Microsoft to step up piracy check on websites

Microsoft is to step up its fight against piracy by requiring users who visit their download sites to verify their installation of Windows with Windows Genuine Advantage. However, security updates will not be included in the check as Microsoft has learned they are vital when viruses like Blaster and Sasser are on the loose. In those times, even pirated operating systems must be protected, as they will scan all around the net for other vulnerable installations to infect.

Since Windows accounts for 90% of all Operating System sales, there is little room for Microsoft to boost the purchasing of Windows. The piracy check on the site however may boost sales in the long run as people will like to feel safe and limitless with their software. Also it is thought that as many as one third of all Windows installations could be pirated; that represents a huge loss for Microsoft.

However, if you fail the Genuine Advantage test, you will not hear the FBI at your door 10 minutes later or be sued or even receive any threats; in fact, you might just get a free Windows XP CD or a discount off one. If you can fill out a form with details of where you got your pirated installation, proof of purchase and return the counterfeit cd you will get a free genuine copy. If you can�t give all those details, then you will recive a discount of up to half price for XP Home Edition or Professional Edition.

Source:
BBC News

Written by: James Delahunty @ 26 Jul 2005 11:54

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59 comments

S2K

lots to criicize microsoft about but I find no fault in this.

26.7.2005 12:08 #1

Auslander

so i could get 50% off of Pro? i still like my version better than a bill ;-P

26.7.2005 12:14 #2

JXP2307

I am almost getting teary eyed at MicroJunk's Generosity... ALMOST.

A free version of windoze?!?!?! I am in shock...

There is such a monopoly on OS software you almost Have to have a copy of windows. EVERYTHING RUNS ON IT. If Gates and co. did not charge so much ($150) for an operating system that is FULL of bugs, glitches, backdoors, loopholes, etc., maybe people wouldn't pirate it so freely.

I am not condoning pirates, I am simply stating that Microsoft has caused this problem on their own.

Glad to see them taking steps to fix it... ON THEIR OWN...

26.7.2005 12:14 #3

Auslander

too bad everything couldn't be Linux or Unix compatible...M$ would be out of business in no time :-)

26.7.2005 12:21 #4

JXP2307

I agree whole heartedly Aussie!

Linux is the future. Just wish the future would hurry up and get here! LOL!

26.7.2005 12:32 #5

Auslander

lol, actually, i'm from missouri. check the Username thread if you're curious as to what my name means! :-P

one day, the average joe schmoe will see the light light of linux. until then, we must wait... <.<

26.7.2005 12:40 #6

Pop_Smith

I ran Linux for a while but, due to the heavy gaming I do, I had to switch back to Windows. :( The gaming community should start supporting Linux then it would have a even bigger field of players :)

26.7.2005 12:53 #7

papirock

microsoft winblow genuine advantage???? sounds like a severe piping is goin on ;p

26.7.2005 13:53 #8

papirock

microsoft winblow genuine advantage???? sounds like a severe piping is goin on

26.7.2005 13:53 #9

papirock

microsoft winblow genuine advantage???? sounds like a severe piping is goin on

26.7.2005 13:54 #10

papirock

sorry i had technical difficulties...... on a windows box of course.... its officially paid for too

26.7.2005 15:05 #11

Wanpa-Kun

I'm in total disagreement with JXP2307, Microsoft did not cause this problem on its own. Every piece of software ever gone for sale has been pirated, not just by a few groups but by many, so you have various copies of the same software being distributed all over the net, not just windows. No matter how reasonable the price might seem there are always people who will rather get it without paying a dime. You can get a copy of XP pro around $40 in any technical institute.

26.7.2005 15:15 #12

thelox714

ppl need to realize that mac is the wave of the future.

!RUFF RYDERZ!

MAC MINI 1.42 - 80GB HD - 1GB RAM - EXTERNAL 200GB - LACIE DVDR/W +/- DL LIGHTSCRIBE
MAC THE RIPPER - POPCORN - TOAST TITANIUM W/ JAM.

26.7.2005 15:47 #13

papirock

Amen!!!!!...... if there was HALF the support for the mac (software) thats there for windows.... windows would die..... i do have windows but never use any of the built in SW like the mac (iphoto, itunes, idvd,).... theres a definite QUALITY diff people

ImacG5_2.0_2GBDDR_250GBHDD_EL_TIGRE

26.7.2005 15:57 #14

rihgt682

What the hell can you do with mac. I mean one click mouse come on ppl.

