The future of MicroSoft Copy Protection

[lex_strooder]

Now we have to call Microsoft to activate OEM versions.
From the article:

"If a customer attempts to activate Windows XP with an OEM key from a COA, they will be directed to call customer support specialists to obtain an override code - provided they can prove that their copy is legitimate by answering a series of questions."

link to "Microsoft Closes Activation Loophole"

link to slashdot comments

Is this the future of copy protection? Will the next challenge/response of an audio app be by phone...

[jones-y]

My friend, that's only the tip of the iceberg

http://www.againsttcpa.com/what-is-tcpa.html

[WoJ]

Would never happen, price too high and the legality too complex.

Fine if windows wants to use higher copy protection but they will never beat crackers, there will always be people willing to prove them wrong. There are many talented computer users around the world and the cracking community is stronger than any Microsoft community could ever be.

If anything this will be a chance for other OS's to break into the mainstream offering cheaper alternatives to windows etc.

As for the TCPA, they are wastng their time, it would never work, there are ALWAYS people who want to beat the system and "where theres a will, theres a way" so to speak. ..theres also a large % of the worlds population including hackers, crackers, computer script kiddies etc (its an army of nerds! :O) No one can stop em

WoJ

[rokkon]

that TCPA thing is so scary, the end of freeware/ shareware being only one of the bad results it brings us, still nobody really seems to care for it.

And wheneven i hear it mentioned in the media, especially television, they alway just talk about the great new security technology that will save our computers from virii ams spam.

[cptgone]

My friend, that's only the tip of the iceberg

http://www.againsttcpa.com/what-is-tcpa.html

"Therefore open-source and freeware would be condemned to die"

...scary stuff

[rokkon]

As for the TCPA, they are wastng their time, it would never work, there are ALWAYS people who want to beat the system and "where theres a will, theres a way" so to speak. ..theres also a large % of the worlds population including hackers, crackers, computer script kiddies etc (its an army of nerds! :O) No one can stop em

WoJ

the problem with TCPA is, you just cannot bypass it just by software means, you'll most likely need special hardware that'll cost a fortune.

[WoJ]

True but there will be people wanting to stop it anyway so the cracking community might pressure it into not doing things etc, also there will be people fighting legal battles about such creations, there are just too many obsticals for it and to be honest i dont see any advantages for TCPA either.

WoJ

[rokkon]

TCPA has big advantages, just not for you but for the industry.
and at least in the USA, government and industry seem to work well hand in hand, so some people fighting legal battles isn't probably such a big obstacle.
After all, TCPA can detroy piracy, and we all know 'piracy' is the whichhunting magic keyword of our time, it makes everything justifiable.

The only real obstacle were a big public dislike, but the public doesn't even know about it, because the traditional media isn't reporting about it.

[WoJ]

Ok but wont the software + become more expensive? This is only bad for people who wont be able to afford certain peices of sotware, wont it become more of an illetist market, where only people at the top of the ladder will be able to afford stuff.

I dont condone piracy, but i dont condone over-pricing either, although theres no proof, there has probably been a large amount of software, music, texts written on illegal grounds by very talented people and who have made a good name for themselves who jsut couldnt afford certain things. At least now-a-days the feeware market is starting to take hold so people wont resort to theft.

I jsut hope the freeware creator's can keep up so that people who cant afford large corporate programs can resort to linux or something.

(on an off-topin note, i realy wish BeOS didnt die! That was one of the best operating systems out there with such great potential, its qutie ironic that it was party microsoft's fault for its downfall and then they act like the hero's buying the company out.)

WoJ

[rokkon]

Ok but wont the software + become more expensive? This is only bad for people who wont be able to afford certain peices of sotware, wont it become more of an illetist market, where only people at the top of the ladder will be able to afford stuff.
WoJ

but that's not the industry's problem. I agree that freeware and to some extend also piracy might be a force that keeps prices of certain software lower.
But with these two competitors away, prices can be freely adjusted to what brings most profit, and not what's fair... though that doesn't have to inevitable mean that every software becomes more expensive.

[WoJ]

Yea i dont realy mind what happens about copy protection software becasue i dont think it will develop that swiftly. It just anoys me that there are people around today that charge extortionate prices (*ahem Microsoft*) for things that people are releasing for free (*ahem linux etc*).

WoJ

[lawapa]

With absolute and total control comes absolute and total power. If this is implemented then your computer belongs not to you but you only have a right to use it a long as those who hold power think you are not a threat to them. And wo be to those who think differently. It's not as if Big brother is looking over your shoulder, more like his finger is on the trigger. And once he pulls the trigger it's like you never existed. Cracks will be a thing of the past along with content of any kind outside the system. It kinda makes 1984 seem like now. But as any oppressive society learns. Where their is a will there will be a way.

[Glassback]

My friend, that's only the tip of the iceberg

http://www.againsttcpa.com/what-is-tcpa.html

"Therefore open-source and freeware would be condemned to die"

...scary stuff

At which time, I'll switch to Linux or similar.
I dare say a glut of windows alternatives will flood the market if that ever happens.

MS may just shoot themselves in the foot with their plans for world domination.
Too many people don't want to be dominated.
Especially not by Microsoft inc.

[WoJ]

Whats that i hear? "bring back BeOS?" you say? What a good idea people, a great os with immense proccessing power and its now being made/re-made under the GNU General Public License!? :O.

hehe, i think i like that OS a bit too much...

WoJ

[rokkon]

My friend, that's only the tip of the iceberg

http://www.againsttcpa.com/what-is-tcpa.html

"Therefore open-source and freeware would be condemned to die"

...scary stuff

At which time, I'll switch to Linux or similar.
I dare say a glut of windows alternatives will flood the market if that ever happens.

MS may just shoot themselves in the foot with their plans for world domination.
Too many people don't want to be dominated.
Especially not by Microsoft inc.

and how are you supposed to switch to linux if it does not work on your computer any more?
this technology does not only come with the os, it's builed into the cpu.

In worst-case scenario, TCPA might even become forced by law, meaning building, selling, using non-TCPA hardware becomes illegal... though that seems unlikely. But there's pretty much every big manufacturer involved in this, so which pc will you buy to run linux, when amd, intel, via, apple, motorola and everyone else only sells chips with tcpa inside?