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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.'"
He contacted the FBI?
Well, there's only one response to this nut. Laugh at him because he obviously doens't have a clue as to how to bring legal action against you.
When companies realise they are copy protecting themselves out of business, maybe others will learn from their mistakes and not treat every paying customer like a thief.
Bravo for posting information on this - the public needs more information to make educated choices.
Well, it's not the press - it's the internet, so OF COURSE it's harassment! That's why some companies/politicians are so interested in the FCC rulings on bloggers. If the FCC declares them journalists then we're talking free press, but it they call it political speech that needs to be regulated then the door is open for such lawsuits.
Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration, which is why engineers sometimes smell really bad.
This is a classic SLAPP technique http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SLAPP
One nice thing is that states like California have fairly strong anti Slapp laws and lawyers that specialize in this sort of case
I used to have a cool sig, back when I cared
People will buy until they know. Look around amongst your peers, mention "Sony rootkit" or "DRM" and check how many blank stares you receive.
Yes, WE know it. Now. Thanks for posting. But we already knew. We already take care of our computers. We already check on CDs if they are REALLY CDs. We already make sure that our Games don't hassle us with "I don't wanna run as long as you have that CD Emu soft running".
But we don't count, folks. We are a minority. We think before we act. And most of all, we think before we buy.
We're a small minority. We don't count.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Honestly, it sounds and reads like boing boing is just reporting the facts. Nothing more.
Software is written that destabilizes a system, causes a crash and could potentially damage hardware.
What am I missing?
This controversy is good. Games must be stopped from installing code which runs with kernel or administrator privileges. That's introducing too many security holes now, by preventing users from running as a nonprivileged user. Users can't lock down their machines and still run games. That's no longer acceptable.
Wow, can you say "astroturf comment"? Either that or troll, not sure which. Anyway, I'll bite:
If there have been documented cases of it causing problems, then it doesn't really matter if there have been other cases where it was fine. Even if only 10% of end users see problems, don't you think everyone still would like to know about it, so they can make informed decisions?
Or, to put in another, more emotionally charged frame: If there was a baby-food that worked fine most of the time, but in 10% of cases caused the baby to explode violently, don't you think people (particularly potential customers) should be told that there were risks? Just because someone could say "well, MY baby didn't explode" would not somehow absolve the company of responsability of the 10% that did.
Most gamers have more in common with the Comic Book Guy than hackers. True there is overlap but the geeks outraged about this are the ones who see their freedom to tinker in peril. Most gamers don't tinker (apart from things like (sanctioned) mods) with the guts of their systems.
There are some games on that list I might have wanted to buy... Not now. This copy protection scheme is an anti feature to me. AKA it makes the game not worth buying.
You want to stop it? Flood the publisher of these games with email telling them that you will not buy games with this use this DRM.
They have the right to put it on and we have the right not to buy.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
I'd wager a bet most people (even on Slashdot) had no idea what this software was until their DVD burner suddenly died for no apparent reason halfway through a burn and they had to read online forums to figure out that the problem was with a game they'd bought and installed recently.
I read the internet for the articles.
I wonder if MS will let companies like StarForce create signed drivers for Windows Vista. This is interesting since if not, many games will not work in Windows Vista and we will have almost the same scenario as when games were DOS based and NT first came out. But if MS let them, you'll end up defeating the measures taken to create a much more stable operating system.
An opinion might read like "It seems to me that my system became unstable after I installed some software. or I don't like the food at McDonald's.
...so if Mr BoingBoing can't prove his statements he might be in for a rough ride...
A statement of fact should be presented with backing documentation, something like After installing on a clean machine, using SomeMonitoringSoftware and SomeSoftwareToBeTested, it was noted that there were packets lost and the silent step-down was initiated by WinXP.
If you think imaginary property and real property are the same, when does your house become public domain?
There, I fixed it for you.
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
What a terrifying seven words...
They don't have to post facts. The law doesn't require them to. It only requires them to be RIGHT. There is sufficient evidence in the public purview of the issues he raised that he is not required to cite them. There is a vast amount of information out there that there are in fact problems, and even the game publishers are starting to recognize it.
Not exactly the sort of thing that the silent 99% of the user-base is going to connect with game software, which is sort of the point of the noise that is being generated.
You did. Read the EULA.
These games should be carrying a warning similar to cigarettes in that case.
They do. Read the EULA. No one reads the EULA.
They do. Read the EULA. No one reads the EULA.
I have heard others say that some games using StarForce do not mention it on the exterior of the box. Every place I have shopped at will not let me return a game once I rip the plastic off the box. I don't recall any games slapping the whole EULA on the box.