26.7.2005 16:30 #15

thelox714

they do have compatible mice for mac that have two buttons and scroll wheel...

and who watches tv? everybody......

a lot of shows now use macs to produce them...
most of the shows and movies have them on-screen.

shows like:

scrubs... "use two PowerBooks to edit the show"

veronica mars... "has a Powerbook"

less than perfect.. "powermacs with apple cinema displays"

duplex - the movie - powermacs with apple cinema displays and powerbooks......

jay z and linking park - "collision course" -- on the backstage video on the dvd... they use powermac g4s with apple displays.
same thing on the new Shakira dvd...

i could name more...

apple makes final cut pro... logic express... final cut studio...

need i say more?

!RUFF RYDERZ!

MAC MINI 1.42 - 80GB HD - 1GB RAM - EXTERNAL 200GB - LACIE DVDR/W +/- DL LIGHTSCRIBE
MAC THE RIPPER - POPCORN - TOAST TITANIUM W/ JAM.

26.7.2005 16:49 #16

Neviar

ahaahaahahahaahah their genuine advantage failed cuz some pirated windows are bein used as worm and virus hubs! what are they gonna do? i think they should do away with the genuine garbage. guess what? ill buy it for half price then sell it for more! up yours microsoft!!

26.7.2005 18:54 #17

JXP2307

@ Wanpa-Kun:

I guess you are correct that Microsoft did not cause the pirating problem completely. But they are a HUGE part of it.

Of course you will always have people who will break the rules. Does that justify Corporate Greed? I do not believe it does...

26.7.2005 19:41 #18

syeberman

Food for thought....

Who is the real pirate?

The people that pirates a copy of a crap operating system full of errors and I mean more holes than Swiss cheese.

or

Microsoft ... the company that promises the world and delivers nothing, except blue screens, bullshit and operating systems that are not ready for marketing.

Why does piracy exist?

Don't you just love those talented people that make free software out of love. Many of this freeware is superior to commercial software.

26.7.2005 20:17 #19

lajr1980

ok... Isn't this old news!!

26.7.2005 21:24 #20

skopas

I just luv these type of threads. Show's there alot of smart people out here..right on. It looks like with the 3rd paragraph in mine. There trying the silent blackmail thing again...lol With u scratch my back, and will do yours..

26.7.2005 21:32 #21

JXP2307

Freeware... Gotta love it!

26.7.2005 21:43 #22

c4iscool

if I could run all my games under linux I would be done w/ windows. until then I bootlegg my windows! =)

26.7.2005 22:10 #23

Angelhelm

well this may sound dumb isn't it microsofts fault for making a system which poeple can easly pirate?

26.7.2005 23:08 #24

p4_tt

Oh yeah i like the idea of ratting out the site\person you got the pirated Windows from(not), Maybe if there software wasn't so insecure people would pay for it, i know a lot of people that would never buy a MS product just due to the fact there so unsafe and MS know it!!!

26.7.2005 23:47 #25

Rosco404

SK2: i agree with you, that is the most sensable comment in this news article....

27.7.2005 01:36 #26

A_Klingon

We knew it was coming, and this just the beginning.

It's going to get worse with time as manufacturers begin invading our hardware devices, telling us what we can and cannot do with them. With these restricted devices - supported by micro$oft's new breed of dibilitating software -- all Hell is still to break loose yet.

The public backlash is going to be brutal. It's going to be a brave hardware manufacturer who purposefully screws their buying customers. (In other words, the s--t has yet to hit the fan).

Hollywood must be smiling all the way to the bank at this point.

Here's (pretty much) the same micro$oft info, from one of our newspapers (The Globe And Mail) :

---Snip--------------------

Bill Gates Will Be Frisking You With A Simple Point And Click
By Simon Avery, Technology Reporter

The next time you visit the website of Microsoft Corp. to download some software, be prepared to let the world's biggest software company have a look inside your computer.

In a determined strike to quell the proliferation of counterfeit software, beginning today [July 26th], Microsoft will require that all customers coming to its website for upgrades and other downloads, submit their computers to an electronic frisking.

If you use one of the estimated hundred million PCs running pirated software, don't expect your upgrade. For Microsoft, the new policy is a stepped-up effort to combat the loss of billions worth of software sales every year to counterfeiters around the world. But in ramping up efforts to fight piracy, the Redmond, Washington-based behemoth already finds itself fending off critics over privacy.

"It sets an extremely negative precedent," Pam Dixon, executive director of World Privacy Forum, a non-profit public-interest research centre in San Diego, said of the company's initiative. "Microsoft is saying, 'Before I let you do anything at all, you have to open your computer to us.' I really object to this."

