On 22 Feb 00 at 7:45, Bernie wrote:
>>>A second layer of protection is the certificate of authenticity, or
>>>registration tag, which OEMs and system builders will be required to
>>>attach to the specific PC where Windows or Office is installed.
>>
>>How is this any protection at all? I once had a "SB AWE32" sticker on my
>>machine but that didn't change my SB16 to one ;) Doing the same in the
>>registry or wherever isn't hard to do.
A good point. Maybe I can stick an "Intel Inside" sticker on my
Commodore 64 and make it a pentium!
>>>When users boot up the Office 2000 software for the first time on a
>>>machine, the registration wizard will require them to contact
>>>Microsoft -- via the Internet, email, phone, fax, or snail mail -- and get
>>>the second half of a registration key that matches their software
>>>certificate. If this registration process isn't completed, the software
>>>will stop working after it's been launched 50 times.
>>
>>So, one uses the same key used by someone else (as is the case with almost
>>all of the pirated programs anyway). Aah, I remember when one turned to page
>>45 and found word 4 on the 14th line ;-)
Yes, and they sometimes printed the codes in low contrast color
combinations to discourage photocopying.
>>>In 1999, Microsoft confiscated 4.3 million units of counterfeit software,
>>Carriker >said.
>>
>>I wasn't aware of the fact that M$ now also was the police in the US? If
>>this was true then we should all be afraid (especially those on the list
>>living in the US).
Well, obviously Microsoft almost certainly did not confiscate
anything, but AFAIK it is up to the holder of the copyright to seek
enforcement of the law, so Microsoft (or any other copyright holder)
would have to work through local authorities to take enforcement
action as well as civil actions against violators.
Regards,
Dale Mentzer
Is it time for your medication or mine?
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