Vista anti piracy measures

[Peter Mount]

Hi

I was reading this article on Vista at:

http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/6149/983/

It was saying that the anti piracy measures in Vista would cause problems for legitimate users of licensed software. Has anybody else read anything about this?

I'm actually thinking I'll need both Linux and Windows for the forseeable future.

[cunawarit]

I’m not the biggest fan of anti-piracy measures. I personally don’t have a single bit of pirated software and I would never pirate software on principle. Anti-piracy measures may cause some problems to some users, however, its no reason to run away from Vista as far as I can see.

But I do agree, I need both Windows and Linux, I have three PCs at home, maybe 4 after Vista’s launch and I don’t plan to pay for Windows in all of them! I’ll have 3 Linux machines and one Windows machine.

[FineE]

I have been following Microsoft's DRM for quite a while.

Microsoft has been steadily introducing DRM in an attempt to combat software piracy since 2000. It started in 2000 when product activation was introduced in certain copies of the academic version of Office 2000. The process has been steadily tightened over time. We have product activation in Windows XP, key revocation via service packs in Windows XP, WGA validation for downloads, and most recently WGA notifications including the controversial "security upgrade" distribution of WGA notifications.

Windows Vista will bring many improvements. Activation will now be mandatory for all version including large enterprise versions. This is an attempt to plug the "corporate key" method of piracy. Microsoft will have the ability to revoke key's in Vista and send Vista back into a "non - genuine state" requiring reactivation with a new key. This is the famous "Vista kill switch". Vista will also check it self for certain types of "tampering" and place it self in a "non genuine state" requiring activation. There already has been a preview of this with Windows XP failing WGA due to a registry cleaning utility for example.

My own suggestion on the subject is to go straight to the source. The following white paper from Microsoft gives a good idea on what is in store for Microsoft's customers as far as Vista anti piracy DRM.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/c/2/9/c2935f83-1a10-4e4a-a137-c1db829637f5/10-03-06SoftwareProtectionWP.doc

[knucklehead2354]

Sometimes I think that certain companies are taking DRM way too far. I also think its unfair for some data, such as music, to have DRM because of the fact that the content can be controlled as the distributor pleases. The product activation bandwagon could end up hurting companies in the long run (though at this point in time I have nothing to back up that opinion).

[FineE]

Sometimes I think that certain companies are taking DRM way too far. I also think its unfair for some data, such as music, to have DRM because of the fact that the content can be controlled as the distributor pleases. The product activation bandwagon could end up hurting companies in the long run (though at this point in time I have nothing to back up that opinion).

Actually the performance of Microsoft's stock, MSFT, is very different in the pre DRM era (before 2000) and the post DRM era (after 2000). The chart speaks for itself. So the question becomes: Did product activation hurt the performance of MSFT?

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=MSFT&t=my&l=on&z=l&q=l&c=

[knucklehead2354]

Actually the performance of Microsoft's stock, MSFT, is very different in the pre DRM era (before 2000) and the post DRM era (after 2000). The chart speaks for itself. So the question becomes: Did product activation hurt the performance of MSFT?

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=MSFT&t=my&l=on&z=l&q=l&c=

Interesting chart. I'm guessing it didn't. :-k But then again, I'm more focused on the future (not to dismiss your valid information). DRM has gotten bad with XP; I'm afraid of how it might escalate when Vista is finally released.

[Kateikyoushi]

My biggest problem with the whole DRM is that it hurts those who actually buy the original software and less the pirates.
You try to install a game and it complains about your dvd writer software etc, the pirates just mount a cracked game what is online sooner than it might appear in the sotres near you, and enjoy faster loading times.

You activate windows now install windows geniune advantage whatever, windows stops working if you replace your motherboard then reactivate etc.
Pirates do not have to worry about that either.

You have to let these companies install their junk on your machine to be able to use what you paid for and they are still looking for more control over my own computer.

[knucklehead2354]

My biggest problem with the whole DRM is that it hurts those who actually buy the original software and less the pirates.
You try to install a game and it complains about your dvd writer software etc, the pirates just mount a cracked game what is online sooner than it might appear in the sotres near you, and enjoy faster loading times.

You activate windows now install windows geniune advantage whatever, windows stops working if you replace your motherboard then reactivate etc.
Pirates do not have to worry about that either.

You have to let these companies install their junk on your machine to be able to use what you paid for and they are still looking for more control over my own computer.

That's probably one of my bigger pet peeves when it comes to Window's DRM.