Microsoft announces Global Anti Piracy Day

Oh you mean this? "Hey cyberspice1 how could you be on both sides of the fence? Didn't you say you turned the corner? You just got your butt handed to you in that blog you wrote and ran like a whipped dog."-Warrior24_7. Well, you did and... YOU DID!!

Comment by Warrior24_7 at 12:20am 2nd November 2008

Listen Kiddies, Half term is over on Monday !! Back to school with you !! Grow Up and educate yourselves. you're all as bad as one another !! Crazy Ceo said it best !!

Comment by MikeHunt50 at 5:33pm 1st November 2008

Read through the comments. In this section, it was you who first attacked me. Muppet

Comment by cyberspice1 at 4:45pm 1st November 2008

You really need to take your own advice and "grow up". A grown man earns his keep and pays for what he wants. A grown man can stand on his own and not try and be the side kick of a flunky. A grown man accepts responsibility for his actions and doesn't blame others (you don't, and you do). A grown man doesn't need to cheat, pirate (steal), lie, conive, or live in the grey area, he does what he's suppose to do. A grown man stands by his word (you have a SERIOUS, SERIOUS problem with this). Children don't like rules and responsibility and try to blame others for their actions (like you do). So you have a looooong way to go before you tell someone else to grow up! Here is more of your stupidity. "I've generally managed to avoid forums with people like him on"-cyberspice1. Then avoid this one or at least avoid me. You seem to always come looking for an argument whenever I post (trolling) as you did here. You end sticking your foot in your mouth and looking stupid, as you do always. "this site really brings out the worst in me!"-cyberspice1. Now you're blaming the site? First it was EA, DRM, then me, now it's the site's fault. It's "you", not the site. "I know I should ignore trolls, but I'm stubborn & argumentative".-cyberspice1. And a "hypocrite" for admitting to being the exact person you accuse me of being!

Comment by Warrior24_7 at 3:03am 1st November 2008

@savagehenry, I carry on because I'm stubborn. I know I should ignore trolls, but I'm stubborn & argumentative. For some reason I've generally managed to avoid forums with people like him on, but this site really brings out the worst in me! @ Warrior, you sir, are a retard. Once again, you can't answer any questions. Saying I'm not whiter than white doesn't mean I'm a thief, it just means I know I step into grey areas occasionally, I accept that and I'm not gonna preach to other people when they do the same. At least I'm willing and able to show respect for people, whether that involves paying for what I own, or simply respecting other peoples opinions and values. Maybe you'll learn some respect when you become an adult, or maybe you'll just be pig ignorant for the rest of your life. Now like I said, back under your bridge, troll

Comment by cyberspice1 at 8:22pm 31st October 2008

It IS black and white. The issue is piracy. You either paid or you didn't and you know the difference. I didn't accuse you of anything, as always you accused yourself! "You" said "I ain't claiming to be whiter than white"-cyberspice1. I agree, you're not! As always you admit to something, get caught up in your own statements, then try to backtrack and blame somebody else for your behavior. It is what it is and you are what you are. Take responsibility for your actions. Trying to hide behind this moron doesn't change the game.

Comment by Warrior24_7 at 5:54pm 31st October 2008

Here we gotta guy who doesn't like where he is but keeps hanging around. Take your own advice and get outta here. You don't like the site, don't like the mag, don't like me (you shouldn't), you don't even know why you come on here anyway? You actually sound like cyberspice1, you do things but don't know you do them! The writing is on the wall then. So we shouldn't be hearing from you again lest you become like cyberspice1...a hypocrite!

Comment by Warrior24_7 at 5:41pm 31st October 2008

Dude, what's the point ? You can't argue with a person who's always right ? there are plenty of forums around were you can have sensible likeminded debate rather than get shouted down. Fuck it. dunno why I come on here anyway.. the magazine custompc is just one big advert from cover to cover it a right load of overpriced tosh. lol. All the information on this site is just recycled from other sites. Nothing exclusive here, Warrior isn't even exclusive, there's one on every forum.. the good thing is they all grow up eventually.

Comment by savagehenry at 11:09am 31st October 2008

There is no such thing as a black & white debate, when you grow up, you'll learn this. Once again, you've spectacularly failed to counter anything I've said, and accused me of being a thief. I've said repeatedly that I pay for my software, you refuse to listen, and assume that just because I'm against DRM, and against Microsofts artificially high prices that I'm a pirate. Just because I choose to download custom builds and noCD hacks AFTER I've paid, does NOT make me a thief. Microsoft will not "come after me" or "damage my PC" because my license key is LEGIT. I guess you think creating myown custom build of windows for personal use would be stealing as well? At least answear that question, I'm curious to know, then go crawl back under your bridge, coz I'm done arguing.

