Microsoft has an interesting offer for those who might be pirating the popular desktop version of Office, including Office 2019. As first spotted by Ghacks, the company is offering these users a discount on a legitimate Microsoft 365 subscription.
Per the report, one user with a pirated version of Office 2019 noticed a banner at the top of the app under the Office ribbon. The banner mentioned that the user could save up to 50% on a genuine Microsoft 365 subscription, with there being a link to “Learn More.” That link then redirects to this page, which explains the risks of using pirated software and also shows the 50% discount.
We tried to apply that discount, but we’re not seeing the discount on our end. It might be linked to first-time buyers only, and those who clicked the link from pirated copies of Office itself. Though we can’t verify it for ourselves, Ghacks confirmed that the price discount is valid. At any rate, it’s interesting to see that Microsoft is pushing users to Microsoft 365, and away from pirated versions of Office.
The subscription-based version comes with new features every so often and is always updated, but many might still prefer permanently “owning” Office instead of renting it. Where do you stand on the debate? Let us know in the comments below.
