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.'"

Comments

The FBI?

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

Re:The FBI?

[Bogtha]

I assume he doesn't have the slightest idea how US law works or how it's enforced.

Well I assume he doesn't have the slightest idea how US law works, or how it's enforced, or that Cory Doctorow is Canadian, or that he lives in London.

Classic SLAPP Technique

[Nf1nk]

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

the problem with "don't buy"

[Opportunist]

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.

This is going to backfire, like Sony

[Animats]

Making that threat was a big mistake. Now more security people will take a look at this "protection software", probably confirm the holes, and get it marked as hostile code. That will hit the mainstream press, and some major game vendors will be in the position Sony is now in. Expect some product recalls.

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.

Re:Two sides to every story

[Mathonwy]

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.

Re:Yay, more useless litigation...

[pclminion]

political speech that needs to be regulated

What a terrifying seven words...