Windows 10 Blocking Counterfeit Games?

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Microsoft's new unified services agreement is freaking people out because it contains language that says Microsoft can scan Windows 10 devices for pirated software and block it.

"We may automatically check your version of the software and download software updates or configuration changes, including those that prevent you from accessing the Services, playing counterfeit games, or using unauthorized hardware peripheral devices."
 
and as history has shown, there will be an app to nullify the feature
 
I kinda wonder if this is referring to MS games and/or games purchased from their app store. Alternatively, maybe htis is referring to the XBone. Unauthorized H/W doesn't seem like something that's applicable to a PC.
 
As long as they don't scan for unauthorized movies or music :)
 
There are about 6 alarming things in that one license clause and people focus on/dismiss the piracy mention. lol
 
With Steams new return policy theres really no legit reason to pirate games anymore, but still can see how this might cause some concern.
 
With Steams new return policy theres really no legit reason to pirate games anymore, but still can see how this might cause some concern.

My concerns would be how can the verify pirated or not. for instance, modded games, games purchased from gog.com which have DRM legally removed, or old games which fans have created third-party/unofficial patches to make them work with newer OS's.
 
My concerns would be how can the verify pirated or not. for instance, modded games, games purchased from gog.com which have DRM legally removed, or old games which fans have created third-party/unofficial patches to make them work with newer OS's.

Hash .exe files and compare them on a table of known cracked games?

I'd love to see MS help weed out the scumbag pirates.
 
I kinda wonder if this is referring to MS games and/or games purchased from their app store. Alternatively, maybe htis is referring to the XBone. Unauthorized H/W doesn't seem like something that's applicable to a PC.

For the sake of developers Microsoft is going to protect the DRM of its own platforms. But the idea of them trying to deal with this on Win32 in general would be a PR, legal and technical disaster that offers nothing in return for Microsoft.
 
I'm not to concerned about blocking of pirated games in principle (just buy the damned game if you want tonplaybit, already) but I am concerned about its implications for false positives, and flexibility with mods, and other legal applications of purchased games.

What concerns me.more is the "blocking of unauthorized devices" clause. Is Microsoft suddenly going to D code it doesn't like my mouse, or microphone and block them? I should be able to use the hardware I bloddy damn well please...
 
"...using unauthorized hardware peripheral devices."

Um. What does that exactly mean? So, if my old external dvd player does not have a Microsoft license, they block it? Or what if I 'hacked' a device to my liking?
 
My concerns would be how can the verify pirated or not. for instance, modded games, games purchased from gog.com which have DRM legally removed, or old games which fans have created third-party/unofficial patches to make them work with newer OS's.

I'm sure it's going to be the "shoot first ask questions later" approach that's worked for the MPAA/RIAA. No ones safe.
 
Have all your eggs in one basket and you make it easy to make a EULA that controls that basket. Windows controls 90% of the desktop market, and you wonder why maybe companies might influence Microsoft to do this. God knows RIAA/MPAA would love that kind of control.

Learn Linux, contribute to Linux, promote Linux. Linux sucks, and we get it but letting Microsoft have 90% of desktop market share is stupid. You want the latest games and applications you have to use Windows 10. By using and learning linux you can tell people why it sucks and what needs fixing. Or you could just continue to use Windows 10 and hope nobody is watching you fap to midget porn while playing pirated games that they'll disable. You horrible horrible human being that you are.
 
"...using unauthorized hardware peripheral devices."

Um. What does that exactly mean? So, if my old external dvd player does not have a Microsoft license, they block it? Or what if I 'hacked' a device to my liking?

Their is alot of counterfeit usb interface chips out there. So much so that last year the company that made the real chip, came out with a new ms drive that disabled the counterfeits, and all hell broke lose.
 
As someone pointed out above with a link to the pcworld article, this was probably all a misunderstanding of the EULA.

With that said, it is absolutely not ok for any OS to act as a police to what software or hardware we use. Every component including the OS should perform it's function at all times without being able to selectively chose whether or not it wants to function (for any reasons other than technical incompatibility where it wouldn't function anyway). It would be like a graphic card that will check your application to see if it's legit before rendering, that's just BS.

Once you let any company do that, it would be too late when you someday come into a situation where you're affected for the wrong reasons.
 
Their is alot of counterfeit usb interface chips out there. So much so that last year the company that made the real chip, came out with a new ms drive that disabled the counterfeits, and all hell broke lose.

Interesting. I had not thought of it from the perspective of counterfeit chips.

That's a tricky one though, as while there are some companies that intentionally buy counterfeit chips to save money, others are victims themselves as their chip brokers provided them with something different than they specified.

When their devices suddenly stop working due to something like this, it hurts them even more...
 
And the apologists continue the unabated excuses on ms behalf.

I'm not saying that I'm on full tin foil hat mode, but seriously people, dont be so quick to keep defending them.
 
The only think that has sent shivers in me is when they start embedding video protection in GPUs.
 
And the apologists continue the unabated excuses on ms behalf.

I'm not saying that I'm on full tin foil hat mode, but seriously people, dont be so quick to keep defending them.

Defend that exactly? Mostly what we have here is a ton of conjecture about things with no proof. I do think it would be a good thing for Microsoft to clarify some of this but people act like all of this new or that for some reason after nearly three decades Microsoft is now going to be a software cop eradicating pirated games when it's never shown any inclination to do this before. And with no one explaining why they'd start doing this when there's nothing in it for them.

