Microsoft provides free downloads of Windows 8/10 installation media on their website, saying they'd "prefer you buy a new license" is a little disingenuous. What they don't want is people distributing installation media outside their authorized channels, counterfeiting is a huge problem for their Windows/Office business and they have a huge motivation to combat it.
Was this counterfeiting? Most certainly not in spirit, nobody was trying to say "here's a free/discounted copy of Windows" - there were no cracks on the media and you still needed a license to get Windows to activate, but the cold hard truth is the license agreement prohibits copying/redistribution of the installation media.
Lesson of the day: copyright law is stuck in the 1800's in many ways, so don't test your luck and ask Congress to fix it if you think it's broken.
Was this counterfeiting? Most certainly not in spirit, nobody was trying to say "here's a free/discounted copy of Windows" - there were no cracks on the media and you still needed a license to get Windows to activate, but the cold hard truth is the license agreement prohibits copying/redistribution of the installation media.
Lesson of the day: copyright law is stuck in the 1800's in many ways, so don't test your luck and ask Congress to fix it if you think it's broken.