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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."
Since when? I recall using an unauthorized version of Windows for a 2nd box of mine and when I attempted to update at windows.com it wouldn't allow me to download anything (including SP1 and SP2.) The only difference I see with this press release is now they will ask you if you want to squeal on your pirated source (Bambino's don't do this) or purchase a legitimate copy. Is this what it has come to for MS? A sub-standard online satellite program and now a ho-hum press release on Windows?
What happened to the days of Balmer dancing to "Get on your feet"? now THAT was newsworthy.
"Simplify, simplify, simplify!" Thoreau
How exactly do they check for it being a pirated copy? I mean other then checking their database of registered windows users and comparing it to the computer, how do they know the difference?
"Upon detection of pirated software the user will be given the oppportunity to purchase a legitimate copy of the software for a discounted price" Wait, so all I have to do to get Windows at a discount is download a pirated copy and fail the detection test? Sounds good to me!
I think it's about time for a Windows license-key and serial-no stealing worm. I'm sure someone will come up with one - possibly one of the smarter pirates. Think about it...
I seriously hope that this causes no end of headaches for people across the world. I know of at least one system that I have at my office that is 100% legitimate and licensed, but will fail the authenticity check. It's a boxed Dell with the windows xp pro hologram sticker with the cd key on its side. At one point, the system was hosed to the point of needing reinstalling. I had just taken the job and there were no system images or proper cd's around. The sticker said WinXP sp1 and had its cd key. All the cd's at the office were either Compaq branded or WinXP sp2. So, I install with SP2 expecting my hologram'd sticker with the cd key to work. It didn't. Some fairy dust later and everything was installed and running.
So here I had a legitimate paid licensed Windows XP Professional computer which will not pass the windows licensing scheme. I'll have to dig out a SP1 cd sometime and reinstall with the actual key so it will pass.
I'm not saying its Microsoft's fault that the business didn't keep track of the original cd's. I'm just saying that I seriously hope this scenario is played out millions of times across the globe.
I'm off to ssh into my home computer and emerge sync && emerge world -uD right now.
Karma: SELECT `karma` FROM `users` WHERE `userid`=138474;
Sadly, for those of us who constantly change the operating systems on our "hobby" computer, we'll probably get marked that we've pirated their operating systems, even though we're just using it on one system at a time, and bought it legitimately, and have a valid key and everything.
*sigh* as well
Luke
----
Tired of answering tons of basic computer questions for friends and family? Send them to ChristianNerds.com instead!
That's all fine and good for MS, but what about the people who managed to obtain copies of corporate editions of the software? These copies will report tons of hits, undetected by MS.
The only way to tell the difference between a hamster and a gerbil is that the hamster has more white meat.
I'll have to use it for every install now instead of just once, making sure I use a unique key every time.
Really, how are they going to enforce this? Just for the top 5 pirated cd keys or something? Why should JoeWhoever have to buy their software twice because they were ripped off? Dunno.
I tried a pirated copy of Windows XP and when I checked it said it was genuine (which it isn't because I used a keygen program under wine to create a license key).
I suspect they have a list of pirated licenses and they just check for that. It has been posited in the past that they don't even know all the genuine keys that are out there and my experience supports that.
I actually do own a copy of Windows XP (came with my machine) but I wanted to see how this works hence installing with a generated key.
"Customers who discover that their copy of Windows is pirated have two options.
They can get a free version of Windows if they fill out a counterfeit report identifying the source of the software, providing proof of purchase and returning the counterfeit CD.
If they are unable to provide all the information, filling out a report will entitle them to receive a copy of Windows XP Home Edition for the reduced price of £56 or Windows XP Professional Edition for £86." Microsoft steps up piracy fight
I hate to reply to my own post, but I couldn't help but notice the following quote in that article:
:)
"Wall says Vista will be analyzing traffic to its Web site to see what effect the "Windows Vista" name may have on visitors to the site. If the effect is significant--that is, if a surge of visitors comes to Vista.com looking for information about Windows Vista--the company may decide to take legal actions over the trademark."
Think Slashdot has the power to get the name of the next Windows changed?
I was at an accounting software vendor's premises about ten years ago. This software had a $4000 price sticker, and they were showing me all the reasons why we should buy it. While I was there, front desk took a support call from a girl at some small business who was using this software. They got her to read out the license key, determined it was reg'd to someone else, and told her the company (ie. her boss) had a choice - put a $4000 cheque in the mail or face a lawsuit.
So, we decided to buy our accounts package from another vendor... Not that we had any intention to pirate anything, but any company which could make demands like that over the phone, without any on-site investigation, was not a company we wanted to have dealings with.
So, they *might* have gained $4k from the caller (assuming they didn't spend big on lawyers first), but they lost $4k from us.
Hal Spacejock: Science Fiction with Nuts
If it detects a pirated version of Windows, disable the TCP/IP stack. From then on they don't have to worry about whether or not to supply security updates or not. Plus, they won't be virus/trojan vectors, and they users' data is still there.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
The ActiveX test on their site just told me that my copy was pirated. I'm 100% certain it's valid as this (work) Dell laptop had an sp2 slipstreamed version installed about two months ago (at my hands), and the registration code pasted to the back of the laptop allowed the install.
:)
Should I report Dell?
