It's a lot easier to persuade a person who's basically honest, to steal, especially when they are given a rationale such as this.. than it is to persuade a thief to stop stealing. Many of us willingly pay for our software, comfortable in the feeling of righteousness this gives us. Does this 'amnesty' reinforce that 'good' feeling, or does it instead make you feel like a bit of a chump? We were loyal, we were honest.. .. and who ended up getting rewarded?