to illegally activate a copy of Windows.

 

welp

ive been lied to

I feel terrible now

 

* runs away*

[DaemonWarrior44]

Just now, DeadEyePsycho said:

You're trying to justify one thing with another that is just as bad. Also, copyrights are only infringed if you try to distribute it. 

I'm not trying to justify anything. It's just curiosity,

[2FA]

2 minutes ago, DasBassDropz said:

welp

ive been lied to

I feel terrible now

 

* runs away*

 

The EULA will never betray you.

[vorticalbox]

4 minutes ago, DeadEyePsycho said:

You're trying to justify one thing with another that is just as bad. Also, copyrights are only infringed if you try to distribute it. 

copyright maybe but when you watch a YouTube video you licence the right to listen / watch not to download it. 

[DaemonWarrior44]

5 minutes ago, DeadEyePsycho said:

The EULA will never betray you.

I think most people don't read the EULA, it's just a pain in the 4ss... Personally, I read very few EULAs in my life, but never finished one.

[Sauron]

If you didn't pay for windows, it's piracy. If you just lost your key it's not, but you could just call ms and get a new one, they're fairly lenient on this sort of thing.

[2FA]

1 minute ago, DaemonWarrior44 said:

I think most people don't read the EULA, it's just a pain in the 4ss... Personally, I read very few EULAs in my life, but never finished one.

True but they tend to answer questions like this one since Microsoft does have it's own volume license KMS stuff.

[DaemonWarrior44]

Just now, Sauron said:

If you didn't pay for windows, it's piracy. If you just lost your key it's not, but you could just call ms and get a new one, they're fairly lenient on this sort of thing.

How do you prove them that you "lost" your product key?

[Sauron]

Just now, DaemonWarrior44 said:

How do you prove them that you "lost" your product key?

If you have any sort of purchase receit that should be proof enough that you bought it, and often they don't even ask.

[DaemonWarrior44]

8 minutes ago, Sauron said:

If you have any sort of purchase receit that should be proof enough that you bought it, and often they don't even ask.

LOL, so... If I go and tell 'em "I lost my product key" and I'm lucky and they don't ask me for any receit, will I get Windows for free?

10 minutes ago, DeadEyePsycho said:

 

[2FA]

Just now, DaemonWarrior44 said:

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff793434.aspx#E1B
I don't if this is the same "KMS" as the one we're talking about, I'm too lazy to read everything, haha...

 

KMS stands for Key Management Service. You use it to automate software activation so you don't have to manually enter key's into hundreds, even thousands of PCs.

 

However, it requires you use a group volume license for actual legitimate use. 

[DaemonWarrior44]

31 minutes ago, DeadEyePsycho said:

True but they tend to answer questions like this one since Microsoft does have it's own volume license KMS stuff.

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff793434.aspx#E1B
I don't know if this is the same "KMS" as the one we're talking about...

19 minutes ago, DeadEyePsycho said:

KMS stands for Key Management Service. You use it to automate software activation so you don't have to manually enter key's into hundreds, even thousands of PCs.

 

However, it requires you use a group volume license for actual legitimate use. 

Oh, okay. So using KMS without having any product key is definitively piracy, right? :v

[2FA]

Just now, DaemonWarrior44 said:

Oh, okay. So using KMS without having any product key is definitively piracy, right? :v

Yes. 

[Kamina]

Yes.

But who cares?

[DaemonWarrior44]

1 minute ago, Kamina said:

Yes.

But who cares?

I'm sure Mircrosoft won't mind about a few people not paying for Windows or Office, haha ...