Microsoft Plans Piracy Crackdown
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Microsoft said people running a pirated version of its new Windows Vista operating system will be denied access to some features.
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Last week, Microsoft quietly launched a program to address piracy issues with their software. The new program called &quot;Windows Genuine Advantage&quot; is a new validation on Microsoft&#39;s download center.
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The cat-and-mouse game continues between Microsoft and a group of hackers intent on breaking the copy protection technology on its Windows Media files. This time, an individual has cracked the latest DRM scheme employed by Microsoft.
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Microsoft's recent anti-piracy efforts -- more aggressive anti-copying technology and a string of lawsuits -- are helping the company bring in new revenues, company officials said Thursday.
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As part of its efforts to combat software piracy, Microsoft Corp. is testing a new feature on its Download Center Web site that can lock out pirated copies of Windows.
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When Microsoft Corp. said it planned to begin checking for pirated copies of its Windows operating system using the method it set up to send people security fixes, even some of the company's traditional critics could sympathize.
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(InfoWorld) - Hackers are distributing a file that they say lets users of the corporate version of Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system get around the software's anti-piracy mechanisms. Windows Vista must be "activated," or authorized by Microsoft, before it will work on a particular machine. To simplify the task of activating many copies of Vista, Microsoft offers corporate users special tools, among them Key Management Service (KMS), which allows a company to run a Microsoft-supplied authorization server on its own network and activate Vista without contacting Microsoft for each copy. The software Microsoft.Windows.Vista.Local.Activation.Server-MelindaGates lets users spoof that KMS process, allowing them to activate copies of the enterprise editions of Vista, its creators say. The hacked download is available online on sites including The Pirate Bay and other file sharing sites. Microsoft's official KMS offering is available to customers with 25 or more computers running Vista. The machines activate the software by connecting to the KMS server, and must reactivate every six months. KMS is not the only option that enterprises have for volume activation of Vista: they can also call Microsoft by phone or connect over the Internet to activate the software. The MelindaGates hack allows users to download a VMware image of a KMS server which activates Windows Vista Business/Enterprise edition, its creators claim. Microsoft did not respond to requests for comment on the hack. Vista is the first Windows operating system that requires volume users to activate each product. The new activation processes are aimed at reducing piracy. While one security expert said he isn't surprised that KMS has been cracked, he said the MelindaGates hack offers some insight into piracy. "This also shows how piracy is not just about kids swapping games," said Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer of F-Secure. "The only parties that would need a KMS crack would be corporations with volume licensing."
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Microsoft Corp's  upcoming  Windows Vista computer operating system will include technology  that is designed to prevent pirated copies from fully  functioning, the software giant said.
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The Microsoft CEO says one way to stem growing piracy of Windows and Office in emerging markets is to offer low-cost computers.
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By ELIZABETH M. GILLESPIE  SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. is scrambling to update its Windows Media software after a hacker released a program that circumvents a safeguard designed to prevent people from freely copying digital movies and songs.
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A Microsoft UK replacement scheme for pirate copies of Windows XP suggests the company is testing the waters to see how feasible it is to convert sections of its unlicensed user base to legitimate users.
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Microsoft Corp. has acknowledged the existence of a program circulating on the Internet that could circumvent its copy protection for online music, but said it was working on a fix.
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A pilot program at the Microsoft Download Center will require users to validate their Windows license in exchange for access to file downloads. Users with counterfeit software may find themselves locked out altogether.
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In a blog post, Steve Jobs calls for an end to anti-piracy restrictions.
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Avast! Microsoft is taking action to thwart a possible hole in its Vista anti-piracy measures.â¦
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Microsoft is set to launch an attack on Google, saying that its rival's book-scanning service "violates copyright".
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By SEAN YOONG  PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia - Malaysian authorities have begun raiding computer retail outlets offering pirated software amid concerns that illegal copies of Microsoft Corp.'s newest operating system, Windows Vista, are already on sale.