Attention everyone, Microsoft Corp. announced on July 25, 2005, the launch of the Windows^® Genuine Advantage (WGA) pilot, which will require Windows users to validate their copies of Windows before being allowed to download updates !!

Quoted:
The WGA validation process is designed to be quick and simple. On their first visit to the Microsoft Download Center, Windows Update or Microsoft Update, customers will be asked to participate in WGA. They will be prompted to download an ActiveX^® control that checks the authenticity of their Windows software and, if Windows is validated, stores a special download key on the PC for future verification. The validation process does not collect any information that can be used by Microsoft to identify or contact the user.

This validation process will only occur when Windows user is accessing Windows Update, Microsoft Update for Windows or the Microsoft Download Center. However, Security Updates remain available to all Windows users, with or without WGA validation and via the Download Center or Automatic Updates. I think this is for the sake of public health and Internet Security issues because it will be a very serious incident if there is a lot of unpatched Windows based PC. :D

In fact, this is not the first time that Microsoft is checking whether installed copies of Windows are legitimate. Windows Update already checks for certain volume licence keys that are known to be used illegally to activate copies of Windows.

Quoted:
Microsoft has been testing the program since September and has validated more than 48 million systems so far, said David Lazar, director of Genuine Windows for Microsoft.

Anyway, those using pirated Windows please be prepared to face difficulties updating your Windows system in the future. :-<