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microsofts anti piracy measures in china

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Davidtheo:
At least they did IF they read the Windows EULA, the same EULA that was far more restrictive for Vista than XP ever dreamed of. In the original, you couldn't even change a significant piece of hardware without having to buy another copy of the OS, much less use it on a second computer within the same house.
-zridling (October 30, 2008, 03:14 AM)
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Let me see if I have this right, what your saying is anyone can write a program and if people do not pay for said program they and disable their computer as long as they say this in the EULA it is not malware. After all this is what MS is doing right.

That's a pretty contrived example, imho. And again, focus is shifted from the important "this is a bastard thing to do" to a useless argument of whether it can be called malware or not.

Another fine reason for not classifying this lockout mechanism as malware, is that it waters out the definition of that word....
-f0dder (October 29, 2008, 08:10 AM)
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I have no problem with disabling the program that has not been paid for, If MS Office has not been paid for disable MS Office, if XP has not been paid for disable XP, but when MS Office has not been paid for and it disables the whole computer this is wrong and should be classed as Malware.

Renegade:
From the VNUnet article:

In August Microsoft introduced a new feature to its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) software that turned the wallpaper of computers using a pirated version of Windows XP Pro black every 60 minutes and displayed a message that the software was pirated.
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The wallpaper? Boohoo.

Chen Chong, director of the China Software Industry Association (CSIA), said: "I respect the right of Microsoft to protect its intellectual property but it is taking on the wrong target with wrong measures.
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Wrong Target = People who steal software
Wrong Measures = A gentle reminder that they are stealing

So what is the right target and what are the right measures?

Can't target the thieves! Can't tell them they are stealing!

Perhaps Microsoft should just do what 99% OF ALL OTHER SOFTWARE VENDORS DO: Disable the software completely.

That should make people happy. 

MS didn't hack anyone in China. Read the license terms. WGA updates itself. The new stuff is just an added feature. That's all.

http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2008/10/22/china_fury_microsoft_wga/

It's just the desktop wallpaper! What's the big deal?

Another suit:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/28/ms_wga_china/

$1 billion?

The screen [ed: wallpaper] can be restored to its original settings but will revert back to black after an hour.
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The Chinese government should spend its time on trying to get people from putting chemicals used in plastics manufacturing into milk rather than worry about this.

J-Mac:
After reading several articles about this i still cannot tell for sure whether or not WGA actually disables Windows or the computer itself - though disabling Windows would in effect disable the computer, at least for a time until an alternate OS could be installed.

All that being said, any countermeasures contained in software that unexpectedly disables a computer is technically malware, at least by the definition of malware as I know it.

I am still of the firm belief that any such measures that can disable the hardware or software of ANY user - even paying ones, when things go wrong (and they often do) is despicable and is targeting the wrong sector; they should spend their efforts either going after the pirates, or simply make it more beneficial to pay for the product.

Jim

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