The Fujitsu Lifebook comes with a system image installed on the hard disk, with instructions buried in an appendix in the manual saying that it might be a good idea to make a backup. If you don't make a backup, and if you're unlucky enough to score a hard disk crash, then Fujitsu's official standing is that you're fucked. Totally fucked. They say you have to go out and buy another copy of Windows, and never mind the completely valid license key on the hologram sticker on the underside of the system.
The best answer I got was completely unofficial, from a Fujitsu engineer attached to my work - he said, just borrow a copy of Windows and install it with the valid license key. By that time I'd already made my own arrangements that, coindicentally, corresponded fairly closely to that recommendation...
So, dear daughter is now running an illicit copy, but with the original license key.
For anyone that missed it the first time, Fujitsu doesn't give a shit about you losing your one and only system install disk. They don't include a CD because: "it's installed from an image CD in the factory", and they don't care enough about their customers to include a CD of that image. What's the cost of an image CD these days?? About $0.50?? That's too much for Fujitsu to spend...
Any Fujitsu employee wanting to dispute these facts should supply an email address, so that I can forward the emails I exchanged with Fujitsu "you're screwed, fuck off" Support.
This has puzzled me since it was originally disclosed (over a month ago). I don't understand why MS is choosing this route.
The knee-jerk reaction is money. But how can it be? MS is the richest non-financial company in the world in terms of money in the bank. Additionally their 4Q-2004 financials proved excellent. Their gross and net income increased from 4Q-2003 despite all the money paid in anti-trust cases. Taking this stance on the basis of money makes no sense.
The only thing I can think of is to start the move. This is a traditional tactic w/ MS--start looking in the direction you want to go before you need to be there. This way, by the time trouble presents itself, you have history behind you and thus less opposition.
In my opinion, this decision will only serve to promote Linux. By far the biggest reason for Windows' current market position is easy access. Tried-and-true "hook-line-and-sinker" and/or "bait-and-switch" tactic. Most people use Windows because it's easy. "Easy" doesn't only refer to operation, but also acquisition. Requiring people to part w/ their money only serves to force the user to ask: Is it worth it?
On a computer or under a hood.
Another, more effective approach, is to deliberately distribute 2 versions of each software package: (1) regular and (2) deliberately virus infected (i.e. boobytrapped by Microsoft itself).
IIRC Microsoft had distributed a warez version of Visual Basic 6.0 with a warez group nfo file due to the wrong cd going to the presses.
I'm just saying . . .
Can I get an eye poke?
Dog House Forum
Unfortunately most legal systems (American included) do not allow companies to "boobytrap" products.
Why is this unfortunate? I have no interest in living in a society with what amounts to a privatized judicial and law enforcement system.
I suspect that most of you don't either.
For example, suppose a car manufacturer produced cars that exploded when consistently driven above the speed limit. Well, that may well be justifiably smacking a criminal, but I don't really have any interest in letting private companies dispense whatever "justice" they feel like taking part in.
What if spyware had an EULA saying that you couldn't remove it, and it took malicious action if you tried to do so?
Any program relying on (nontrivial) preemptive multithreading will be buggy.
Seriously, I find that the release quality of pirated software is, in a surprising number of ways, depressingly higher quality than those from the original software company.
For example, take the standard conventions of putting software description in a standard location in a standard format, the (not completely standardized, but pretty close) practice of placing patches at a standard location on the CD, the practice of distributing software in standardized chunk sizes to provide for more recoverable transfers.
The pirates, competitive though they may be, do a better job of cooperating with each other and putting out "industry" conventions and sticking with them than all but a few software companies do. I still don't believe that the Windows world's equivalent to RPM is the godawful InstallShield -- argh.
Oh, and when there *is* a packaging mistake, the updates are generally quite prompt.
Applying copy-protection-disabling patches to a piece of software distributed by the large pirate groups is a more standardized and user-comfortable process than wading through the jungle of installers that the software companies out there put out.
Oh, and there are standardized (free) places that list and provide for download the latest cracks for various software, like gamecopyworld. While Linux has had Freshmeat (and a slew of advanced automated methods to check for updates and update software), and MacOS has had VersionTracker, Windows has had essentially nothing by way of centralized update information. Yet the pirates managed to pull it off.
Oh, and I've even seen stabs at PKI systems for ensuring integrity of distributed pirate software. While the Linux world enjoys this, the Windows world (aside from a few Microsoft-centralized systems limited to very small components of the Windows system) hasn't even seen a peep of interest from commercial vendors in providing this level of service.
Any program relying on (nontrivial) preemptive multithreading will be buggy.
MSN Virtual Earth was just released. With a "Locate Me" button that is apparently quite accurate. Tie that with the "Scanning your copy of Windows" feature, and they can just send the feds right to your door. Or, perhaps, mail you a copy and bill your credit card...
It is pitch dark. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
This is easiest under Unix of some sort:
This site lists the values to use for each mode. I had success just changing the final three characters.
I used this method to install WinXP cleanly alongside Linux on my Toshiba laptop, using the legitimate license key stuck on the bottom. So all you need is a borrowed WinXP install CD of any sort at all (boxed, OEM, vol license), a Unix console, and a bit of RAM to load a 600MB 'text file', and you can legitimately install a clean copy of XP.