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Boing Boing Threatened By Software Creator

mfh writes "StarForce has issued threats to Boing Boing's Cory Doctorow in retaliation to Cory's post about the anti-copy malware that installs itself along with many popular (and unpopular) video games." From the BoingBoing post: "Yesterday, I posted about StarForce, a harmful technology used by game companies to restrict their customers' freedom. StarForce attempts to stop game customers from copying their property, but it has the side-effects of destabilizing and crashing the computers on which it is installed. Someone identifying himself as 'Dennis Zhidkov, PR-manager, StarForce Inc.' contacted me this morning and threatened to sue me, and told me that he had contacted the FBI to complain about my 'harassment.'"

12 of 351 comments (clear)

  1. uh oh... Hope other companies dont hear about... by jigjigga · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, I hope other companies dont find out about resellerratings... or the amazon.com reviews... or um just about anything lol.

  2. No point in getting us riled up without a target! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Where's the company web site? How else can we slashdot them? C'mon! Someone dig it up! I've got an itchy mouse button.

  3. WTF by bvimo · · Score: 2, Funny

    Cory Doctorow publishes an opinion and then someone called 'Dennis Zhidkov' runs to the FBI and makes claims about harassment. WTF

    --
    In either case, here at Microsoft, we feel standards are important. And we have fun, too. Doug Mahugh, Microsoft
  4. My bad... my bad... by eno2001 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sorry. That was me. My Troll Tuesday antics got a little out of hand and I started calling everyone in my address book (Lycos People Search) and threatening to sue for unspecified amounts under the DMCA just to make a point. You can disregard the call. Sometimes a joke CAN go too far, can't it? ;P

    --
    -"...bad old ideas look confusingly fresh when they are packaged as technology" - Jaron Lanier (Digital Maoism on Edge.o
  5. Re:Anagram by kunzy · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Bill Gates" is an anagram for "libel stag". Hope that helps :)

  6. Cory is lucky by geneing · · Score: 2, Funny

    that Boris Zhidkov didn't contact the russian mob... :)

  7. In a quote from the plaintiffs filing... by Churla · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Must get moose and squirrel, Boing Boing is a moosey/squirrey sound"

    --
    I'm a fiscal conservative, it's a pity we don't have a political party anymore
  8. Re:Here is a picture of Dennis Zhidkov by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Posting my picture is just asking for a lawsuit, i've contacted my US lawyer. You are breaking 34 international laws.

    -- Dennis Zhidkov

  9. approximately 11 international laws? by jitterysquid · · Score: 2, Funny

    How does one violate _approximately_ 11 international laws?

    Jeez, if you're going to bully people with legal threats at least make them long, with intimidating legal letterhead and scary pronouncements like, "you are in violation of statute 3 subsection q9 of the corndogian legal code, punishable by forced ingestion of flaming crickets."

    The quality of legal threats really has gone downhill in the last few years.

    What about shipping software into the US that deliberately opens security holes? Doesn't that constitute some sort of cyberterrorism?

  10. Whew..what a relief. by phrackwulf · · Score: 2, Funny

    Apparently Starforce only protects games that really, really suck! I feel much better now.

    --
    What would Richard Feynman do, if he were here right now? He'd do some math and he'd follow through!
  11. Re:Here is a picture of Dennis Zhidkov by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Rich. A Russian informs a Canadian living in London that he's alerted the American federal crime bureau to his "harassment." Isn't it nice how the internet really brings us all together?

  12. Re:The FBI? by ePhil_One · · Score: 4, Funny

    So First4Internet was the reason why I can't play DVD's in my CD player? I'll get them! I had fallen for the urban myth that it was lack of codec's, no video screen, and laser wavelength differences.

    --
    You are in a maze of twisted little posts, all alike.