Comment by cyberspice1 at 8:26am 31st October 2008

It's not going to work. You try to hide in a black and white debate trying to wear a shade of gray... I seeee yooouuu!!! "I ain't claiming to be whiter than white"-cyberspice1. Are you now claiming (in the same post that) that that isn't true?!! And you're calling "me" a liar? You said that about...YOURSELF!! "You" know what you do and you admitted it!! There is nothing rude about the truth. It's "ugly", it "hurts" it's "embarrassing", but it's still the truth. You need to get your facts straight about "yourself" and find out what you do behind your own back when you're not looking.

Comment by Warrior24_7 at 1:55am 31st October 2008

So typical, you're backed into a corner because you've been proven to lie in order to try and take the moral high ground and preach your opinions in a rude and obnoxious manner, so you just resort to preaching the same crap over and over again. As we've just established, using a custom build does not make me a pirate becasue my software key is legit. Downloading a noCD crack for my own convenience does not make me a pirate because I paid for the game, that's a grey area, but it is in no way immoral, because no stealing is involved. Making my own custom builds of windows is not illegal, hell even microsoft provide tools for integrating hotfixes and streamlining windows. You warrior, do not have the slightest clue what you're talking about, hell, you can't even tell the truth and have to resort to lying about having a job. mortgage, car and family, when in reality, your only 12 or 13! (see a previous comment for proof) More to the point, you try to get your point across by being rude, arrogant and obnoxious to those who's opinions differ from your. You have no right to talk to anyone that way

Comment by cyberspice1 at 9:30pm 30th October 2008

We're talking piracy here get that Darwin? There is no reason to guess, wonder or speculate about it. Cyberspice1 is an admitted pirate...PERIOD!! He knows it, I know it, and everybody else "here" knows it except you! Afterall he's the one who said "I ain't claiming to be whiter than white"-cyberspice1. He's not! If you can't believe that from the mouth of the man himself then go check out this nice $12,000 PC for sale by Scan, it has your name all over it!! This isn't about passing a validation test. You know if you have legit software running or not. You know if you paid for it or not, you know if you ran out of activations or not, you know if your stealing games or not. MS's method of delivery of their own product thru DVDs or digital distribution is irrelovent, you'd find a way not to pay for it anyway...because you don't want to!!! So blaming them for not having DRM or digital distribution won't mean anything to a thief. Either way it goes, the software is available for sale, either you pay or not. As for not having any money, all I can say is get a job, earn your keep, everything is an excuse. If your running multiple PCs then any claim of lack of money is BS!! Every PC takes food from your family's mouth. If MS pays you a visit then you know what to expect. Damaging a PC is here. It isn't illegal if you're not legit! They locked up 200,000 PCs at once, believe it!! If they wanna get you they will. I believe they will eventually.

Comment by Warrior24_7 at 8:46pm 30th October 2008

It's virtually the same and vlite, we use bart at work for custom XP installation. I suppose vlite brings it upto date for Vista. Just check that out myself now.

Comment by savagehenry at 3:18pm 30th October 2008

Yeah, I forgot about that, someone told me the same thing on the forums. And yes, I have a legit boxed copy in my drawer, and a shiney new copy of Vista, so I guess I'm all legal there ;) What's Bart? I've dabbled with nLite & vLite (which are for creating custom builds) but I've never heard of Bart.... Any chance of a link?

