Microsoft to shut down TechNet subscription service

I just Googled 'Windows 8 Pro key' & was immediately presented with at least a dozen sites all with lots of hacked keys. Microsoft have a lot to contend with when it comes to theft.

Because piracy is stealing. The more people steal the more things get shut down for honest people.

Not necessarily. What matters for a company is loss of profits.
Piracy isn't necessarily lost profit, as we are in the digital world, a "product" can be copied over and over with little cost for the producing company (not being physical, that is).
A remarkably large userbase using pirated stuff does not have the money (or access to the licence) to buy genuine.
So even without access to pirated stuff that's not "one less customer" for the company.

While for an operating system it's less the case (you cannot simply "do without", but you try to stay for the longest you can with the older ones you already have), I also have the suspect that MS isn't shutting down technet because it is short on cash due to excessive piracy. It always endured significant piracy since day 1, as any successful software/music/movie.

Also, if we are talking about loss of profit, I'm ready to bet that Windows 8 (and its reception ala "ooh look it's Vista pre-SP1 all over again") is the real one to blame here.

Companies will just keep trying to stop billions of dollars of products from being stole.

As noted, Technet isn't a source for pirated stuff. And even shutting it down does not really change things as stuff is all out in the wild.

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I'll ask a question, the iso files that we link to in the tutorials about reinstalling windows 7 aren't from Technet? Will they work after technet gets shut down?
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If you read the current license terms you can only use the software whilst you are subscribing. They changed that a few years ago. I had been a subscriber for several years and then could no longer work so could not renew my subscription due to finances and at the time my licence agreement states I can continue to use and evaluate the software indefinitely. My subscription expired in the June and the rules were changed in the August. As to piracy I have personally reported plenty of Asian based sites selling Enterprise keys for $90 for 7 and 8. So that may be to blame but I don't think so. More like spiteful, we are they guys who recommend stuff to families and friends and in a lot of cases employers. Linux Mint is looking better and better everyday. So if any of you do not renew and have current subscriptions be advised your keys could be turned off. Would they do that? Would they dare? Or should they let sleeping dogs lie to appease the geek community they have crapped on from a great height ?

Geeks, did I understand this correctly: My subscription runs out early 2014. If I renew it before 31st of August 2013, can I use it until early 2015?

Confusing. Decided to renew it now, got this far and decided to wait:

They stop selling new subscriptions but how about those old ones set to be automatically renewed? As I understand that message, I can only renew by "upgrading" my subscription to TechNet Professional with Media (Retail), the only upgrade option to my Professional subscription.

I think I mail TechNet support with my questions...

Kari, I may be wrong, but I think you can go into your account and stop the automatic renewal. Then maybe you could upgrade.

You might be right.

How do you get this sentence from the message in my previous post: "If you would like to upgrade to another subscription level, then continue placing your order and we will cancel the automatic renewal for your current subscription."?

Or the activation part in this: "IT professionals who would like to purchase a new TechNet Subscription or renew an existing subscription may do so through August 31, 2013. Subscribers may activate purchased subscriptions through September 30, 2013." (from TechNet Subscriptions)

Confusing...

Kari, I would only be guessing, but your subscription is valid until after the September date and has automatic renewal. I assume it may be that your subscription is not set to expire before the cut off date. But, it would be worth a try.

Mine expires Monday. I'm just debating whether I want to give M$ more of my money just to put off the eventual. I certainly need it worse than they do. What really aggravated me is they called me last week to renew and really put on the hard sell, but never bothered to tell me they were stopping Technet. Rather unscrupulous in my opinion.

I am wondering if the keys I have will continue to work. I can't see renewing knowing that ultimately they shut down.
I get the eerie feeling that my proclamation about moving to Linux is going to occur sooner than I anticipated. But never the less I can't see tying my self to some one that is going to dictate to me what my computer experience is going to be like.