Software Deletes Files to Defend Against Piracy

teamhasnoi writes "Back in 2004, we discussed a program that deleted your home directory on entry of a pirated serial number. Now, a new developer is using the same method to protect his software, aptly named Display Eater. In the developers's own words, 'There exist several illegal cd-keys that you can use to unlock the demo program. If Display Eater detects that you are using these, it will erase something. I don't know if this is going to become Display Eater policy. If this level of piracy continues, development will stop.'"

Comments

Hope he likes prison

[0123456]

At least here in the UK, I believe this would be a criminal offense. Of course the pirates might not want to report his crime, but he's still breaking the law.

Vigilantism

[xigxag]

That's vigilantism, pure and simple. Doesn't matter if the person was a pirate or not, you're not allowed to commit a crime to protect your "property."

Re:Aren't there laws against this?

[Dogtanian]

Flamebait? Odd "Nazi" comment aside, this is broadly sound.

I'm no rabid anti-copyrightist and I can understand the guy's frustration and desire to do something about piracy. However, his actions strike me as both ethically and legally dubious. Whether it's it's morally acceptable to damage someone's computer even if they pirate your software is one thing. Legality is another kettle of fish. There are issues as to whether he made the program's behaviour clear in the EULA, and even if he had whether this would make his actions acceptable.

Even if it were, this guy had better hope that his protection scheme doesn't go wrong and delete stuff when someone types in a key incorrectly (or types it in correctly and the program messes up anyway). We all know the BS some software goes through when it decides that what are supposedly legal keys are actually illegal; does anyone want to take that risk? What is his legal exposure if someone inadvertantly buys a copy with pirated keys from a dubious source?

Their responsibility? IANAL, but I wouldn't want to risk that line in a court of law.

He says that

I don't know if this is going to become Display Eater policy. If this level of piracy continues, development will stop. Someone else replies

Please stop writing code. You'll do the Mac community a huge favor by never showing your face here again. And I have to say that this pretty much sums it up.

Re:Do you suppose it really does delete things?

[paitre]

It's not.
Reading the linked discussion thread, this 'feature' was discovered when someone tried to pirate the software so they could review it against the product they were writing.

So... no, it's not an idle threat, and the author is a freaking asshole who deserves to have his reputation destroyed over this.

Re:Aren't there laws against this?

[orkysoft]

Also, a question, could a user backup up their home directory, install this crap software, and then restore their home directory and continue using the software?

I don't think so. At the time the software "decides" to delete the user's files, it also "knows" that it is a pirated version, and that the serial number is invalid (that triggered the deletion). Hence, it also "knows" that it shouldn't allow itself to be unlocked from the demo version.

I think this is a very dangerous step: what if there was a bug that caused the software to delete your files without a pirated serial being entered?

Besides, if the author sells activation keys, he knows who bought which one, and thus whom to sue when one of those keys gets posted on warez sites. Unless he doesn't use online activation with arbitrary keys, but instead has an algorithm in his program that determines the validity of the key. That's just asking to be cracked.

Also, piracy tends to be a powerful weapon against your competition: you might not make money from the lost sale, but (1) your competitors won't either (2) the pirates gain familiarity with your software, and are more likely to choose it when placed in a situation where they can't use pirated software, or recommend it to friends, and your competitors don't gain this advantage. See also: Microsoft Windows/Office, Adobe Photoshop.

What a spoiled brat.

[BlueBoxSW.com]

I write a shareware program (BlueBox Invoices) that lots of people have registered over the course of the past 9 years it has been around.

It is a fully functional program WITHOUT registering, yet many people take the suggestion to register, and it pays for continued development.

If you're going to get your panties in a knot over some people using your software, you probably should be writing some software more innovative than a screen caputure utility. The world is already filled with those.

How to do this legally

[Henry V .009]

As I'm sure that the Slashdoters here aren't pirates worrying about getting punished for their piracy (they're law-abiding Slashdoters!), I think we should help this developer protect his weeks and months of labor legally. And here's how he should do it:

Attention Users! Version 2099.0999 X of my software now comes with a special new feature! File deletion! To enable this great new feature, please find a pirated software key on the web and enter it. Any files that you have in "C:\Documents and Settings" will be deleted.

FAQ for possible problems using this great new feature:

• Some of my personal files aren't in "C:\Documents and Settings" and weren't deleted! -- At this time any files not in the "Documents and Settings" folder must be deleted by the user manually. We are exploring a great new "Format Drive C:" function for a future release.
• But I have a tape backup of all my files! -- The best solution that our users have found for tape backups is fire. Be safe and go for your entire house just in case you've mislaid one or two tapes. Remember to save your pets! They aren't genetically related to you and can't pass on "pirate-genes."
• I used a pirated key, but your software didn't delete by files! -- We apologize. Please forward us the offending keys and we will include them in the next release. However, you can still delete your files manually. Be sure to use shift-delete! Also see the above instructions concerning fire.

