Re: Anti-Piracy issues
From: Michael D. Alligood (mdalligood_at_bellsouth.net)
Date: 07/25/04
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Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 13:53:58 -0400
Tiger,
The bottomline to all of this is that you computer tech should have
given you the CD, and affixed the COA on your pc with your purchase --
period. I install/upgrade client computers all the time. I have always
performed the above tasks. Now the interesting part about this whole piracy
policy and product key jazz it this: When my clients OS or hard drive
crashes and they need to reinstall, technically their product key is still
in use. Meaning that if they purchased a retail version and they reinstall
the software, the product key wizard will come back and say "Sorry, your
product key has already been activated, please contact Microsoft. This
window also gives you a long product key string. When you call MS, you are
greeted by an automated system that instructs you to enter that product
string key. Then the system will give you a new key for activation. This
happens about 3x a week for me. I am not sure how the automated system
determines if what you are doing is legit or not. Normally the OEM systems I
run across have the number built into the system (i.e. you do not encounter
a system activation screen). I am sorry for the time you have had to waste
concerning this issue. As my grandfather would say, "Now you know..." The
problem I have with you computer guy is that he has placed a bad taste in
your mouth -- thus giving a bad opinion for others like me who do honest
work. I am not sure how much more time you want to put into this matter, but
I will help in any way I can to get you back up and running legally. Just
let me know...
-- Best of luck! Michael D. Alligood MCSA, MCP, CCNA, A+, Network+, i-Net+, CIW A, CIW CI "tiger" <tiger@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:3a5101c4725a$b0070650$a301280a@phx.gbl... > Thanks for your opinion. The problem is that I still don't > know unequivocally if he is doing the wrong thing or not. > Based on the info the piracy rep gave to me, NO ONE is > able to burn CDs - but that is not true since the big > computer dealers like Dell, HP do just this. Obviously the > rep forgot, or did give me the wrong info. > > You bring up very good points, as someone with very high > morals and values, I totally agree with you in regards to > setting an example for my daughter. But, I also need to > protect her and I don't want to have to worry about > police, etc...for something such as this - even though > it's very important. As a first-time parent, I think I > have every reason to be concerned for the safety of my > baby, and that is why I am grappling with the whole thing. > > After further discussion with my huband we have come to > the determination that it seems as if Microsoft has given > system builders a lot of freedom in regards to OEM > versions, and this is where the problem lies. I still > can't even make a final determination based on Microsoft's > anti-piracy website and I've spent 3 days on this > website. There is definitely a gray area in regards to > OEM versions if you read the descriptions on their > website - they need to specifically state what is allowed > and what isn't, plain and simple and they just don't do > that. I have reams of stuff printed from their website > (with permission from them) and it's all been highlighted > and analyzed, and there are tons of inconsistencies and > missing info. I analyzed the info just as I do when > marking my students' senior English papers, and believe > me, Microsoft has a long way to go in regards to making > their info more understandable and consistent for > customers. That, I suspect, is why they have presented the > info in this matter - most people if confused are probably > going to believe Microsoft and not the other way around. > That is why it shouldn't be up to the honest, hardworking > customer to make a determination based on Microsoft's > confusing website descriptions. > > This is where I'm at now - I have spent an inordinate > amount of time the past week trying to make this > determination, and it's time I can better spend with my > daughter and my husband. Don't get us wrong, we feel this > is an important issue, but if Microsoft did a better job > of providing the absolute, bottom line answers on their > website, we wouldn't even be having this discussion at > all, as I would know exactly what my system builder can > and cannot do. > > Thanks for replies, Tiger > > >-----Original Message----- > >Greetings -- > > > >> If they had done a better job of securing their software > >> (such as embedding the COA right into the CD/software), > >> then it wouldn't be so easy for my computer guy to copy > >> software. > > > > But don't you think that would be rather like parking > your car in > >a strange neighborhood, locking it, but then leaving the > keys dangling > >in the lock? It certainly would make pirating the > software a lot > >simpler. > > > > I do sympathize with your