Symantec Adds Product Activation

maliabu writes "GlobeTechnology/CNET reports that Symantec has added an antipiracy technology to the new version of its main virus-zapping program, in the form of compulsory product activation. It is intended to protect consumers from widespread counterfeit copies of Symantec programs. The company estimates at least 3.6 million bogus copies of its programs are sold annually, causing headaches both for Symantec and unsuspecting buyers, who find out too late that the software isn't doing the job."

Comments

First Post

[akpcep]

I'm sure THAT will work. Good job nobody knows how to turn that kind of thing off eh?

Re:lie

[Timesprout]

I dunno. Its pretty popular on Kazaa

Re:oh please

[Oddly_Drac]

" properly configured windows box "

Airgapped and buried, presumably.

Not quite as onerous as WPA

[Zog The Undeniable]

It stores license information on the PC's hard drive and allows for up to five activations for the same product key.

Well, that would do my LAN and a couple of friends.

Chicken and egg.....

[Anonymous Coward]

Now let's see. I have bought my new computer and want to connect to the internet. But I am not going to do THAT until I've got some anti-virus software runnning. So I go out and buy a copy of NAV, which I then install. But it won't run until I connect to the internet to activate it. And I won't do THAT until I have some anti-virus software runnning. So I go out and buy a copy of NAV, which....

damn...

[GreenKiwi]

[i]causing headaches both for Symantec and unsuspecting buyers[/i]

Damn!!! my $5 copy of Norton Antivirus 2008 isn't legit.

Wow! Who'da thunk.

Re:Anti-piracy technology

[EmagGeek]

This is true - you have a point.

Well, then the thing to do would be to make the dongle verification software part of the operating system... In fact, a great idea would be to have a management system incorporated into the O/S that would take care of anti-piracy.

It could be called Digital Rights Management, or something like that...

oh wait...
crap!

Re:Finally!

[ColaMan]

If only the RIAA could implement product activation on CD's... then everybody would be happy.

But they do! They require you to give them (or their agents) a specially authenticated token - in exchange for this, you recieve an activated CD from them you can legally use, without fear of punishment or retribution. Certain different tokens (or combinations thereof) also allow you to volume license CD's from them. As it stands today, without this token-based product activation scheme , you cannot legally acquire a CD from them.

If you are found in possession of copied or improperly activated CD's , the punishments can be severe.

You can obtain these tokens in exchange for goods or services you provide, so you can buy more CD's. The tokens themselves are rigorously scrutinised and authenticated by an organisation called a 'Treasury', so you know that they're secure.