Which probably allows them to skirt legal liability...
After all, a computer with the date set to 2021 will still function...
Yep. Scummy, even for Microsoft. Too bad their EULA blocks class action.
They were selling it until October 2021, so it's not some ancient system. By building a time bomb into it, they misrepresented what was effectively a $50/year subscription as if it were a $229 purchase. Should be a slam dunk case, but it won't be.
Until they shut down the server, which will almost certainly be soon after the certificate expires.