Re:Aren't there laws against this?

[tomhudson]

It IS against the law: Computer Fraud and Abuse Act - and the penalties were increased under the PATRIOT Act.

Knowingly causing the transmission of a program, information, code, or command that causes damage or intentionally accessing a computer without authorization, and as a result of such conduct, causes damage that results in:

1. Loss to one or more persons during any one-year period aggregating at least $5,000 in value.
2. ...

So, why not complain and get this guy marked as a "terr'rist"? After all, what's your pr0nn^Wdata worth?

Actually... it doesn't delete your home directory

[remahl]

The article and submission build on a misunderstanding. I conducted some research of my own and I've found that it does not attempt to delete the full home directory. It only deletes the ~/Library/Application Support/display_eater/ directory, i.e. files created by the trial version of the program. In fact, the developer says that the program will delete something from the home directory, but doesn't say what.

While I didn't acquire one of the pirated serial numbers that trigger the behavior, I have disassembled the program and these are my conclusions: The deletion is done by a function destroy() at offset 0xd148 that takes a single argument specifying the path to delete. destroy is called from a single location in the program:

+276 0000d3e4 3863a020 addi r3,r3,0xa020 ~/Library/Application Support/display_eater/ +280 0000d3e8 4bfffd39 bl _destroy

destroy() loops over each thing contained by this directory and deletes it. I've invoked the function in this way, and it does not delete anything since that directory does not exist on my system.

So, while this anti-piracy tactic sure won't convince any potential pirates to actually pay for the software, it is not as egregious as the summary suggests.

It would be nice if someone would verify these conclusions, perhaps using a real pirated key.

Vigilante justice

[goombah99]

Considering that in our legal systems two wrongs don't make a right vigilante justice like this should be punished. Yeah, let's form a vigilante posse and punish him!

Re:Aren't there laws against this?

[Goldberg's Pants]

Also, piracy tends to be a powerful weapon against your competition: you might not make money from the lost sale, but (1) your competitors won't either (2) the pirates gain familiarity with your software, and are more likely to choose it when placed in a situation where they can't use pirated software, or recommend it to friends, and your competitors don't gain this advantage.

That is a very interesting point. I'd never thought of that before.

This developer should be ashamed of himself. Two wrongs don't make a right has been said. This is akin to taking a shotgun to someone stealing an apple. Absolutely reprehensible behaviour, and I hope he suffers dearly for this Russian Roulette style of copy protection.

And let's not forget... Typos... The developer may think "Oh yes, well the odds of someone typing a key wrong that happens to match the ones that trigger deletion is incredibly small..." To which I point to the 6/49 style lottery. Chances of winning, 16 million to one. People still win it though. Regularly.

Re:Aren't there laws against this?

[Zordak]

There are issues as to whether he made the program's behaviour clear in the EULA, and even if he had whether this would make his actions acceptable.

Destroying a user's data is an intentional tort. You cannot waive intentional torts by contract in any jurisdiction of which I am aware. So the author is pretty much toast here.

Re:Aren't there laws against this?

[Goldberg's Pants]

MAJOR criminal.

Okay, so if he's a MAJOR criminal, what does that make, to pick a name at random, Jeffrey Dahmer? I have no real sympathy for a pirate like that Australian one. He took a risk, got caught. But I DO have a major problem with your assertion that he's a MAJOR CRIMINAL. He's facing longer in jail than most rapists, or people responsible for manslaughter. If he'd broken into the office of the companies he copied software from, he'd be facing less time in jail.

So please, go ahead and explain how a womans body, or a human life, is worth less than some software.

I look forward to your justification of the term MAJOR CRIMINAL.

Re:Aren't there laws against this?

[flosofl]

I followed the developer link from Apple. Has anyone actually gone there? It looks like this is a hoax created to "scare" people into not pirating his program. He admits that it has backfired and actually driven away legit users. Here is the statement from his site Reversecode.com

Public Letter: I hope the public will read this entire letter. There has been alot of confusion regarding the copy protection of the program called Display Eater. It is described here in:

There exists two illegal cd-keys that can be used to register the program without paying for it. When Display Eater detects these keys, it would delete your home directory.

However, this is not the case in reality. The whole purpose was to create a scare campaign. You can download, the file linked from the main page, which is now down(the link is still intact here), and check it for yourself. It has been this way since 2/7/07.

It was my hope that by creating a scare campaign, I could stop wasting time writing copy protection routines to be broken over and over. But, I was wrong, it backfired. People started buying multiple keys, which I never intended, and in the beginning when the protection was in place, people who did not even know they had committed piracy or what piracy was were left in the dark. Legitimate users started fearing the program, which I never imagined.

A reporter called me today, and suggested that I make it free, and then have users pay for support. Or open source the program. I will consider all of these. -Reza