[Not So] Crazy - Redmond to Protect Pirated and Legit Window 7 Copies
[Not So] Crazy - Redmond to Protect Pirated and Legit Window 7 Copies
Posted 04/30/2009 at 11:54am
| by Mark Edward Soper
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Softpedia reports that pirated copies of Windows 7 will be provided with security updates, update rollups, and even service packs. What is Microsoft thinking? Is Redmond promoting piracy?
The idea of providing security and other updates to pirated copies as well as legit copies of Windows might seem crazy, but here's the reasoning, straight from Paul Cooke, director of Windows Client Enterprise Security:
Keeping a machine up to date is one of the first steps in helping ensure that they remain reliable, compatible, and safe from threats when they are online. Some of the most famous incidents of malicious software infection have come after security updates were publicly available from Microsoft - Blaster, Zotob, Conficker and Sasser, just to name a few. Rest assured that we at Microsoft are committed to making sure that security updates are available to all of our users to help ensure a safe online experience for everyone.
Note that Cooke is laying the blame for many recent security problems where it belongs: on users and companies who will not upgrade their software to block such threats. By continuing the recent policy of allowing users of non-genuine Windows to receive security updates, Microsoft is saying, in effect, 'don't blame us if unpatched systems are compromised.'
However, don't think that Redmond's turning a patched eye to either casual piracy or software counterfeiting. Pirated copies of Windows 7 won't be eligible for some of Microsoft's goodies, and Softpedia points out that counterfeit copies of Windows often come with a "free" bonus: malware.
For your chance to sound off on security for software pirates, hit Comment.
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Xerloq
May 01, 2009 at 6:56am
This was supposed to be a reply to winmasters comment below.
If someone is running a pirated copy of Windows, and Microsoft
discovers this, they should be locked out of your computer. They should
make it stop halfway through the boot process and say:You are a dick for pirating software. Either pay up and enter a VALAD license or reformat and install linux, fucker.
That way, it won't matter if you are patched because you won't be able to use your computer anyway.
The issue isn't people downloading from torrents, it's OEMs and other system builders who don't properly license the OSes. How do you tell the difference bewteen an actual stolen copy, and a copy where the OEM didn't properly apply the license? Both appear to be pirated machines to Microsoft's activation servers, but the former case is illegal and the latter is just laziness - but instead of punishing the lazy person (the OEM) you want to hurt the unsuspecting user, and rudely, too.
Grandpa
April 30, 2009 at 7:37pm
If Microsoft would make an operating system worth buying maybe more people would pay for it! Who wants to pay for an operating system crippled with a DRM infestation, hacked by the federal government, and one that will only be supported a few years. Some day someone will come out with what we want and Microsoft will be filing for bankrupsy protection like the US automakers.
MAXPCreader07
April 30, 2009 at 7:55pm
Microsoft Windows has enough of a marketshare that they probably don't care about the remaining percentage.
"You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time."
periodhyphenund...
April 30, 2009 at 4:51pm
...will be forced to repeat it!
Microsoft did the same thing for XP a few years back.
First they promise to allow Pirated Copies to be updated, then they find out who you are and inform you that you are using an illegal version and then they prevent you from getting the updates that they promised in the first place!
How stupid are you people anyway?
Svetty Parabols
April 30, 2009 at 2:41pm
They could have made all their software pirate proof years ago. You morons really think they are that dumb? Piracy was the best business model for Microsoft. Get everyone hooked on the OS then make money selling the other software. Use a little logic..if piracy has or had actually hurt Microsoft..we all would be using Linux.
schmitty6633
April 30, 2009 at 2:07pm
1 Solution: Keep better track of valid licsence keys and make the os crackproof.
winmaster
April 30, 2009 at 1:55pm
If someone is running a pirated copy of Windows, and Microsoft discovers this, they should be locked out of your computer. They should make it stop halfway through the boot process and say:
You are a dick for pirating software. Either pay up and enter a VALAD license or reformat and install linux, fucker.
That way, it won't matter if you are patched because you won't be able to use your computer anyway.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
Marsel
April 30, 2009 at 2:13pm
I agree w/ you alittle, but some people who have authentic copies might be targeted by this, as a result of some mistake, or if somebody simply stole their serial code and registered it befroe teh authenitic copy owners did.
ps. valid is spelled V-A-L-I-D not V-A-L-A-D
That's Right. YOU GOT PoWNeD! (not)
Proud owner of a Sony NS laptop, Jailbroken Ipod Touch 2g.
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winmaster
May 25, 2009 at 4:16pm
How do you know I am typing in English and not my own language. Thats right, you don't.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
StahnAileron
April 30, 2009 at 12:40pm
I agree: any un-patched system is just another easy target for worms and trojans.
Most stuff that infects PCs today don't render the PC useless/in-operable, they just let someone take remote control of it for other uses.
MS has their reasons for making this decision, and I more or less agree: each patched, up-to-date system is one less system that someone can use to hack/infect another system. I'd rather have millions of patched PCs running pirated OSes instead of millions of unpatched zombie PCs.
I don't like pirating, but gotta live with the fact that it exists and do what's better for the greater overall good...
I Jedi
April 30, 2009 at 2:14pm
You assume businesses look out for the wellfare of their customers, yes?
schmitty6633
April 30, 2009 at 12:37pm
I think Microsoft shoud purposefully give pirated copies deactivator updates that put a countdown on the os till they can pay online to keep it activated :)
habuza
April 30, 2009 at 12:35pm
high and mighty because you shelled out 300$ for overpriced crapware from Microsoft. The ONLY reason, and I stress, ONLY, is that it plays my games. I still use XP, will NOT touch shitsta with a 50' pole. Windows 7 looks great except for the price tag. So when the next round of open beta comes around I'm snagging a copy of it.
strykyr
April 30, 2009 at 1:16pm
You are an ID10T. Vista works fine. You are obviously just too stupid to understand it. Reading is fundamental.
habuza
April 30, 2009 at 1:27pm
Kiss my ass fanboy. Vista runs like shit and is irritating as all hell.
schmitty6633
April 30, 2009 at 2:05pm
Lets face it, vista is the current os. It may not run as you like but it is as stable as ever and is as good as xp
Rob86
April 30, 2009 at 3:33pm
i have to aggree. although vista was a little F'ed on launch (drivers, stability, etc) but now i dont really have any problems with it, and i would bet that sp2 will make it even better.
LordPyro
April 30, 2009 at 12:10pm
I think this is stupid, Microsoft should let everyone who pirates their OP to
get nice and infected with everything, preferably until the point that their
computers can no longer function.
MAXPCreader07
April 30, 2009 at 12:25pm
But then the pirated machines can spread the infection to other computers, and it makes the overall malware situation worse.
schmitty6633
April 30, 2009 at 12:39pm
That is what updates are for smartass. There will be updates not offered to the pirated copies but will be to the legit ones
jcollins
April 30, 2009 at 1:20pm
The problem is, you can't predict what those infected Windows copies will do (DDOS Windows Update sites for example). Until they are fixed, they are always going to be a problem.
neo1piv14
April 30, 2009 at 12:56pm
Of course it isn't MS's responsibility to make sure that people who pirate their stuff get off scott free, but at the same time, if I have a pirated OS that's all infected and owned, all they'll see is a crashed Windows machine. They won't see my lack of updates. I really think MS is just doing this as more of a public image kind of thing.
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