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TransGaming Tagging Downloads to Combat Piracy

Posted by michael on from the tag-you're-it dept.

SeanTobin writes "It seems that TransGaming is implementing a new watermarking system to combat piracy. For now it seems that every tgz of Cedega 4.0.1 is individually tagged, and this has been frustrating Gentoo users who (like many others) like to be sure their archives are unmodified. Is this the future of software downloads? Is this tiny loss of personal privacy worth the increase in TransGaming's security?" Update: 08/16 17:42 GMT by S : There's an official response on the TransGaming forums indicating: "We can confirm that Cedega 4.0.1 included some basic watermarking... The objective behind the watermarking was to deal with some peer-to-peer piracy issues that we've been seeing over the past several months... We have suspended the watermarking feature for now and Gentoo users no longer need to be concerned with work-arounds."

3 of 512 comments (clear)

  1. That's good advice. by etymxris · · Score: 1, Redundant

    I don't like it so I'm not buying it.

  2. Great Idea by TheWordOfB · · Score: 0, Redundant

    This is a great idea. Now that its tagged and *if* you share it, they'll know exactly whose sharing it and can prosecute. They make money by selling a product. When you copy it for other people.. its stealing. Sadly the RIAA was right on filing lawsuits. People who steal should be punished. ... if downloading music was because of the price, then maybe a better effort would be to mass-boycott and stop attending concerts. Oh wait! that'd be unamerican! Cuz I want it now.. and if I don't get it I steal it.

  3. Re:Tis good! by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 0, Redundant
    IRC has "chat rooms" now? When did this happen?

    Hint: AOL has chat rooms. IRC has channels.

    --
    Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!