When Microsoft attended the WinHEC conference in China early this month, the company's operating system head Terry Myerson was quoted by Reuters as saying, "We are upgrading all qualified PCs, genuine and non genuine, to Windows 10."

This was initially thought to mean that those who use pirated Windows 7 or 8.1 can upgrade to Windows 10 when it launches and be legitimized. However, Microsoft clarified that those who upgrade to Windows 10 from non-genuine copies of earlier OS versions will still be considered as unlicensed. 

In a statement to CNet, a Microsoft spokesman said, "With Windows 10, although nongenuine PCs may be able to upgrade to Windows 10, the upgrade will not change the genuine state of the license. 

"Nongenuine Windows is not published by Microsoft. It is not properly licensed, or supported by Microsoft or a trusted partner. If a device was considered nongenuine or mislicensed prior to the upgrade, that device will continue to be considered nongenuine or mislicensed after the upgrade." 

Piracy has long been a problem for Microsoft. In most cases, users just buy unlicensed OS from pirated DVD peddlers or download torrents off the Internet. This is especially true in China, where recent studies show that almost 75 percent of computer software is not properly licensed.

To combat piracy, Microsoft could disable non-genuine Windows copies and prevent them from running. Aside from this, the company is looking into other venues to tackle the proliferation of unlicensed Windows. In a smart move by the company, it offered free upgrades to Windows 10 for those who would own and use genuine Windows OS software. The company is also partnering up with other noted tech giants such as Lenovo to ink a deal and make Windows 10 the partner OS for off-the-shelf devices. 

The full release of Windows 10 is expected this summer.