The company will scan machines for a variety of information, including product keys or software authorization codes, operating system version and details on the flow of data between the operating system and other hardware, such as printers. <---- [The beginning of hardware crippling/disabling. Expect your burner to be next on the list.]

It is access to this information that particularly upsets the privacy advocates. Ms. Dixon says the only information Microsoft needs to fight piracy is the product key and the operating-system version, and she says that Microsoft will be able to identify users uniquely based on some of the information the company collects.

"They are grabbing more information than they need to deter piracy," she said.

If Microsoft deems a PC to be carrying contraband code, it won't allow a user to download Microsoft programs, with the exception of security patches. But the software company - which says that more than one in five U.S. computers runs a counterfeit version of its Windows product - is not just waving a stick. It is also offering a big carrot.

Microsoft said it will give a free copy of its Windows XP to customers who unknowingly bought a counterfeit version of the operating system and who fill out a piracy report, provide proof of purchase and send Microsoft the counterfeit CDs.

Customers who cannot provide proof of purchase but file a piracy report will receive a substancial discount on a legimate version of the operating system, said Tim Prime, a product manager in the Windows client group at Microsoft Canada Co., a subsidiary of the U.S. company.

Executives at Microsoft reject any suggestions that the move will antagonize customers with privacy concerns.

"Customers want to know whether retailers have sold them genuine software," Mr. Prime said.

More than 40 million users agreed to have their systems scanned in a 10-month trial that began last September in several countries. The participation rate amounted to 58 per cent of all visitors to the pilot website, far exceeding Microsoft's expectations of just 10 per cent, Mr. Prime said.

Microsoft said no personal data will be collected during the validation process, and information will remain completely anonymous. The company said it commissioned TUV-IT, an independent German security auditor, to test how well its "Windows Genuine Advantage" program protects customers' data, and the firm concluded that Microsoft does not collect any personal information that would allow it to identify or contact a user.

Seth Schoen, a staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a civil liberties group in San Francisco specializing in technology issues, agreed that Microsoft would not be able to identify customers personally through the program. But the data collected are unique to every customer, just as human fingerprints are unique, and the issue becomes how long the company holds onto the details and whether they could become personally identifying later on, he said.

Technology companies have walked a fine line for years on the touchy issue of collecting information from consumers' computers. Six years ago, RealNetworks Inc., whose software plays audio and video content on the Internet, released a patch for its RealJukebox program after the public learned the software was relaying personal information about users back to the company.

More recently, Google Inc. created a privacy backlash when it said its free e-mail service, Gmail, would include special software that inserts ads into personal e-mails based on their content.

Clearly, Microsoft believes any risk of public-privacy concerns are worth incurring to fight a problem that has turned into an epidemic in some parts of the world.

Microsoft has been fighting counterfeit efforts for years with limited success. It says that 35 per cent of the world's computers run counterfeit software and that piracy cost the global software industry $41-billion in 2004.

The Canadian Alliance Against Software Theft and the Business Software Alliance reported that 36 per cent of all software applications in use in Canada are pirated, costing $1.1 billion in lost retail software sales.

---Snip----------------------

(Sigh.....)

The software companies (alluded to above) never bother to tell you how many billions of dollars they actually make, either. Oh hell no.

Do you suppose we desperately need a truly, once-and-for-all USER-FRIENDLY Linux-version of an Operating System; one that average Joe-Public (like me) could understand?

I never did like Monopolies. :-(

27.7.2005 03:27 #27

mackdl

Quote: The software companies (alluded to above) never bother to tell you how many billions of dollars they actually make, either. Oh hell no.

In this week's newspaper:

Microsoft stock drops as profits rise
SEATTLE -- Microsoft Corp. shares continued to slump Friday after the world's largest software maker reported fourth-quarter profits soared nearly 37 per cent on brisk computer sales, continued strength in the server and tools market and a big tax benefit.

Hmmm: 37% raise would be very nice!

27.7.2005 07:03 #28

papirock

bill the gates of hell needs to be mindful that "pirated" SW is how he was able to launch winblow...... nuff said

27.7.2005 07:23 #29

A_Klingon

'Nuff Said.

Hell no! May as well be honest. [Donning my stetson .....]

Dag-Nab-It! Ol' Willie Gates ain't in no position to be runnin' around poo-poo-ing on God-fearin', decent folks like ourselves, waggin' his finger and preachin' his warped ethics 'n morals '; tryin' to make US out to be the "bad guys" when the slippery ol' varmit his own self is more 'n guilty of just about every sneaky business practice you can shake a rattlesnake at!