Comment by cyberspice1 at 1:36pm 30th October 2008

Cyberspice1 - If you have a holographic license sticker on your machine or somewhere about. you can install whatever build or software you're licensed for, whether it be home of pro, or which vista. Custom builds are OK if you can get a stable one.. Better to customize it yourself with Bart if you're familiar. You're not a thief/pirate/mass murderer if you install custom builds. Warrior24_7 - There is a validation tool on Microsoft's website, surely that'll settle the argument, I've passed, because I have a factory installed copy of Vistax64, so tell me Einstein, how does Microsoft affect that. Some bloke in a Dell factory in Ireland or PuertoRico, uploads an Iso image of the Vista DVD straight from the factory, it hasn't been sold, no money has changed hands, nobody gains anything. MS loses obviously, but, how does MS keep control of everyone's computer and individual switch on/off there machines at will I can't.. it can't even control on DVD on shop floor level. So it goes back to my original point, licence control and distribution. It's simple not an acceptable form of distribution. The DVD as a form of data transportation, is dead. Digital Distribution through downloading modules from their own server is the way to go, keep the data in one place manage it properly. rather than entrusting valuable software to shop floor employee, who don't much care about the cost to the share holder or company profits. there just conserned about feeding and clothing and providing for their families. Piracy will continue whether in a casual or commercial sence. Microsoft can't do anything about, all they can do is change there methods to suit the changing market. I don't mind paying for software, but only when it's at an acceptable cost. At the moment it'snot and corners have to be cut. You call this theft. so what, I don't see the authorities beating down my door yet. I don't much care if the did because in this country you wouldn't be able to gather or implement any sort of software based spying system like you would like to see, that would corupt and or destroy hardware would be illegal in many countries. Because of Data protection laws.

Comment by savagehenry at 9:27am 30th October 2008

And thats where the difference of opinion is. I don't see anything morally wrong with that since I've already paid for the software (ie, paid for my windows license, and paid for the games I'm cracking) that is what we call a "grey area". Legally it may be wrong, morally I don't see the problem. That's my opinion, you ain't gonna change it. Well done for ignoring my accusations and proof of your BS by the way.....

Comment by cyberspice1 at 7:59am 30th October 2008

"tell me how I'm a thief when I've stated repeatedly that I pay for my software?"-cyberspice1. OKAY THEN. "I ain't claiming to be whiter than white, after all, I still download custom build of windows to see what can be done, and I'm not adverse to cracking games to avoid DRM issues."-cyberspice1. I could continue but I'm not gonna waste my time.

Comment by Warrior24_7 at 1:55am 30th October 2008

You're right, it is a choice. Either you paid for it or you didn't...PERIOD!! If you're using pirated software then you stole it. Simple as that. That makes you a software thief. There are many kinds of thieves, identity thieves, car thieves ect. You're a software thief! Why does this bother you? You clearly do it on purpose so why get mad when you're called one?!! It's not my fault, I didn't tell you to do it. If MS pays you a visit then you know what to expect. So no reason to complain, no getting mad, no finger pointing, no excuses. Get PC blacked out, remove offending software, download more offending software, get PC blacked out again. Thus is the life. There is no moral high ground, no crusade, no nothing, just calling it what it is. You don't condone "selling" conterfeit software, but you condone stealing it. Wow, okay. To each his own. My opinions are no stronger than yours, I'm just not stupid. So when I smell BS like what cyberspice1 tries to dish out then I just call it. It is what it is. You either paid for it or you didn't. If you didn't, you stole it. If you stole it, you're a thief. Shouldn't be any hard feelings about that.

Comment by Warrior24_7 at 1:30am 30th October 2008

@Warrior, and neither can you take the moral high ground, given that you resort to lying in order to try and gain it. And pray tell me how I'm a thief when I've stated repeatedly that I pay for my software? @ savagehenry no worries mate, at least some of us are civil eh? ;)

Comment by cyberspice1 at 6:59pm 29th October 2008

You keep coming back, I'm not sure why!! If you're legitimate great, that's awesome news for you and Microsoft and if it keeps you happy, then fine. But at the end of the day. it's a choice. You've made yours and I've made mine, we may not agree with each other, but the choice has been made. It's got nothing to do with my morals or ethic's, I simply choose not to pay for a piece of software in this instance. that doesn't make me a bad person. the way that you are going on about it, you'd think the world was about implode on itself as a consequence. I came on here to make one silly flippant comment about a multi-billion dollar corporation complaining about a bit of lost revenue and how in someway I have contributed to it. Big Deal. I'll by the damn software when I'm good and ready, if Microsoft wanna come see me in the meantime that's fine. Despite what you may think I'm not a pirate and I don't condone selling counterfeit software, all I am saying as a geek there are certain avenues that can be exploited to avoid having to pay out a lot of money straight away. I'm not here to argue with anyone, I have accept a fully appreciate your arguments, I just simple don't agree with them nor do, I agree with manner of how they are voiced, you are rude and abrasive, you'd get your point across better if you were just polite and considerate of other people opinion and feelings. I have read from your other posts on this site you obviously have a very strong opinions about a large number of topics,, I am obviously out of my depth here, your intellectual prowess is overwhelming. I will refrain from posting here in the future...

Comment by savagehenry at 5:58pm 29th October 2008

Duder, you've caught the wrong end of the stick.. bad twitter etiquette on my part. I was only highlighting you for your information, given that you have been making counter comments..

