Microsoft to beef up anti-piracy checks in Vista SP1
Microsoft will change the user experience of its automatic anti-piracy checks in Windows Vista and also make it harder for hackers to bypass the system in the first service pack for the OS due out early next year.
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4.12.2007 New Windows 7 Anti-Piracy Features
Windows 7 will not reinvent the anti-piracy wheel for Microsoft. Instead, the next iteration of the Windows client will be based on Windows Vista's Software Protection Platform, especially in regard to the activation and validation experience.
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7.5.2009 Europe votes on anti-piracy laws
Europeans suspected of putting movies and music on file-sharing networks could be thrown off the web under proposals before Brussels.
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8.7.2008 Microsoft Denies Having Updated Vista's Anti-Piracy Platform or the WGA
Microsoft denied having introduced any sort of updates to the anti-piracy platform built into its latest operating system, Windows Vista or to the Windows Genuine Advantage mechanism designed to safeguard over the legitimacy of the copies of the operating system.
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12.9.2007 Microsoft Kills Windows and Office Validation Assistant Anti-Piracy Efforts
Microsoft's anti-piracy efforts will undertake a major overhauling. The Redmond company plans to take down both the Windows Validation Assistant and the Office Validation Assistant.
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5.7.2007 Anti-Hack Update For Windows Vista Rev from Microsoft
The release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 not only heralded a long-awaited update of the operating system, it also meant the end of two common Windows Vista anti-activation exploits - the Grace Timer exploit and the Paradox OEM BIOS activation crack.
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12.5.2008 Microsoft WGA Update Anti-hack
Since the Windows Genuine Advantage debut as a pilot on 9/2004 Microsoft is slowly making the program more annoying and intrusive.
In the beginning the WGA was an opt-in feature, and then slowly it became mandatory. Users who choose not to validate their copy of Windows can not download updates from Windows update (they still can download critical security updates via automatic update feature in Windows).
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4.5.2006 Microsoft Anti-Spyware Deleting Norton Anti-Virus
Microsoft's Anti-Spyware program is causing troubles for people who also use Symantec's Norton Anti-Virus software; apparently, a recent update to Microsoft's anti-spyware application flags Norton as a password-stealing program and prompts users to remove it.
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12.2.2006 Microsoft CEO Sees Less Piracy With Windows Vista
Microsoft expects software piracy, which costs the company billions of dollars every year, to ease with the introduction of its new Windows Vista operating system and Office 2007 software suite, CEO Steve Ballmer said Thursday
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2.12.2006 Microsoft Offers Vista Preview to Fight Piracy
Want to try Vista before you buy it? Microsoft now has a free online "test drive" of its Windows Vista operating system in its latest effort to fight software piracy and counterfeiting.
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23.1.2007 Windows 7: The Anti-Vista?
Even with Windows Vistas one-year anniversary launch just a week away, all that anyone in the tech-enthusiast community seems to want to talk about is Windows 7 (Except for those who are already sick of hearing about 7, as one Windows user characterized himself in a conversation I had yesterday.)
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25.1.2008 Allchin says to use anti-virus with Vista after all
Ever since Microsoft Vista chief Jim Allchin talked about his son not using anti-virus in a recent teleconference with journalists, the world has been abuzz with claims Vista wont need AV software. Now Jim Allchin has clarified his statements on the official Windows Vista Blog.
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12.11.2006 Best 64-bit Windows Vista Anti-Virus
Windows Vista comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors. Unlike Windows Server 2008, formerly codenamed Longhorn, which is the last server operating system from the Redmond company, the 32-bit client platform will live long after Windows Vista.
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2.8.2007 Anti-Spyware Rival Slams Microsoft's Windows Defender, Vista
Webroot says Windows Defender fails to block many of the security threats that are roaming around the Internet.
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27.1.2007 Windows Update Blocker Tool Kit - Block Automatic Windows Vista SP2 Update
After availability of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 for public download I am sure many users would have already installed Vista Service Pack 2 to see the performance improvements and its advisable to install Windows Vista sp2 as it has many noticeable changes and also includes all the fixes released after Vista sp1.
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27.5.2009 Microsoft gets serious about Windows piracy
Microsoft has been battling piracy since the beginning. But it seems as though they have finally had enough. In one of the more recent Windows Updates, Microsoft deployed what they feel is a step in the right direction for preventing the theft of their software.
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6.11.2008 Russian Judge Dismisses Any Penalty in Piracy Case
MOSCOW, Feb. A Russian judge convicted a provincial school headmaster on Thursday for using pirated Microsoft software in school computers, but declined to impose any penalty, saying that Microsofts loss was insignificant compared with its overall earnings.