"Waddaya think, Tex? Maybe we aughta run that dad-blasted, lyin', thievin', lowlife snake-in-the-grass straight outta town!"

"Well, I dunno, Slim, but if'n I didn't know any better, I thinks we aughta string that boy up from that hick'ry tree over yonder."

"Yeah, I ain't got much use for cattle-and software rustlers. I thinks we aughta git the Marshal to hustle up a Posse, and hunt that nasty ol' critter down."

"OK, let's DO it then! Tom, you go git the Marshal, and the rest of you boys git yer guns out and come with me! We got us a Lynchin' to do!"

"When we nabs him, Slim, I wanna hog-tie 'em up first!!!"

And so it went. As the day drew to a close, our merry band of head-hunters rode off into the sunset, determined to bring the thievin' outlaw Gates to justice.

Tune in next week, for Part II. Complete saga coming soon to a DVD near you.

27.7.2005 08:37 #30

papirock

i'll buy it and rip it on my MAC .... then toast the bastard

27.7.2005 09:09 #31

bpitt

My point is this. Its not a choice of one paying for it or one getting a pirated version. Its a choice of one either paying for it or one not getting it at all. Therefore the numbers they throw at you saying they are losing x amount of billions of dollars are overexhagerated. In my opinion pirating is part of the reason why microsoft has such dominance in the marketplace.

27.7.2005 09:15 #32

peanuts2

I remember there was an afterdawn article of a indian guy that got past the windows genuine advantage.I wish he was here to tell us how he did it :).I goes to show that windows is not experiencedXP.Even if Bill Gates went bankrupt he would still be doing fine. Aside from windows, the rest of the software costs an arm and a leg to buy.Bill will break even when he brings out the new windows vista or what ever it's name is.It just better not have DRM in the new version or I'll have to stick with xp/2000.

27.7.2005 09:23 #33

peanuts2

can OEM versions of windows be pirated?

27.7.2005 09:33 #34

neewbie

no cos oem comes with ur pc and can only be used on the computer.

27.7.2005 19:31 #35

A_Klingon

What happens, then, when your paid-for OEM pc version of Windows decides to crash? (It will, sooner or later).

27.7.2005 19:35 #36

Auslander

you do what i do: you use a copy of Windows sent to you from your buddy in Arizona and don't feel bad about it whatsoever cuz HP and M$ are anal retentive money-grubbing jackasses. :D

27.7.2005 20:05 #37

A_Klingon

HA! I Love It!!

You're right, Auslander. (Mine is from Florida, and hell, I'm not even 'Merican). :=)

I see you have 'been around' for a bit, since you've mentioned HP. And I couldn't agree with you more. Hewlett Packard sucks wazoo. Overpriced, rampant DRM cancerized, and Best Buds with Micro$oft.

I won't tell you what I did with my new HP inkjet printer some months ago (I now have a perfectly-functioning Canon), but I imagine a few seagulls are dropping some dumplings on it out in some landfill site somewhere. :)

28.7.2005 02:51 #38

Auslander

too bad the seagulls couldn't be dropping nuclear-tipped dumplings on HP and MS headquarters...that would make my millenium.

28.7.2005 04:15 #39

Rosco404

Quote:no cos oem comes with ur pc and can only be used on the computernot 100% true, some manufactures of PCs (time, tiny etc who infact have gone into liquidation yesterday haha) they have there own pressed discs wich dont generally work on other PCs as they somtimes are a restore disc or an OPK (OEM Preinstallation Kit)install setup by these perticuler companys,
but like my company we get OEM versions... These are exacly the same as the retail versions just without the packaging and manuals...
the OEM license is that we can only put it on new systems and not sell it seperatly, unless a computer comes in and wants an upgrade (eg. memory, cpu upgrades etc..) then we can legaly sell an OEM copy to the customer (at the OEM price instead of the retail price)

:)

28.7.2005 04:35 #40

tatsh

I wait for OHNOES WAREZ GROUPS to release Windows Updates now.

28.7.2005 08:49 #41

tatsh

I wait for OHNOES WAREZ GROUPS to release Windows Updates now.

28.7.2005 08:49 #42

skopas

Yep, wait for the release group to get down to bussiness, and duck tape it. And out the door. Just got to luv it.

28.7.2005 15:20 #43

tatsh

Actually I don't know if I can tell details about this. But there is an exploit for Microsoft downloads, and it works best on FireFox! I've tried it and it works amazing. So now it's all about collecting all updates after the last service pack (and this is all OS's, not just XP & 2003).

