Copy Protection Goes On The Offensive

from the why,-you-don't-need-that-any-more... dept

It's no surprise that developers of copy protection tools are trying to improve them beyond the weak, easily defeated offerings they are today. However, it sounds like some are starting to go a bit too far. Beyond just trying to stop copying, they're scanning your system for other programs, telling you to disable certain copying programs and then proactively uninstalling certain components of those programs. After first denying this was true, the company later said it was just a bug, but many people doubt this. It's likely, unfortunately, that this is just the beginning. Copy protection software seems to be getting ever more proactive, often doing damage where none should ever be done.
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  1. identicon
    eponymous geek, 7 Oct 2004 @ 11:14am

    Get Redmond involved

    Write a copy protection scheme that disables parts of Windows Media Player, like ripping a CD to the HD. Microsoft will join our side and that'll be the end of that.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 7 Oct 2004 @ 11:38am

    No Subject Given

    To install Doom 3 I had to unistall Clone CD. Got a message informaing me that Doom would not run with CD emulation software on my system.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Oliver Wendell Jones, 7 Oct 2004 @ 2:35pm

    I can understand...

    I can understand why a company doesn't want their software running on a PC that contains software that *might* be used to pirate their precious program, but...

    I do not agree that they have the right to insist that the software be removed or, worse yet, damage the software in some way. That's not just wrong, that's criminal.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    thecaptain, 8 Oct 2004 @ 5:08am

    Re: I can understand...

    They can always refuse to install AND offer you a refund should you decide NOT to disable what they ask (if they don't offer a refund, then they don't have the right to refuse to install imho). I think that's reasonable.

    However I agree, they do NOT have the right to uninstall third party software from my machine without my knowledge AND consent. That's damage and akin to crackers and virus writers.

    link to this | view in thread ]


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