Microsoft To Begin Checking For Piracy

Curious Yellow 82 writes "Microsoft will begin checking for pirated copies of its Windows software when users attempt to update. Security updates are supposed to be exempt from the check. Upon detection of pirated software the user will be given the oppportunity to purchase a legitimate copy of the software for a discounted price, upon providing proof of purchase etc."

Comments

Nice...

[op12]

So if your copy of Windows is pirated, they'll prevent you from breaking it by not allowing you to install new service packs :)

*scanning your copy of windows*

[Anonymous Coward]

Microsoft has detected an illegitimate copy of Windows....
The local FBI office is located 65 miles away...is this where you would like to go today?

Re:Yawn

[BarryJacobsen]

If you used the Security Center and set it to receive Automatic Updates automatically it would work, even with a counterfeit version of Windows.

Reference or proof, please?

I submit that Microsoft always tries their best to make things better, but overlooks some Monday detail that ends up shooting them in the foot. Yes, I'm aware that's just hearsay and conjecture, but those are kinds of evidence, your Majesty.

Note to Microsoft

[nizo]

The more you tighten your grip, Bill, the more systems will slip through your fingers.

This will be grand when employers start having update problems because employess (or even ex-employees) took copies of software home and now the machines in the office can't update.

Re:What about keygens?

[popo]

How can they stop you? Well Jim... I suppose they could do a "whois" on 'civilwarflorida.com', and give you a call...

: p

Re:Yawn

[Stone Cold Troll]

Uh oh. Looks like someone has a case of the mundanes!

Re:Two-Pronged Approach is Best

[indifferent children]

After a while, the pirated-software-loving folks who use these boobytrapped packages will suffer huge losses: lost sales (due to spontaneous e-mailing of company data to a competitor), injured patients (due to altered patient data), etc.

But legal M$ users have been suffering these problems for years, and they haven't cleaned-up their act. Even after you announced what you had done, no one could tell if their copy had been deliberately boobytrapped, or was just a normal copy of Windows.

Whaddya mean...

[72beetle]

...we don't get French benefits?

Re:Whaddya mean...

[The Ultimate Fartkno]

Hey, lay off! For all intensive purposes he was right!

Re:Uhh

[c]

But they'd be a hell of a lot better citizen of the internet community if they didn't withhold updates in either instance.

Or, better yet, shut down all networking capabilities on any on any infringing copy.

Or non-infringing copy, if you wanted a +1 Funny.

c.

I'm running pirated because I'm anti-social..

[brxndxn]

My engineering program at my school allows us to download free legit copies of Windows XP Pro for home use.. But it makes us call Microsoft for approval.

My laptop has a Windows XP key on a sticker on the bottom - but first, the key doesn't work with any copy except the Toshiba recovery CD that formats my computer and installs a bunch of Toshiba crap and AOL advertisements. And, then I would have to call Microsoft.

So, I'm being like totally a software pirate because I don't feel like talking on the phone to some douchebag at Microsoft.

Re:Yawn

[Doug97]

I pirate software for a living. So long as I expect to get paid for my work it would be very hypocritical for me to support the legal software trade.