28.7.2005 18:20 #44

syeberman

"Windows caused an invalid page fault in my bank account"

28.7.2005 22:39 #45

Sheariah

I had legal version of XP, but when my computer crashed on a Friday afternoon & I had to re-install Windows and it wanted immediate activation - no 30 day leeway because I'd already had the computer more than 30 days, and call to M$ for activation revealed I would have to wait until midday on Monday (I'm on east coast), I downloaded corp files on internet & made a bootable XP cd that didn't require activation. I paid too much $$$; greedy M$ should pay me for 3 days loss of use! I paid for my XP and went through their horrid activation the first time, but I have a problem with having to call and reactivate and I'm always adding, changing, & upgrading my computers.

2.8.2005 07:15 #46

tatsh

BUT IT HELPS TO PREVENT PIRACY!!!!!!! IT'S GOOD FOR THE CONSUMER BECAUSE IT KEEPS PRICES DOWN!!

[/sarcasm]

I believe it doesn't lower or heighten the price of software, I consider changes in prices of software inflation. And for me it's shown through software but more through games. I can't afford to pay $50 for every decent game out there and certainly not $70+ for a real Japanese one.

I bootleg Windows proudly, and a big F word to the profiteering gluttants.

"...never again pay for a service that would be dirt cheap" "-- IF IT WERENT RUN BY A BUNCH OF PROFITEERING GLUTTANTS" <-- Razor & Blade (Hackers)

2.8.2005 07:23 #47

JaguarGod

I am very curious about Linux. How would I go about downloading it. I went to a mirror for Fedora Red Hat 7.3 and it has:

FC4-i386-SRPMS-discX.iso

&

FC4-i386-discX.iso

as well as: FC4-i386-rescuecd.iso and SHA1SUM

Which should I download, the one with the SRPMS or the one without it? Also, would I be downloading the correct Linux? This is one of the ones I heard of. I also heard of Mandrake Linux.

I am sick and tired of Windows Update. Windows Update is retarded. For some reason it thinks I am using a Mac with IE lower than 5, when I have a PC with IE 6sp1. This is for both Windows ME and 2000 pro.

Also, the Xp validation and activation is retarded. Pirates will know how to get past all inconvenience of this, but most legal owners will not. People that use pirated windows do not go through all this crap anyways, so they are just making it bad for legal users. Also, many times Legal XP does not get validated.

Another thing, is that if you are using somthing other than XP sp2 there are not as many updates and support. Windows 2000 is far better than XP, but MS doesn't seem to care much. Once they get all they can out of XP, they will release their new buggy OS and stop support for XP so that everyone can throw out XP and get the new one and waste more money.

OS should not be $300+ especially if it only lasts for about 2 years. After that you are forced to spend another $300 or your computer will not function correctly. At least Win2k lasted this long. So far my fav MS OS. Better than XP and if not for 64bit could have been used for much, much longer.

3.8.2005 09:04 #48

A_Klingon

JaguarGod: Quote: ... Windows 2000 is far better than XP ...I think so too, and Win2000 is my preferred OS as well. But you have to be very careful how you update it.

Downloading and installing all the latest Win2K updates - particularly the ActiveX and DirectX updates, will add a lot of silent, sneaky, crippling DRM to your system.

My latest gripe in a long series of gripes is that my burner won't read a growing number of a new breed of copy-inhibited DVDs that keep showing up. The discs, while playing beautifully on a set-top player, are utterly unrecognizeable to my computer. (I can't back them up to blanks if my computer won't recognize the originals).

Notice I said "won't" recognize (not "can't" recognize) the discs? Oh yes, my burner certainly CAN read these discs, (see below), it just WON'T because of that DipShit William Gates.

My latest example: All three discs in Season 1 of the "Happy Days" television box set.

So you know what I did just as an experiment?

I completely wiped my hard drive of Windows-2000, then, installed the relatively ancient Win98-SE instead. (Yep! The old Win-98 system!) Win98, while not exactly the best OS in the world, was pretty much free of all this DRM s--t.

Well! My burner NOW immediately recognized ALL three discs just *fine* thank-you-very-much! I got _perfect_ rips with DVD-Decrypter!

It just goes to show you that micro$oft is constantly undermining your ability to use your own computer as you would like. I thoroughly *detest* a Ballsy Software Company from locking me out of my own equipment!

Alarming also, very much so, is that micro$oft's influence extends to the hardware manufacturers too. In this case - my burner, -- an LG model --, must have a chip in it that recognizes these new "crippled" dvd discs. If you have all the latest-and-"greatest" micro$oft updates, plus a restricted burner, these new discs will be unreadable.

