The license spread virally via file-sharing sites and has been detected on a number of warez sites around the world. After nearly a year and a half, 774,651 active users were tracked through their IP address, and it turns out that the software had been installed in more than 200 different countries - from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, Russia to Brazil, USA to the (unexpected!) Vatican City.
Avast Software is currently in the process of "converting" these users - they are actually trying to turn this experiment into a marketing opportunity. The following notice pops-up on the users' screen:
Upon pressing the "Fix this situation" button, they are notified that they will be cut off from virus database updates, but that they have a choice of converting to avast! Free Antivirus or buying avast! Pro Antivirus.
netizens left a footprint.