Microsoft to let pirates upgrade to legal Windows for free?

Probably one of the biggest surprises regarding the Windows 10 news stream of today is that Microsoft will be making a big push to get pirates into the fold.

Speaking at the WinHEC technology conference in Shenzhen, China, Terry Myerson from Microsoft's OS unit revealed the software giant will be offering free upgrades to Windows 10, even if you're running a pirated version of Windows.

Myerson didn't elaborate on this so we don't know if this is a global initiative or targeted specifically at China. As Reuters points out, roughly three-quarters of PC software in China is not properly licensed and that's something Microsoft wants to change.

If in the long run the software giant manages to turn these hundreds of millions of users into legal, paying customers it could represent a huge market opportunity for Microsoft.

Terry Myerson, who runs Microsoft's operating systems unit, announced the plan at the WinHEC technology conference in Shenzhen, China.

"We are upgrading all qualified PCs, genuine and non-genuine, to Windows 10," he said in a telephone interview with Reuters. The plan is to "re-engage" with the hundreds of millions of users of Windows in China, he said, without elaboration.