Frig !! :-(

Yes ...... I wish I knew how to use Linux. Compared to windows it is a little less than "user friendly" for most mainstream users, although one would be blessedly FREE of micro$oft's damn, world-domineering, crippling, user-restricting DRM crap.

Most world-wide users of computers don't really know what "DRM" is all about, and that's probably why micro$oft is going to get away with their sleazy agenda.

Ahhrghhhhh !!!!!!!!!!!! :=)

4.8.2005 03:35 #49

gamer78

he's paid, what is he trippin for.? so what a few copies are made. people with the money still buy his _hit. he really doesnt have too much comp out there anyway.

4.8.2005 07:47 #50

tatsh

A_Klingdon: Do you only have a burner? I've ripped a few new DVDs and I never use my DVD burner to rip, always my old DVD-ROM which is a 16X Liteon, a classic and built like a rock I must say.

4.8.2005 11:09 #51

A_Klingon

(Thanks for replying, tatsh.)

Wow! That's a very good suggestion you make! (I hadn't thought of that). An older DVD-ROM would indeed, not likely support (and totally ignore) the copy-inhibitor flags these new crippled discs carry!

Unfortunately, no, I don't have a dvd-rom. I'd go out today and buy a new one if I thought it would help (dvd-roms are really cheap), but I'm afraid I'd only find current-generation models for sale.

I suppose what I really need is an OLD, "outdated" second-hand (PRE-DRM) model.

Man-oh-man, tatsh, it it any wonder I loathe micro$oft?

(Thanks for your tip!) I will be keeping my eyes open for a used rom). :-)

5.8.2005 06:52 #52

f00dl3

I'm just about sick stiff of these people saying "Why doesnt someone do something about this invasion of privacy" and "Public backlash is going to be brutal", etc...

Why don't you stop talking and start doing something to protect your constitutional and civil rights.

This Digital Rights Management scheme has been out 2 years already, and NOTHING, I repeat, NOTHING has been done. Hire a lawyer, get the ball rolling. Nothing is going to happen unless you do something to make it happen. So stop sitting on your butt waiting for someone else to be your Jesus in heaven.

The Bush administration is obviousley strong religion in america (despite what ever it says about seperation of church and state) - but they don't even respect civilians privacy and fair use rights.

Hire a lawyer. Sue the RIAA, MPAA, and Microsoft. Quit taking this invasion of privacy and fair use rights as something to "bitch" about - because you aint gonna get anything done by just sitting back and complaining. Make your self heard. Until I hear about people protesting Digital Rights Management and stuff related to it on the news - its no use even crying "mommy, please help me".

5.8.2005 11:09 #53

A_Klingon

Quote: So stop sitting on your butt waiting for someone else to be your Jesus in heaven. Why, Thank You Jesus! (.....er..., I mean f00dl3), Thank You, Lord! Ah has seeeen the Light! Merciful Mother of Mary, I is borned again!

I'm glad to see you so full of piss and vinegar tonight. Tell you what, f00dle, You go out and hire a g------d lawyer. And while you're at it, hire a hundred more - you're gonna need 'em. Like someone else here once (correctly) mentioned, if 321 Studios, with it's millions of $$ and own bank of lawyers couldn't pacify your greedy Hollywood propaganda machine, what friggen chance does Joe Blow have ?? Huh ???

NO, I'm not a defeatest. I'm a realist. And I intend to BITCH about the injustices shoved up my (and your) ass until the cows come home, so get used to it.

I barely make enough $$ to live on. I'm a "survivor". I buy what groceries I can afford rather than shop around for discount attorneys. And me being a Canadian, what do you suppose the odds are that your highly-greased, lavishly-funded, payola-sustained, bought-and-sold politicians, and bottomless-pocketed, monopolistic mega-corps like micro$shit -- would give me, a Canadian, the time of day?

And while we're here, who have *you* written to, lobbied to, solicited, boycotted, .... I have no intention of beating my head against the wall and writing to someone who couldn't care less if I get run over tomorrow by a tractor-trailer.

It seems to me the only way we're ever going to defeat the decimation of YOUR rights, is to stab them through the heart.... (er...) pocketbook. Yes! I'm talking about "HACKERS!" (No, not pirates). REVERSE-ENGINEERS! Patches. Workarounds. Whatever it takes.

And why not? Fight fire with fire I say! No one in government office gives a s--t what you think, f00dl3. And until you make as much as micro$oft, they never will.

