Microsoft offer IE7 to ALL

I thought this was an April Fool's joke when I read it - I didn't think that Microsoft ever gave anything to anyone, but PC World is a reputable website, so why should they be lying? The headline reads:

Microsoft Offers IE7 to all, Pirates Included

Microsoft has removed the Windows Genuine Advantage validation requirement for installing Internet Explorer 7.

FRAMINGHAM (10/05/2007) - Users running pirated or counterfeit copies of Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 can now download Internet Explorer 7, Microsoft announced Thursday.

(See PCWorld Editor-in-Chief Harry McCracken's take on the Microsoft decision.)

From the moment it released IE7 almost a year ago, Microsoft has restricted the browser to users who can prove they own a legitimate copy of the operating system. Before Microsoft allows the browser to download, it runs the user's PC through a Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) validation test, a prime part of XP's antipiracy software.

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