Comment by savagehenry at 5:50pm 29th October 2008

Lol, lol, lol, LOL!!!! So much for trying to suck up to him huh cyberspice1?!!! Wow!! The reason you're not trying to take the moral high ground is because you CAN'T take the moral high ground!!! You're a pirate *er* thief...PERIOD!! I knew you were phony when you started that DRM blog no matter what you said...I was right!! So DO NOT try to lump me in with you in this area. I have NO "stolen" software on this PC...none, nada. The ONLY thing on this machine is the OS (paid for), iTunes (free) Verizon's security suite, and PC games (all paid for), thats it!! So vulcanproject, I didn't miss anybody's point. If MS is charging a price for their licenses then that is what they cost! If you can't afford them then that is "your" problem not theirs or anybody else's. So quit with the sob stories. Get a damn job!! Bottom line is that money or no money YOU DON'T WANT TO PAY... PERIOD!!! That is the reason. You simply lack the stones to go into a store and take the same software right off of the shelf, so you hide online where you can't get caught and steal from there! You're a thief. MS is not thinking about changing anything. They're thinking about punishing pirates. Disabling 200,000 PCs at once is badass, they can do worse, they just didn't go far enough...cripple the damn things for good, chips, cards, ram, HDs...all of it! Buying a software program will be a helluva lot cheaper than replacing all that hardware! THAT would destroy piracy almost overnight. I just wish "I" had my finger on that button!!

Comment by Warrior24_7 at 4:57pm 29th October 2008

Dude, I'm pretty much on your side here, I'm not trying to take moral high ground an I apologise if I came off that way. As I said in the original post, I completely disagree with the amount microsoft charge just because they have a monopoly. Yes, I pay for my windows license, but I ain't claiming to be whiter than white, after all, I still download custom build of windows to see what can be done, and I'm not adverse to cracking games to avoid DRM issues. My point is, there are valid arguments either side, nobody can truthfully claim to be whiter than white, and that goes for myself, you, microsoft, even you Warrior.

Comment by cyberspice1 at 1:06pm 29th October 2008

When in any of my posts did I say it was the fault of others that the price of Microsoft software is pricing out a great deal of those who wish to use it? If you wish to call me a thief or take the moral high ground, that's fine. It makes not a lot of difference, the software is still installed, it will remain installed and no amount of jumping up and down or Microsoft software verifications is going to change that. The fact still remains that licence cost of software is the problem and the means at which it's deployed, nothing else. If 99% of the user base of China chooses to install an illegitimate copy of vista or office how is that even comparable to steal cars or handbags or software off the shelf’s. if those sort of number are involved in piracy, Surely it's Microsoft that should be having a long hard look at themselves. If for example you walked past a cash machine it and it was spitting out money for no reason. You would pick some up wouldn't you? I bet you wouldn't go into the bank clutching all that money being the good citizen. You’d pocket the cash and walk on, because after all what responsibility of it is you're ? It’s the bank’s ATM that's not working. Just like its Microsoft non existence DRM policy. It just seem as though the practices of downloading your copy in whatever form, is common place. If say you could only download from Microsoft’s secure server and every part of the software was personalised, surely it would limit the improper use. I find it surprising that games software can limit access to online gaming through the use of the CD-Key and Master servers like Game spy etc. but Microsoft can't seem to sort out something similar to secure its own operating system. The fact is Warrior you've completely missed my point, it not about whose downloading or not downloading, who's legit or who isn't. it's about an aggressive American company who choose to put out pieces of software which take all the best elements from many other sources, slaps a big holographic sticker on it and a hefty price tag. Then when they realised that people can copy DVD-rom's still a hefty fine will do the trick, slap that on there aswell and if the dirty criminals don't pay they'll pass it on to they're customers, soon the price of an operating system will be up around £1000 a licence and they'll still not be thinking, "Hang on, why don't we change our deployment method"

Comment by savagehenry at 11:18am 29th October 2008

Work? Job? Mortgage? I smell BS.... Since you're only 12 or 13, I doubt you have a job, mortage, car, or anything else like that. Proof? Right here http://www.custompc.co.uk/features/601863/pcs-versus-consoles.html#readcomments . Specifically, a comment by you that begins "Close, I'm 12 to be exact" - Warrior24_7. Seriously Warrior, don't preach to anyone about morals, you're clearly to young to understand. @savagehenry.... well done for trying to be reasonable, you helped prove what I said about him was correct