In the meantime, I'm just damned glad that we have dedicated forums here at A/D, at Doom9's, and others where we CAN bitch, where we CAN (hopefully) find solutions, where we can learn and educate ourselves, where we CAN fight back, and if that means "illegally" hacking each-and-every newly-devised DRM initiative-of-the-day as it rears it's ugly head, SO BE IT! "Illegal" is just a stupid, meaningless word drummed up by your favourite, local monopoly. As far as I am concerned, THEY are illegal. Period.

So don't chastise ME for calling a piece of s--t for what it is, and by all means, do say 'hello' to your lawyers for me.

5.8.2005 19:35 #54

DVDBack23

Wow ^^^^, in honesty only a company as big as microsoft would have the power to take down microsoft. Truthfully i dont ahve a problem with microsoft at all or windows but they have been called a monopoly before, and class action sued, but nothing. Let it go people.

Dell 4600i
1 GB Crucial Ram
Sony DRU-510a 4x DVD Burner
XFX Geforce 5200
Nero 6 Ultra Edition
Games: Shogun: Total war, Medievil: TW, Rome: TW, NBA Live 2005, Call Of Duty
USE MCC VERBATIMS!!!!

12.8.2005 21:48 #55

Tester-1

Hey maners if Bill G.. don�t fix a cheeper Windows on the market so that al can use a computer in the wild world or built it. We don�t have the Internet today that�s a fact.

Set down the price for Windows!!
You want all pupils shall have a computer in the world.

Then begin start thinking Bill !

I borrow my license one a auktion! That�s good to.. but I don�t like it.

13.8.2005 05:56 #56

Dude2099

Winge Winge Winge, hmmmmm i dont know why people are so wingy about the Windows Activation it takes like less than a minute if you have the internet no sorry my memory is vague but i think it was less than a few seconds. Anyway if yah dont like it dont use it. There are other options or is it that you need to use Windows. Hahahaha theyve got you and they have me to :-(

http://www.eweek.com

There is a decent article on there about it but i think its about 2 weeks old still good thou.

PStwo: GH-035-71
Mod: Matrix Infinity v1.45
Summone's & Aladdin fix-chip
Burner: MSI DR8A 1.5 Hacked
Media: Ritek G05

13.8.2005 06:51 #57

nigeljkuk

I dont visit often but Ive definately enjoyed this visit, learned a bit too! definately a return is in order, I read with interest the happy days dvd burner issues, two topics that do get my hackles right up are DRM , microsoft wga etc etc, they have been at this for a very long time, god showing my age now they never did this with old lp vinyl well not as much anyway but , sony too are nasty sods with chips embedded in mini discs to prevent more than one digital copy , phillips as do all standalone recorders(dvd) have them as you all know and as do standalone cd recorders, I still use 98se Ive gone retro sometimes going backwards is in fact going forwards,one thing 98se may be no longer supported /patched but then again most malware etc is written for xp so give a few years and most nasties wont even run on 98se being targetted at xp and upward so glad i kept mine! i used to be a really goody too shoes kept my pc patched now after wga GROWL ive taken my xp pcs permanently offline gone back to tried and trusted, made loads of ghost backups and said Go Away !!! micro.....b.....s piece of advice keep your old stuff the earlier an older vhs machine ie prehistoric and built like a tank doesnt have nasty macrovision embedded so if you still have old tapes buy one on ebay....the modern decks you cant without a good deal of hassle.thats a useful tip if you have loads of old vhs lying around

5.9.2006 03:15 #58

malh

Take care! web sites are checking for Microsoft. See the red section in the following code.

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">

<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>SAMSUNG's Digital World - Monitors | SM940MW</TITLE>
<META content="Monitors LCD SM940MW" name=title>
<META content=19 name=description ? ratio. wide-format 16:10 a with colors vivid
bright and text clean crisp delivering TV, monitor both of functions the perform
can 940MW The performance multifunctional TV LCD>
<META content=UK name=sitecode>
<META content="" name=keywords>
<META content="" name="Page Title">
<META content="" name="Meta Description">
<META content="" name="Meta Keyword">
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"><LINK
href="SAMSUNG's%20Digital%20World_files/global.css" type=text/css
rel=STYLESHEET><LINK href="SAMSUNG's%20Digital%20World_files/product.css"
type=text/css rel=STYLESHEET><LINK
href="SAMSUNG's%20Digital%20World_files/microsoftgenuine.css" type=text/css
rel=stylesheet>
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript
src="SAMSUNG's%20Digital%20World_files/common.js"></SCRIPT>

