Even Pirates to Get XP SP2 Access?

Deciding piracy is a lesser evil than potential virus contamination, Microsoft has decided to allow all XP customers — whether using a legitimate or pirated copy — the right to run Windows XP Service Pack 2 when it ships later this summer. (This wasnt the case with XP SP1.) “It was a tough choice, but we finally decided that even if someone has pirated copy of Windows, it is more important to keep him safe than it is to be concerned about the revenue issue,” one Microsoft official is quoted as saying in this story. Update: Microsoft is now “clarifying” its position. “Prior to installing, SP2 will check the OS product ID (PID) against a list of known pirated PIDs. If a PID is found to be invalid, SP2 will not install,” a spokeswoman said Monday.