Comment by cyberspice1 at 9:00pm 27th October 2008

I'm sorry it took me so long to respond but I'm putting in extra hours at "work". The holidays are coming up so I'm trying to "earn" a lot of extra money and "provide" a good holiday season for my family and not be in debt when it's over. You see I have a mortgage, car and other payments too. So as far as your "aside" is concerned, yes, what I said WILL stand because it's not an attack but the truth, and you can't hide from the truth! Everytime you turn on your PC or look in the mirrior, you will know that you're not legitimate. That you cannot earn, provide, or buy the things that you have. You must steal them. It's not my fault it's yours. What I said must have hit a nerve or something. Take resonsibilty for your actions, don't blame others like MS or me by saying that "I" make you more resolute. BS, you were resolute on your own! You act like this is some kinda crusade or something! You must steal! So blaming others is stupid and shows what you do IS NOT morally ambiguous or you would not be trying so hard to justify it. But it is what it is, like it or not. You're a thief! Think about it, what other kind of thief do you know says stuff like "I stole this car because I'm evaluating it to see if I like it", or "I would buy it eventually if it was cheaper", how about "the dealer make too much money so he won't miss this car", "I'm robbing these two people because they pay way too much in taxes". So I'm not trying to tell you what to do, I'm just calling you what you are...thieves!!! MS finally hit back at the software thieves but didn't go far enough. Now if only the game developers did this then pirates would be out like yesterday news. You must cripple their PCs not disable them MS!!! http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10120&Itemid=1

Comment by Warrior24_7 at 4:12pm 27th October 2008

The corporation that turned itself into an empire by stealing Windows, pillaging Wordperfect, Netscape Navigator, and just about every other useful program in existence, buying and putting out of business hundreds of creative companies, lecturing to us about ethics and competition! You have to admit, it takes some balls to be so hypocritical.

Comment by zapata at 11:24pm 26th October 2008

I wanted to keep this separate from my original comment. “This aggression will not stand man....” You have your opinions and fair enough, I admire your courage to have such opinions as strong as those. I never meant my posts to be insulting to you, if that's why you felt that you had to spit so much bile in mine and the other’s direction. I am just reporting facts. I can understand that you’re impassioned about this subject but couldn’t you have at least been a little more polite, you just have to accept that things aren’t so black and white. There is no need to be so angry at everyone for having and opinion that different from yours.

Comment by savagehenry at 4:45pm 24th October 2008

I wanted to keep this separate from my original comment. “This aggression will not stand man....” You have your opinions and fair enough, I admire your courage to have such opinions as strong as those. I never meant my posts to be insulting to you, if that's why you felt that you had to spit so much bile in mine and the other’s direction. I am just reporting facts. I can understand that you’re impassioned about this subject but couldn’t you have at least been a little more polite, you just have to accept that things aren’t so black and white. There is no need to be so angry at everyone for having and opinion that different from yours.

Comment by savagehenry at 4:45pm 24th October 2008

To download or not to download, that is the question. What you so worried about it does effect you or me or anyone? It’s just Microsoft bleating about how much profits they could have made. Getting angry and insulting us isn't helping anyone? In fact it makes me more resolute. There are many like me who spend far too much already on software and hardware put us into debt even. If we can cut costs in the short term then we will. We are Home users and we work very hard, we pay mortgages, run cars, we have outgoings that come first like food and utilities, We have a computers sure, some are bastardised from kit that years old and the best we have put ourselves into serious hock for. We can't just divert funds needs to get all the software that is required to do our jobs, have fun and interact with other in our own individual way. We can't afford to buy licences for Vista or whatever straightaway, athough I would rather see a nice box on the shelf. it's a slow and gradual process and the fact that we might be "evaluating" certain software, that in my view is not harming anyone. What we do is morally ambiguous, but in the face of people like Microsoft who have just announced record profits for this quarter and who've made it their life’s work ripping off idea's from everyone else and then sticking a big fat "TM" sticker on, so what. There software for the most part is overpriced per licence and many of us have trouble keeping up with it. Most of us will and have bought licence eventually. Either way it's not you're responsibility to be telling us what we can and can't do. Are you really whiter than white, or is this argument for the sake of argument? I am only drawing attention to the facts.

Comment by savagehenry at 4:20pm 24th October 2008

"Successful legal action against computer retailers protects consumers from the dangers of illegal software" haha who are they kidding?!?