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19.2.2007 Russian teacher fined in Microsoft piracy case
Putin has described the case as "utter nonsense" and former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev even asked Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to intercede on the teacher's behalf.
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8.5.2007 BSA Raises the Stakes in Fight Against Software Piracy
The Business Software Alliance (BSA), the global organization representing the nations leading software manufacturers, today announced that it will intensify efforts to battle software piracy in the workplace by increasing its current rewards incentive from $200,000 to $1 million from July to October 2007.
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3.7.2007 WGA notches win for Microsoft in piracy bust
Microsofts anti-piracy effort may be annoying to some Windows users, but it has notched a big win catching the bad guys.
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25.7.2007 Microsoft Helps Nab $900M Piracy Ring
Microsoft is telling the tale of a major software piracy investigation that weaved through 22 countries, hoping would-be pirates will think twice if they know how far the company will go to protect its computer code worth billions in revenue each quarter.
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11.2.2008 Microsoft pre-paid cards to check software piracy
Check piracy of its software, Microsoft on Wednesday announced that it would launch pre-paid cards in India before this year-end.
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17.9.2006 Worldwide Software Piracy Rate Holds Steady at 35%
A new study reveals that 35% of the software installed in 2006 on personal computers (PCs) worldwide was obtained illegally, amounting to nearly $40 billion in global losses due to software piracy.
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16.5.2007 Microsoft plans to issue non-update update for Win 7
Microsoft will spit out dummy updates for Windows 7 beta testers next week that will probe the forthcoming operating systems updating abilities.
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20.2.2009 Anti Rootkits AIO
odeeee report this Anti-Rootkits pack All in one. A rootkit is a program that is designed to hide itself and other programs, data, and/or activity including viruses, backdoors, keyloggers and spyware on a computer system.
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5.2.2007 Windows Update versus Ubuntu Update
A few months ago, Steve Ballmer publicly noted that Windows Vista was a work in progress. That inspired a predictable outpouring of Vista-bashing.
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15.7.2008 Microsoft Enhances Anti-Phishing in IE
Microsoft said on Thursday that it had signed three new providers to supply information on confirmed phishing Web sites for the company's Phishing Filter and SmartScreen technology products. A final version of Microsoft's anti-phishing IE plug-in was also released.
The Phishing Filter is offered as an add-in for the MSN Toolbar, which will be built into the next version of Internet Explorer. Microsoft's SmartScreen technology is used to detect phishing e-mails for the company's Hotmail and Windows Live Mail services.
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18.11.2005 Sophos Anti-Rootkit 1.3 RC
The term rootkit is used to define a Trojan (or technology) used to hide the presence of a malicious object (process, file, registry key, network port) from the computer user or administrator.
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18.4.2007 Dell's "anti-crapware" initiative doesn't go far enough
My wife's small business has recently had a requirement to upgrade a couple of PCs, after 5 or 6 years. Since I am ultimately responsible for all their IT (and I am not proud of what they have - I cut all sorts of corners to make my life easy, but they don't know how lean it is).
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22.12.2007 Microsoft establishes more anti-GPLv3 precautions
Microsoft is running as fast as it can to patch up its patent agreements with Linux vendors to thwart any possible impact from the GPLv3.
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18.7.2007Ex-RIAA Chiefs Start
Anti-Piracy Firm
Two former RIAA leaders, Jay
Berman and Hilary Rosen,
announced Thursday that they
were partnering to form an
anti-piracy consulting agency.
The two plan to focus on
intellectual property
protection, digital media
technology, international
trade issues and anti-piracy
strategies...
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02.02.2006Pirate Bay Takes Over Anti-Piracy Domain
In yet another snub to anti-piracy efforts, infamous Swedish BitTorrent site The Pirate Bay has taken over IFPI.com, a domain formerly owned by the
recording industry group by the same name. IFPI, previously known as the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, pushes for anti-piracy
enforcement in 75 countries...
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15.10.2007Microsoft Takes Aim at Piracy and Outlines Windows 7 Anti-Piracy Experience
Q&A: Joe Williams explains how customer feedback has driven anti-piracy features for Windows 7 to ensure an optimal user experience and help protect
customers from the risks of running counterfeit software...
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07.05.2009Swedish anti-piracy legislation moves ahead
The EU anti-piracy directive that would let intellectual property holders get information about file sharers has been implemented in a Swedish bill,
which this week received approval to be presented to Parliament...