<SCRIPT language=JavaScript
src="SAMSUNG's%20Digital%20World_files/menu_nav.js"></SCRIPT>

<SCRIPT language=JavaScript
src="SAMSUNG's%20Digital%20World_files/prod_nav.js"></SCRIPT>

<SCRIPT language=JavaScript
src="SAMSUNG's%20Digital%20World_files/webservice.js"></SCRIPT>

<SCRIPT language=JavaScript
src="SAMSUNG's%20Digital%20World_files/prt_netcruz.js"></SCRIPT>

<SCRIPT src="SAMSUNG's%20Digital%20World_files/microsoftgenuine.js"
type=text/javascript></SCRIPT>

<SCRIPT language=JavaScript>
ImgPreLoad('/uk/images/TMenu',5);
_MCurrentOn = 1 //Main menu status
_SCurrentOn = 1;
_S1CurrentOn = 0;
</SCRIPT>

<SCRIPT
language=JavaScript>
function init(){
imgOver(_MCurrentOn)
}
</SCRIPT>

<SCRIPT language=JavaScript>
function measureTCP() {

var domain = document.domain;

if (domain == "wcms.samsung.com") {
rid = "wct_uk_pre";
} else {
rid = "wct_adn_uk_pre";
}

//nTcp(rid);
}
</SCRIPT>

<STYLE type=text/css>#genuineTooltip {
FONT-SIZE: 11px; COLOR: #000000; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff
}
</STYLE>

<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16544" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY text=#000000 bgColor=#ffffff leftMargin=0 topMargin=0 onload=init();
marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">
<DIV class=genuineLayer id=genuineTooltip
style="Z-INDEX: 10; WIDTH: 455px">Genuine <SPAN
class=genuineLayerEx>Windows</SPAN> is authentic <SPAN
class=genuineLayerEx>Windows</SPAN> software that is properly licensed and
legally installed. Learn more about the special benefits reserved for genuine
<SPAN class=genuineLayerEx>Windows</SPAN> customers by visiting <SPAN
class=genuineLayerEx><A href="http://www.microsoft.com/genuine"
target=_blank>http://www.microsoft.com/genuine</A></SPAN></DIV>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"
background="SAMSUNG's%20Digital%20World_files/bg_top1.gif" border=0>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD width=160><A href="http://www.samsung.com/uk/"><IMG height=44 alt=""
src="SAMSUNG's%20Digital%20World_files/SAMSUNG_CI.gif" width=160
border=0></A></TD>
<TD width="100%">
<TABLE height=44 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=610 border=0>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=top align=left width=70><A onmouseover="imgOver('1')"
onfocus=this.blur(); onmouseout="imgOut('1')"
href="http://www.samsung.com/uk/products/index.htm"><IMG height=44
alt="" src="SAMSUNG's%20Digital%20World_files/TMenu_01_off.gif"
width=70 border=0 name=w1></A></TD>
<TD vAlign=top align=left width=62><A onmouseover="imgOver('2')"
onfocus=this.blur(); onmouseout="imgOut('2')"
href="http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/index.asp"><IMG height=44
alt="" src="SAMSUNG's%20Digital%20World_files/TMenu_02_off.gif"
width=62 border=0 name=w2></A></TD>
<TD vAlign=top align=left width=92><A onmouseover="imgOver('4')"
onfocus=this.blur(); onmouseout="imgOut('4')"
href="http://www.samsung.com/uk/presscenter/index.asp"><IMG
height=44 alt=""
src="SAMSUNG's%20Digital%20World_files/TMenu_04_off.gif" width=92
border=0 name=w4></A></TD>
<TD vAlign=top align=left width=104><A onmouseover="imgOver('5')"
onfocus=this.blur(); onmouseout="imgOut('5')"
href="http://www.samsung.com/uk/aboutsamsung/index.htm"><IMG
height=44 alt=""
src="SAMSUNG's%20Digital%20World_files/TMenu_05_off.gif" width=104
border=0 name=w5></A></TD>
<TD style="PADDING-LEFT: 15px; PADDING-TOP: 12px" vAlign=top
align=left height=37><A
href="http://www.samsung.com/splash.htm"><IMG height=10
alt="go to splash page"
src="SAMSUNG's%20Digital%20World_files/img_header.gif" width=130
border=0></A></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD bgColor=#a5a5a5><IMG height=1
src="SAMSUNG's%20Digital%20World_files/spacer.gif" width=1></TD></TR>
<TR>

10.11.2007 11:33 #59

AfterDawn: News