Comment by dobber at 2:04pm 24th October 2008

of course people choose to steal it online - only a tiny minority ever get caught (and they tend to be doing stupid things like sharing it over p2p). i download software all the time, anything i like, and i make no excuses for it. to me its a no brainer - you can pay a vastly overinflated price for something, or you can get it free. who's the chump here? does it make you feel good inside to give M$ your hard earned cash when they've fcuked over so many people in the past? downloading their software gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside!

Comment by dobber at 2:02pm 24th October 2008

Ignore Warrior, he's a troll and he's just accusing you of downloading software to start an argument. He seems to think that just because you disagree with DRM or the high prices charged by MS due to their monopoly on the OS & Office software market, you are a software pirate. Arguing with trolls means they win. Ignore him and he'll go away.

Comment by cyberspice1 at 7:59am 24th October 2008

You've just proven everything I said about software thieves correct! It's stealing and you know it's stealing. Why download online? Just go into the store and snatch the software off the shelf and walk out? Exactly!!! You won't, because you're afraid. You're afraid you'll get caught and be punished! Microsoft and other companies should instill such fear on the web. There should be a price to be paid for stealing online as in the real world. MS totally has the ability to damage a PC thru software. This would be EXTREMELY effective and stop software thieves like yourselves right in your tracks! Replace a PC a couple of times and you'd get the message...QUICKLY!!! This claimimg to be "poor" business is for stupid people. If you lack the ability within yourself to earn the money needed to buy the things you want then you shouldn't have them. They're not meant for you! That goes for anything. There is a difference between being "poor" and being "cheap", being honest and being a "thief". Part of the reason prices are high are due to theft and covering for the loss! The bottom line is as I said it was, YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO PAY!!! You'll use any excuse not to. So they're all lame. If you're running three PCs, then you can afford software. You certainly didn't steal all that hardware! Hey cyberspice1 how could you be on both sides of the fence? Didn't you say you turned the corner? You just got your butt handed to you in that blog you wrote and ran like a whipped dog. Woe2you, you need to get a job and earn the money like an adult. You also should read the fine print!! It'll open your eyes! Just ask cyberspice1 heheheh!!! Savagehenry you're another thief that doesn't make sense. I understand that you totally lack the ability to afford decent things and haven't developed that self worth to know that you don't have to be a thief, but you did manage to scrape together the few droppings to buy/build three PCs, so maybe you can beg your way to some extra coin for the software. Afterall you still aren't paying for it. Look, if you're gonna be a thief then be a thief. Why make up phony excuses??! Why? Everybody knows who and what you are so why hide it? Are you ashamed?!! Just realize that you're not part of the solution but part of the problem.

Comment by Warrior24_7 at 10:13pm 23rd October 2008

Incidentally, Microsoft reported profits up 9% for the first six months of the year, to $2.67bn (BILLION!!!), the economic downturn and piracy fears obviously not HUGELY damaging for them.......

Comment by savagehenry at 10:54pm 23rd October 2008

Spore and Far Cry2 have DRM, good idea if it worked, but it only took a matter of hours in both case for those games to be cracks and feed back out through the torrent sites. Funny Far Cry 2 was leaked 3 days before US release day and the crack came hours after official gold release deadline. Still not out in the UK unless you're a torrent head.. So the question is what the point wasting time and money implementing a so called secure-rom system that is supposed to stop all this ? Developers really need to look how the deploy software, whether is be a dongle you have to plug into you're serial port (who remembers those from back in the day) or some sort of digital subsription service for security clearance. either way, If they were serious about tackling the problem the would have done by now. You can't blame the end user for wanting something for free. It's down to the methods and the software used by developers. it's time to go back to the drawing boards. But I doubt it would take long for those cleaver hackers to get round any security sooner or later.

Comment by savagehenry at 4:52pm 23rd October 2008

Anti piracy day, how lame. of course, if anything people will start copying as much software as possible on this so called day. how joyous for all the piracy geeks out there. they should have an anti virus day aswell, maybe that will help aswell. u never know it might even give microsoft a day to relax. honestly this has to be a prank by microsoft.

Comment by Trikadoc at 11:24am 23rd October 2008

Anti piracy day, how lame. of course, if anything people will start copying as much software as possible on this so called day. how joyous for all the piracy geeks out there. they should have an anti virus day aswell, maybe that will help aswell. u never know it might even give microsoft a day to relax. honestly this has to be a prank by microsoft.

