Confirmed by Microsoft:
Windows 7 Beta Customer Preview
Effective April 30, the Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) will be available to MSDN subscribers and TechNet Plus subscribers.
On Tuesday, May 5 (PST), the RC will be available to everyone via our Customer Preview Program. As with the Beta, the Windows 7 RC Customer Preview Program is a broad public program that offers the RC free to anyone who wants to download it. It will be available at least through June 30, 2009, with no limits on the number of downloads or product keys available.
So you don’t need rush to make sure you get your copy. When you’re ready to download the RC, it’ll be waiting for you.
Also:
Plan Ahead for Windows 7 Beta and RC Expiration Dates
Published 30 April 09 07:38 AM | Celine Allee
Attention Windows 7 Beta and Release Candidate (RC) testers! To avoid interruption, you’ll need to start planning now to rebuild your test machines using a valid version of Windows before the software expires.
Windows will notify you that the expiration process is beginning and two weeks later your PC will begin shutting down every two hours.
The Beta expires on August 1, 2009, and bi-hourly shutdowns will begin July 1, 2009. The RC will expire June 1, 2010, and the bi-hourly shutdowns will begin on March 1, 2010. In both cases, you’ll need to rebuild your test PCs with another valid version of the OS, and reinstall your programs and data.