In my opinion it's a very weak rationalization to claim that piracy is somehow justified by the cost of a product. Whether it costs $5 or $500 theft is theft. There are plenty of free alternatives for those who can't afford the Microsoft software or simply choose not to spend the money.

But, just playing devil's advocate, it's possible that Microsoft could curb or minimize piracy by pricing the software at a more reasonable point that is more accessible to users with limited budgets. There has to be some point that strikes a balance between the amount of money Microsoft loses due to piracy and the amount of revenue Microsoft could gain by boosting sales with lower prices.

On the other hand, Microsoft just reported , so perhaps it's doing just fine despite the rampant piracy. Microsoft could lower its pricing and possibly raise revenue even higher, or it can just continue sending half a million takedown requests per month to Google.