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Black Screens For Unauthorized Copies of Windows
arcticstoat writes "In a bid to deter people from using pirate versions of Windows XP, Microsoft is now updating its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) tool to introduce a few uncomfortable niggles for users of pirated versions of Windows. These include replacing the desktop wallpaper with a black screen every 60 minutes, although you can still replace it with your wallpaper of choice in the intervening period. As well as this, copies of Windows deemed to not be genuine will also have a translucent watermark above the system tray, which Microsoft calls a 'persistent desktop notification.'"
Yes I read your post, and boo hoo for you, but the vast majority of people who pirate windows don't do it because they can't find their cd key. I was only made the last reply based on the overwhelming frequency with which everyone that pirates software uses that same argument. "Oh I'm just making a copy, I'm not stealing anything." The people that work at Microsoft don't write software because they enjoy socialist software ideals, they do it to make money.