Comment by Trikadoc at 11:24am 23rd October 2008

I'm sorry, but I simply don't agree. DRM systems like SecuROM are illegal in some jurisdictions, and unethical everywhere. It's no different to any other piece of malware - it installs itself without explicit permission, is difficult to remove and causes damage to our system. When we purchase a game, as far as I'm concerned that enables us to use it in perpetuity - we did not hand over our cash on the understanding that we were renting permission to play the game. Also, I don't see why I should have to insert the damn disc every time I want to play a game - that completely defies the point of installing it to the hard disk. I personally install no-cd cracks on every game I purchase, simply because I don't like the hassle. I've also downloaded high-quality MP3 or OGG copies of music I purchased on tape, and AVIs of my old VHS films. Does that make me a criminal? Technically, yes. Morally, I think not.

Comment by woe2you at 12:24pm 22nd October 2008

The damage to software innovation that Microsoft caused just by being Microsoft no one talks about that. I know people who will pirate windows but buy office why because windows is not worth 100+ pounds. Also some of the builds you can get online are better than the out the box new SP1 vistas. (I bought both XP64 and Vista 64 each one cost less than £80 and im willing to part with that much but a more than that and it be hard not to dl it.)

Comment by Cool_CR at 12:25pm 22nd October 2008

I'm sitting on the fence here. I can argue myself both ways. I think people should pay for their Windows liscence, but I don't agree with the amount Microsoft charge for it, simply because they have the monopoly and they CAN charge that much. They could charge less, much less and still be profitable and successful. What I definately without a doubt disagree with, is retailers installing pirate copies of an OS onto a customers machine and selling them it as if it's a legit copy. That is just plain wrong, and I hope they screw every single shop that does that to their customers.

Comment by cyberspice1 at 12:23pm 22nd October 2008

When a company like Microsoft make millions and millions of dollar each week, I am sure they can handle us poor cash straped folk downloading a pre-activated ISO from a torrent site? After all they sell them to companies like dell for peanuts. I can ill afford to spend £150 or more for a licence for the each of the three machines in my house, when I can download it for free. If you're mug enough to give Microsoft you hard earned cash, then more fool you mate. As for games, developers should really embrace the DLC community. Like Crytek did with Warhead. Give us a week’s trial of the full software and let us try before we buy. After all none of us want to spend £40 on a game that might not run or is a load of shite (Kane and Lynch, crysis the list of overhyped shite games could fill this page easily). Make up your own mind rather than relying on someone else opinion. Games for mine are always counted as boxes on the shelf rather than my ratio on utorrent. As big clan gamer, a fully licence copies of games are important to my hobby, i’m a gamer and I try and support my favourite studios by purchasing there games. Although sometime no straight away, or I would bankrupt myself, so the only happy medium for me and many other like me is to download. Like I said, I try before I buy then, buy the box later for online play etc. There are many like me. I don't care about these so called authority figures telling me what I can and can't do. If they got a problem, they can come see me directly. It all scare mongering at the end of the day. if they’re losing an estimate 50billion a year, how much more of the profit are going to be sucked up continuing lawsuits against end users. There fighting a losing battle.

Comment by savagehenry at 11:02am 22nd October 2008

Pirates are POOR! It's not going to help anyone but the executives to stop piracy. Piracy HELPS the poor with ZERO impact to the rich. People who pirate would never be able to buy the software anyhow. At least now you have a third more bug reports to use. If there is an advantage to buying (and you can afford it), you won't pirate.

Comment by spydercanopus at 10:21pm 21st October 2008

The bad part about this is that the root cause is an "attitude" or "mindset" that people have that stealing games and software is alright. THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR IT...PERIOD!!! They hide online lacking the courage to go into an "actual store" and take the software. Because THAT would be stealing and there are penalties for that, that they're afraid to face. There is just too much risk there. So you have a guy who is afraid to steal a piece of candy becoming a hardcore pirate and making excuses for it. Pirates have the lamest excuses of all, "I want to test it to see if I like it", "it's too expensive", "it has DRM" (security protection? Ya think?!!!), "They're treating me like a criminal (as he's playing the smoldering piece of software) reeeally now, you don't say, well guess what... YOU ARE A CRIMINAL DUMBASS!!!, "They only hurt the honest paying customer" Well guess who they pass all their losses to thief? The honest paying customer, so don't do me any favors. This excuse is the dumbest of all..."The game sucks!" Really, THEN WHY PLAY IT AT ALL?!!! I hope MS goes after the big guys in all of this but takes on the little guy as well by actually putting DRM in that DAMAGES their PC beyond repair like a crippling virus or something. Once people know that their is a SERIOUS consequence for these actions it will deter all but the most hardcore dumbass. When you must replace hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of electronics because you stole a $20-$50 piece of software, it will sink in REAL quick that this is not a worthwhile thing to do. Once you take the value out of piracy (getting something for nothing) you'll take the pirate out almost completely.