position. Ultimately, > you're going to > >have to decide for yourself whether setting this > situation right is > >worth the time and effort involved. I'd certainly prefer > it if > >Microsoft were to become more pro-active in pursuing > small-scale > >piracy, rather than relying upon honest customers to > always have the > >time, the where-withal, and the will to do the right > thing. > >Unfortunately, I suspect Microsoft, not unjustifiably, > fears a public > >relations backlash if it were to "go after the little > guy." Your > >"computer guy" is betting his livelihood on this: he's > fully expecting > >you to give up the fight. I've no doubt he's been > through this > >before, and has always simply out-waited previous > complainants. > > > > Since you mentioned a child, there's one other thing > I'd ask you > >to think about: What kind of an example would you like > to be setting > >for your child? Someone who always does the right thing, > even when > >it's personally expensive and troublesome? Or someone > who surrenders > >to the "bad guys" because it's just too much trouble to > stand up for > >his/her rights? As Edmund Burke said, many years > ago, "All that is > >required for evil to triumph is for good men to do > nothing." > > > > How could this "computer guy" threaten you for filing > a complaint? > >And, if he were so foolish as to do so, wouldn't this put > the matter > >into an arena where you can involve the local police? > > > > > >Bruce Chambers > >-- > >Help us help you: > >http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm > >http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html > > > >You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever > count on > >having both at once. - RAH > > > > > >"tiger" <tiger@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > >news:374f01c47203$52a17d80$a401280a@phx.gbl... > >> I've posted quite a bit over the past week due to being > >> the victim of what I believe to be software piracy. I've > >> gotten some great suggestions and support so I have some > >> more issues to discuss for those who are interested: > >> > >> My husband & I have been discussing the piracy issue and > >> what happened with our computer guy today. It's late > and > >> I am pretty wiped, but after thinking about it and > >> discussing it with several other people, I resent the > >> position that this computer guy has put me in. First > off, > >> I now have to spend a lot of time and energy pursuing > this > >> matter over the next couple of days with Microsoft > (with a > >> 1 year old baby, I just don't have the time). Secondly, > I > >> really resent the expectations that Microsoft has of me > as > >> a consumer of their products. Please let me explain: > >> > >> If they had done a better job of securing their software > >> (such as embedding the COA right into the CD/software), > >> then it wouldn't be so easy for my computer guy to copy > >> software. Not only that, now that it's happened, they > >> expect me, a very busy young mother/career woman, to > >> gather information and report this guy to them. I know > >> that piracy dictates that we as consumers need to be > >> responsible in reporting, but after reviewing > everything I > >> kind of feel as if we as customers are doing Microsoft's > >> job for them. I've read every inch of their anti-piracy > >> site, and it totally puts the onus on us as customers to > >> curb the problem, but at this point in my life, my child > >> is my priority. Also, as an English teacher, their site > is > >> lacking in specifics and details. Nowhere on the site > does > >> it specifically say that all versions must come with > >> hologram CD. It alludes to this in several sections, > but I > >> had to call the piracy hotline to get this information. > >> > >> In regards to reporting this guy, to be honest, my > husband > >> and I are nervous to report him because he's going to > >> surely figure out that it was us since I've called him > 2x > >> this week, and visited him today in his shop to discuss > >> the matter. What if he threatens us? We are feeling a > lot > >> of anxiety about the whole thing because we are very > >> honest and moral people, but in the grand scheme of > >> things, there are much more important things that I need > >> to devote my time and energy towards. Sure this guy is > >> illegally burning CDs, but why is it my total > >> responsibility to report him? What about everybody else > >> who does business with him? > >> > >> I'm sure that I'm going to get some very interesting > >> replies to my post. My intention is not to anger anyone, > >> but I honestly feel that I have some legitimate concerns > >> about this whole matter and it's really my huband and I > >> feeling as if we can't trust anyone anymore - especially > >> in the computer industry! > >> > >> Tiger > > > > > >. > >
- Next message: Rick \: "Re: Still Rundll problems & IE"
- Previous message: Tom Pepper Willett: "Re: uninstalling sp2 hotfixes"
- In reply to: tiger: "Re: Anti-Piracy issues"
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