Software Piracy - How to prevent?

[The_Big_K]

Originally Posted by instruite

and one of my friend had told me before that the pirated version of his windows OS was detected genuine by online method of microsoft

Microsoft won't let you download their freeware without verifying your system for geniune Windows software. The question is, how do they verify it?

-The Big K-

[instruite]

Originally Posted by The_Big_K

Microsoft won't let you download their freeware without verifying your system for geniune Windows software. The question is, how do they verify it?

-The Big K-

BY statement about my friend in previous post I meant that he was able to get everything a genuine user will get because his pirated version was recognized as geninue version by microsoft detection method

and as for detection method I had read an article before on same will try to find it and post it here

[kidakaka]

Ok, heres my input ... nice topic to discuss though ...

Has anyone read Soft Wars by Larry Ellison? In the book, Larry talks about a world where the PC would be network PC, wherein the software would not be lying installed on the machine, but it would be lying somewhere on a central server.

Something along the likes of Google Spreadsheets, Writely, etc. So with AJAX capability in the browsers and more and more web applications like the above mentioned coming forth, the software paradigm has shifted from desktop based applications to a centralized platform, lets term it as a Service Deployment Platform (I know stealing this terminology, but it works in this context).

The most prevalent implementation of this model has to be World of Warcraft by Blizzard, wherein, you need a CD-Key which is again cross-checked once you sign-on to the server to use the service (the application here). Now, you do have program hacks and noCD patches running out there, but at the end of the day, the entire play is at the server side where it checks whether there is a one-to-one mapping of player to CDKey. I think Half-Life 2, had tried a similar model through Steam (but it was cracked finally!!).

To summarize, I would say that the best way to avoid software piracy is to offer the product as an online service and have an attractive payment model which ensures repeat usage.

Cheers!

[crook]

Originally Posted by instruite

and one of my friend had told me before that the pirated version of his windows OS was detected genuine by online method of microsoft

This is possible. It might have happened that the actual owner of the windows copy never cared to register with microsoft. In order to verify, microsoft much be checking the registrations in its database. Someone from Microsoft can clarify on this

[The_Big_K]

Originally Posted by crook

This is possible. It might have happened that the actual owner of the windows copy never cared to register with microsoft. In order to verify, microsoft much be checking the registrations in its database. Someone from Microsoft can clarify on this

You have a point, crook. Good observation . I agree with kidakaka & we may migrate to web based services from desktop applications. But there's a long way to go. The success of such technology will be highly dependent on how many lives it touches. There are many parts of the world where people don't know what a 'computer' is.

I think the key is to reduce the software prices. I bet this will help in solving the software piracy problem to a large extent.

-The Big K-

[pad]

this is possible with the products that require registration and activation and every product has internet connection... (64k at least always ON...)

but belive me cracking any software is just a matter of time and available resources... unless it is something a hardwired product and nothing can be reprogrammed... (here i'd like to add something,,, i heard Intel P4 was X-Rayed and identical chips were produced without ever requiring to have the know how of the chip)


so theoritically piracy can never be stopped. only the methods employed can delay the cracking...

for those who need details:
(Crackers perspective)
The goal is to bypass the check. on the lowest level there is a comparison which will either be true or false... now if we know where is this comparison instruction and somehow we can make this camparison to work our way .... we have bypassed all the protection etc...

(Anti-piracy perspective)
i have to protect that point of comparison...

PS: i know this is not very clear explanation... but i didnt have much time when writing this

[aashima]

Recently I came to know that in certain big MNC's which include INFOSYS have certain sites like orkut banned on their systems. They say that sites like orkut offer the hackers an easy platform to intrude the systems from which they are being surfed and then any data available in that system can easily be accessed! Now the question that pesters is how can it be done? How can one do that?

[pad]

that is not true to the best of my knowledge.

reason behind such ban may be:

1. dont let anyone surf internet instead of doing his/her work.
2. preserve/reduce internet bandwidth/traffic for more useful works.
3. avoid legal hassels by not allowing anybody post irrelevant/objectionable material from their networks.

may be some more reasons. given above are sufficient for me to block such access.

[The_Big_K]

Originally Posted by aashima

Recently I came to know that in certain big MNC's which include INFOSYS have certain sites like orkut banned on their systems. They say that sites like orkut offer the hackers an easy platform to intrude the systems from which they are being surfed and then any data available in that system can easily be accessed! Now the question that pesters is how can it be done? How can one do that?

Originally Posted by pad

that is not true to the best of my knowledge.

reason behind such ban may be:

1. dont let anyone surf internet instead of doing his/her work.
2. preserve/reduce internet bandwidth/traffic for more useful works.
3. avoid legal hassels by not allowing anybody post irrelevant/objectionable material from their networks.

may be some more reasons. given above are sufficient for me to block such access.

That's correct. The trouble with Social Networking sites is that they are full of (s)crap. Therefore, companies usually ban the social networking sites in offices. This also restricts the unnecessary usage of bandwidth.

Let's stick to the title of the thread. Is there a 'solid' way of preventing software piracy?

-The Big K-

[aashima]

Well as of Microsoft detection, there is a 25 charactar "key" that is checked at the Microsoft for its registration. Every system has a unique key and it is required to be registered which hardly our dealers care about.
I went through the validation process while installing the latest version of Microsoft Windows Media Player. All they required was this 25 charactar long ke so they can register my system or my Windows in their database.
I could not complete the process somehow but is it sure that they'll validate a pirated copy of Windows and that too for free? As in they are converting a pirated copy of their product into a valid one without any charges or complaints. Is it a trustable process to be undergone?