Comment by Warrior24_7 at 9:14pm 21st October 2008

.... the bit where he basically says "We're (businesses are) all looking for ways to save money, but try to forget about the future of your own own business and instead focus on the other pockets you could be lining."

I don't like piracy either, but certain companies don't help when pretty much everything they sell costs around £500 over here and buying multiple licenses becomes cheaper even after you include the flight over the atlantic.

Comment by cjagusz at 5:52pm 21st October 2008

.... between sentences are there because the video had to have all the corpsing removed. :-)

Comment by cjagusz at 5:48pm 21st October 2008

"Robbery, rape and brutal murder at sea is *just like* people copying that floppy," sobbed billionaire Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. "You wouldn't steal a patented software process, so why would you steal a cargo ship?" My blog rant: http://tinyurl.com/5rt664

Comment by dgerard at 5:29pm 21st October 2008

The fact still remain that with copies of Vista x64 Ultimate still over £150+ in some places for an OEM copy with SP1 is not surprising that so many people went out and downloaded their copies and so what ? You don't even need a serial or activation in some cases there has been various copies of Dell pre activated OEM leaked, the Dec07 version has been doing the rounds on the torrent sites for almost a year now. NOTHING BEATS FREE BILL!! IMO!! Just looking at some of those names on Microsoft site, all look very much like small business’ to me, which is a real shame because it mean that Microsoft are only going after the lowest hanging fruit, How about going after big business ? I work at a major university in London and i’ll tell you right now that there is enough licence discrepancies here to cause us a major headache if we were to ever get audited by Microsoft. This certainly isn’t isolated to were I work now, I have work for a number of firms, in fact there are probably thousands of large companies that don’t know, care or realise that they don’t have enough licences, whether is be for office, XP or Server2003. It’s somewhat amusing that it's only Microsoft that are endorsing an "Anti Piracy Day", do other big firms like Apple, Adobe or any of the big software houses not have the same problem with piracy ? I find it really sad that a company that makes millions and millions of dollars each week that it has to go to such lengths to make sure it's revenue is protected. It's also amusing that MS love to jump on the copyright/piracy bandwagon so vehemently, yet Microsoft have only spent the last ten years plagiarising other people work for its own personal gain.

Comment by savagehenry at 5:09pm 21st October 2008

My local pc shop is on there corner stone in bognor

Comment by opi4613 at 4:51pm 21st October 2008

Look - a three headed monkey! (Is that pirate in the picture Le Chuck from Monkey Island?)

Comment by cocl333 at 4:35pm 21st October 2008

When Microsoft sell the same products to companys like dell for UNDER 10.00, and expect OEM builders to pay 4/5 times more?? Its high time that Microsoft started to take care of Channel in stead of killing it by favouring overpowered corporations.

Comment by Nadulike at 4:08pm 21st October 2008

When Microsoft sell the same products to companys like dell for UNDER 10.00, and expect OEM builders to pay 4/5 times more?? Its high time that Microsoft started to take care of Channel in stead of killing it by favouring overpowered corporations.

Comment by Nadulike at 4:08pm 21st October 2008

Microsoft is moving in the right direction here, but they should have gone all the way with this: they should have called their day "Global Fascism Day". Now that's a day we can get some real good drinking done on.

Comment by importantguy2 at 4:13pm 21st October 2008

Microsoft is moving in the right direction here, but they should have gone all the way with this: they should have called their day "Global Fascism Day". Now that's a day we can get some real good drinking done on.

Comment by importantguy2 at 3:54pm 21st October 2008

There will always be somebody breaking the rules, and doing illegal stuff. As long as legalities are concerned, good and evil will exist amongst it.

Comment by Lightning_Pete at 3:26pm 21st October 2008

so thats where all the non-broken microsoft products are.........

Comment by vulcanproject at 2:58pm 21st October 2008

Lets kill all the pirates, ninjas FTW!!!!!

Comment by finlay666uk at 2:55pm 21st October 2008

I was half expecting to hunt down Captain Jack Sparrow wannabe's. Remember, this was the day you ALMOST caught the famous Captain Jack Sparrow!

Comment by crazyceo at 2:41pm 21st October 2008

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