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Controversial StarForce Copy Protection Creators Quizzed
Thanks to FiringSquad for its interview with the creators of the StarForce copy protection scheme for PC videogames. The author explains: "In recent months there's been an increasing awareness and alarm over StarForce copy protection. It's actually a driver that installs itself with the [Windows] games that come shipped with it, and originally it didn't uninstall when the game was uninstalled." StarForce's Abbie Sommer argues the advantages of "driver-level copy protection", explaining: "The drivers are what prevents the use of kernel debugger utilities such as SoftICE, Cool Debugger, Soft Snoop etc. Also the drivers prevent emulators from spoofing a drive, and thwart burning tools such as Alcohol 120%." The author concludes by injecting a little personal opinion into the mix, arguing: "PC games will never go away, but if the market keeps shrinking due to the increasing ease of piracy... then the number and quality of games will almost certainly decrease."
Such bullshit. If you don't agree with what they're doing simply don't buy their product. They own it, and can do whatever they wish. I'm sick of all you people preaching that if you buy it, it's yours and you should get to do what you want. The same holds true for the creators, it's theirs, and they can do whatever the want. End of story.
--fetch daddy's blue fright wig, i must be handsome when i release my rage
troll about copyright laws... There is nothing illegal about having warez. There is nothing illegal about using warez. There is nothing illegal about downloading keygens. There is nothing illegal about distributing keygens. There is nothing illegal about using keygens. There is nothing illegal about distributing valid keys.
The *ONLY* illegal step in the entire process is creating (downloading and/or burning) the copy.
If I have to reformat my HD to get rid of it if I install a game that has it, I am going to have a serious talk to the game company using it if it costs me 3-8 hours to wipe my HD and reinstall all my games and utilites from scratch. I used to bill my time at US$200/hour. I should send a bill to the gaming company for putting a virus on my system that just cost me a day's work.
LOL! It's not a virus. You bought it. What you charge people for is irrelevant. You bought a game. If you don't like it, don't play it. No-one's going to pay you anything.
This article is clearly written by a BSA shill.
Why are you blaming the author of the article? If there are games that treat the presence of Nero as a cracking attempt and refuse to run, I think that bloody well NEEDS to be reported. It's not his fault that the copy protection software authors have blinders on.
most of us use these utilities for non-infringing fair-use purposes like backing up the games we purchased
*cough*
I use Nero for legitimate purposes like burning CDs that I authored myself containing my own copyrighted material. Luckily I'm not a big game player or I'd REALLY have a bone to pick with these blokes.