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25.10.2008Microsoft to beef up anti-piracy checks in Vista SP1
Microsoft will change the user experience of its automatic anti-piracy checks in Windows Vista and also make it harder for hackers to bypass the
system in the first service pack for the OS due out early next year. Once Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is installed on a PC, that computer will
no longer go into limited functionality mode if a user or administrator fails to activate Vista on that system in 30 days, or if the system fails
Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) validation, which checks to see if a version of Vista is pirated or counterfeit. In Vista, WGA is
called the Software Protection Program feature.
In limited functionality mode, a computer will shut down after 60 minutes and then allow
only browser use. Now, instead of going into that mode, a version of Vista that has not been activated in 30 days will start up with a black screen
and a dialogue box that gives users the choice of activating Vista now or later, said Alex Kochis, a group product manager at Microsoft.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
04.12.2007Sony BMG Sues CD Anti-Piracy Company
Trying to recoup its losses as
a result of placing
anti-piracy software on its
music CDs, Sony BMG sued the
company responsible for the
technology, it said on
Thursday...
betanews.com -
12.07.2007Vista Anti-Piracy Will Drive People to Linux?
Oh, the wicked 2007
predictions people make, just
because it's the end of the
year. The good folks over at
IDC released their "Top 10
Predictions for Worldwide
System Infrastructure
Software, 2007." Overall,
it's a good list, although I
don't buy No. 9. IDC
predicts: "Microsoft's
client operating system
anti-piracy efforts will
backfire. Microsoft's
anti-piracy campaign will
drive customers toward
Linux."
Bwhahahaha. Somebody has
been tipping too much holiday
eggnog. The anti-piracy
campaign is biggest on the
desktop--so, what? IDC
suggests that Linux is finally
going to gain desktop traction
because of Windows product
activation? Oh the tears, I'm
laughing so hard.
More likely, new anti-piracy
mechanisms will drive
customers to Windows XP. More
onerous piracy checks apply to
Vista than its predecessor.
Microsoft's nightmare
situation is that customers
stick with Windows XP and
consume more Web-based
products or services as means
of extending operating system
capabilities without
upgrading.
neowin.net -
15.12.2006Microsoft Files Eight
Anti-Piracy Suits
Microsoft on Monday announced
that it had filed eight
lawsuits against companies
distributing pirated software
in five states. The suits were
filed thanks to tips to
Microsoft's anti-piracy
hotline as well as "secret
shoppers."..
betanews.com -
20.09.2005Microsoft Silently Rolls Out Anti-Hack Update For Vista
The release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 not only heralded a long-awaited update of the operating system, it also meant the end of two common
Windows Vista anti-activation exploits - the Grace Timer exploit and the Paradox OEM BIOS activation crack. But those who think they can escape by not
updating to Service Pack 1 would be sadly mistaken.
That's because Microsoft has surreptitiously released an anti-hack detection update
via Windows Update. Those who chose to have Windows Vista install updates automatically would have this update installed and running by now. If you
chose to manually select updates to be installed, you should find this update listed.
neowin.net -
12.05.2008Microsoft Kills Windows Validation and Office Validation Anti-Piracy Efforts
Microsoft's anti-piracy
efforts will undertake a major
overhauling. The Redmond
company plans to take down
both the Windows Validation
Assistant and the Office
Validation Assistant.
However, Microsoft is
going to fill in the empty
spaces left by the
discontinuing of WVA and OVA
with Windows Comparison Guide
(WCG) and the Office
Comparison Guide (OCG).
Additionally there is also the
old trust Windows Genuine
Advantage and Office Genuine
Advantage that will survive
the anti-piracy cancelled
services. Still, this is not
the end of the upgrades in
stored for the Microsoft
anti-piracy programs. Feature
updates and additions are also
planned to be introduced.
"We're finally
taking down both the Windows
Validation Assistant and the
Office Validation Assistant.
The WVA was a prototype for
WGA; it was the first tool
launched that offered a
web-based validation that
could help find evidence that
a copy wasn't genuine that
otherwise might be hard for
the average person to find
(such as bad or leaked product
keys, etc.) The good news is
that we're replacing the WVA
with the Windows Comparison
Guide (WCG) and the Office
Comparison Guide (OCG). These
guides offer much of the same
functionality as the WVA did
by walking users through a
quiz that helps them match the
anti-piracy features of the
products they have, but
without the web-based
validation. For that we're
pointing people directly to
WGA,"
revealed
Alex
Kochis, a senior licensing
manager on the WGA team. ..
