Software giant Microsoft is on the case of a mysterious IP address which appears to have signed up an awful lot of Windows 7 registrations.
According to Torrent Freak Microsoft has logged hundreds of suspicious product activations from a Verizon IP address.
In a lawsuit filed this week at a district court in Seattle, Microsoft has targeted the individuals behind a single Verizon IP address – 74.111.202.30. Vole does not know who he or she is but there is a pretty good bet that they are pirating Windows 7 like a mad thing,
“As part of its cyberforensic methods, Microsoft analyses product key activation data voluntarily provided by users when they activate Microsoft software, including the IP address from which a given product key is activated,” the lawsuit reads.
Microsoft says that its tools allow the company to analyse billions of activations of Microsoft software and identify patterns. An IP address associated with too many activations is one through which pirated software is more like to be being activated.
“Microsoft’s cyberforensics have identified hundreds of product key activations originating from IP address 74.111.202.30…which is presently assigned to Verizon Online. These activations have characteristics that on information and belief, establish that Defendants are using the IP address to activate pirated software.”
Microsoft says that the unknown defendants have activated hundreds of copies of Windows 7 using product keys that have been “stolen” from the company’s supply chain or have never been issued with a valid license, or keys used more times than their licence allows.
