If you previously purchased the premium product, then your license details should say the duration is for a “lifetime.” At least one forum user who bought MBAM felt cheated and wanted a refund if Malwarebytes is “handing out free lifetime licenses to pirates.” But Malwarebytes Amnesty program allows the new legitimate key to work on MBAM premium for 12 months, not a lifetime. If you select the paid-for-it option, then you’ll also get a new key and “be good to go.” If you try to activate a bogus MBAM license key, or one is detected on an installed premium product version, you will get an “oops” message, followed by the choices of “I’m not sure where I got my key, or I downloaded it from the Internet” and “I purchased my key.” If you select the first and shadier option, Malwarebytes will issue you a license key for one year. If you have been “inconvenienced by piracy or abuse,” then Malwarebytes will give you a free replacement key that will belong to you and only you going forward. Or perhaps we’ve simply detected a problem with your key.

“Some of those bad guys may have duped you into purchasing a counterfeit version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. It’s also got its fair share of pirates and trolls,” reads the MBAM Amnesty program.

“The Internet is full of pioneers and cowboys. If that describes you, then you should consider jumping on the Malwarebytes Amnesty program that is being offered for a limited time. Others may have immediately taken a piracy route to unlock Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) premium. The free version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is tagged as the “world’s most popular anti-malware ” some users opt to install the trial premium version, but when the trial expires they might choose to search for a license key via a crack or keygen instead of “downgrading” to the freebie version.

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