winbeta.org -
04.07.2007Microsoft, Autodesk lose piracy patent appeal
The two companies will need to pay Michigan-based z4 nearly $160 million in total penalties for infringing on the company's rights to patents
surrounding anti-piracy technologies...
betanews.com -
28.11.2007Microsoft Steps Up Anti-Piracy Effort in China
Microsoft is trying to fight piracy in China by ensuring that more new computers in the region come with genuine copies of Windows pre-installed at
the factory...
betanews.com -
07.11.2007MS Anti-Piracy Tool Gets More Friendly
Microsoft has rolled out an
update to its Windows Genuine
Advantage Notifications
component, which pops up a
notice on the desktop
informing users that their
operating system is not
legitimate. The revision
introduces a wizard to improve
the installation and
validation experience...
betanews.com -
30.11.2006Anti-Piracy Tool Detects Businesses Using Illegal Applications
V.i. Laboratories has developed anti-piracy software that detects when a software product is being illegally used and reports that usage back to its
developer, providing independent software vendors and their channel partners a way to recover lost revenue.
winbeta.org -
21.08.2008Boost to anti-piracy check in Vista SP1
Microsoft will change the user experience of its automatic anti-piracy checks in Windows Vista and also make it harder for hackers to bypass the
system in the first service pack for the OS due out early next year.
Once Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is installed on a
PC, that computer will no longer go into limited functionality mode if a user or administrator fails to activate Vista on that system in 30 days or if
the system fails Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) validation, which checks to see if a version of Vista is pirated or counterfeit. In
Vista, WGA is called the Software Protection Program feature.
In limited functionality mode, a computer will shut down after 60
minutes and then allow only browser use. Now, instead of going into that mode, a version of Vista that has not been activated in 30 days will start up
with a black screen and a dialogue box that gives users the choice of activating Vista now or later, said Alex Kochis, a group product manager at
Microsoft.
winbeta.org -
04.12.2007'WGA' no more: Microsoft puts new spin on anti-piracy tools
Microsoft is dropping the "Windows Genuine Advantage" name from its product activation and validation technologies as it prepares for Windows 7's
release. The company
said this morning that
it will instead use the name "Windows Activation Technologies" for the anti-piracy tools in Windows 7 and the existing Windows Vista operating
system.
winbeta.org -
07.05.2009France passes anti-piracy law
A bill requiring French ISPs to disconnect people who are caught downloading or sharing illegal content three times has been given approval by Senate.
The controversial legislation will mean that illegal file-sharers will receive a warning through email first, then through a letter, and on the third
offence, will face disconnection, according to an article by TorrentFreak. The bill attempts to reduce online piracy by deterring users from
illegally file-sharing, and was supported by the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy. Users who are disconnected may have to continue paying for their
internet for the duration that they are disconnected, which can be up to a year.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
13.05.2009One Anti-Piracy System to Rule Them All
Hollywood appears to have a preliminary winner in its bake-off of anti-piracy technologies.
For the last year, the film industry,
through its Palo Alto-based R&D joint venture
MovieLabs, has been testing a dozen
so-called digital fingerprinting technologies. The technology purports to scan file sharing sites, Internet providers and peer-to-peer networks to
identify copyrighted material.
Yesterday in Los Angeles, people affiliated with the Motion Picture Association of America talked
about the ongoing tests at a day-long
anti-piracy workshop that the
MPAA co-hosted with the University of California. In his introductory keynote at the event, UCLA professor and Internet pioneer Leonard Kleinrock
showed a single slide that suggested that one of the anti-piracy filtering companies had outperformed the other 11, with the highest number of matches
of infringing content and lowest number of false-positives. But professor Kleinrock and MPAA execs declined to name the participating companies or who
had scored best on the test, saying that secrecy was a precondition for their participation in the tests.
winbeta.org -
22.09.2007Safety First: Beefing Up Anti-Piracy Features in Microsoft Office
As the piracy trade becomes more sophisticated, the Microsoft Office Genuine Advantage program adopts an end-to-end approach to protect Office
customers from the risks of counterfeit software...
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25.08.2009Virgin Media in new anti-piracy deal with Universal Music
Virgin Media have announced that they have struck a deal with Universal Music that will offer Virgin Media broadband customers unlimited music streams
and downloads, at the cost of a monthly subscription fee. In return, Virgin Media will launch a new campaign to educate its customers about piracy,
and introduce new measures to tackle those who illegally distribute Universal Music's intellectual property. The music service will allow users
to download and stream as much music as they wish, and allow them to keep what they download, permanently. In addition, users will also be able to
copy the music to any device which can play MP3 files.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
15.06.2009