If or when someone has some proof of Microsoft (not pushing out 3rd party updates) is disabling x86 Windows software, pirated or not, intentionally, then at there be something to actually have to defend.
 
If they really do something like this it's just reinforcing my lack of enthusiasm over putting 10 on my main computer. I would assume it only applies to M$ products but it's still overreaching.

I like the option of cracking games I own when the DRM is overly annoying or I'm traveling with my laptop. Sometimes it's safer to mod cracked games too so detection systems don't ban you from multi for modding in single. *cough* EA
 
"...using unauthorized hardware peripheral devices."

Um. What does that exactly mean? So, if my old external dvd player does not have a Microsoft license, they block it? Or what if I 'hacked' a device to my liking?

Then you'll always have linux.
 
Anyone have a general feedback email for MS?

A quick look at the 'Contact Us' on the MS site was pointless.
 
The following products, apps and services are covered by the Microsoft Services Agreement, but may not be available in your market.
Account.microsoft.com
Advertising.microsoft.com
Arrow Launcher
Bing
Bing Apps
Bing Desktop
Bing Dictionary
Bing in the Classroom
Bing Input
Bing Maps
Bing Navigation
Bing Reader
Bing Rewards
Bing Search app
Bing Toolbar
Bing Torque
Bing Translator
Bing Webmaster
Bing Wikipedia Browser
Bing.com
Bingplaces.com
Choice.microsoft.com
Citizen Next
Cortana
Default Homepage and New Tab Page on Microsoft Edge
Device Health App
HealthVault
Groove
Maps App
Microsoft account
Microsoft Family
Microsoft Health
Microsoft Translator
Microsoft Wallpaper
Microsoft XiaoIce
MSN Dial Up
MSN Explorer
MSN Food & Drink
MSN Health & Fitness
MSN Money
MSN News
MSN Premium
MSN Sports
MSN Travel
MSN Weather
MSN.com
Next Lock Screen
Office 365 Consumer
Office 365 Home
Office 365 Personal
Office 365 University
Office Online
Office Store
Office Sway
Office.com
OneDrive
OneDrive.com
OneNote
Onenote.com
Outlook.com
Picturesque Lock Screen
Pix Lock
Skype
Skype in the Classroom
Skype Manager
Skype Qik
Skype WiFi
Skype.com
Smart Search
Snipp3t
Spreadsheet Keyboard
Sway.com
Translator
UrWeather
Windows Live Mail
Windows Live Writer
Windows Movie Maker
Windows Photo Gallery
Xbox and Windows Games published by Microsoft
Xbox Live
Xbox Music
Xbox Music Pass
Xbox Video

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/servicesagreement/

As others have pointed out this is about Microsoft Services, Xbox, Windows Store and apps. Windows isn't even listed here.
 
They may never use any of these awful ideas. In fact, I'd almost bet that they won't.

What bothers me is that all of these back doors are there, established and ready to be exploited by the first group to figure them out.

I feel the same way about Android and iOS. These cow-milking software designs are begging to be exploited.
 
Lot of people on this forum who are seriously behind the times when it comes to piracy. Get over it already. It's not hurting you at all.
 
This has wide reaching issues because of how broad it is. Think this way, got a DVD drive with a region free firmware, your hardware is breaking the the DVD licensing and hence an unauthorized hardware device and MS can if it wants to not allow it to be used on YOUR computer. Using AnyDVD HD to play BluRay discs to avoid the encryption cause your monitor is older and doesn't support HDCP, they can ban that software. Using VLC to play DVDs, but VLC is NOT licensed by the DVD consortium so it is technically an unauthorized software and MS can disable it's ability to run on Win 10. Using a third party codec de/encoder like h.264 or h.265, technically they aren't licensed so MS can disable their use in Win 10. The list can go on and on, and it does not just cover "pirated" games.

That stuff in the EULA is not being enforced for now, probably not till the RIAA/MPAA and Software publisher Association etc... give MS enough money to start policing your system for what they consider hacks. Win 10 was given away for free, so MS can charge these guys for policing your system to make the money back. Enjoy your free OS /tinfoil hat off ;)
 
Hash .exe files and compare them on a table of known cracked games?

I'd love to see MS help weed out the scumbag pirates.
ya, for those no disk cracks. Because the DVD drive industry numbers where down and everyone HAS to have a DVD drive......
 
if it's in the EULA, they will use it as best as they can. Another reason I'm not switching to Win10. The EULA allows for expansion into all kinds of other areas and part of the agreement is that they can change the terms whenever they want. This is in your face, built-in backdoors.
 
Another over blown bs statement, they are not scanning your computer to find if you have cracked games of some other companies program. It relates to Microsoft\xbox games.

Just imagine them scanning every dam computer looking for things.... they would never get anything done...
 
Also if your worried about privacy get off the internet and stop post everything you dont on facebook and shit.
 
Hash .exe files and compare them on a table of known cracked games?

I'd love to see MS help weed out the scumbag pirates.

I sometimes use cracks on games I own because I don't want to have to search for the DVD or because the copy protection makes the DVD unreadable by the optical drive. Point being; there are legit reasons to use a cracked exe so don't assume we are all pirates! :rolleyes:
 
I really hope this is just a misunderstanding. If they do go through with some kind of "scan your computer" scheme, then I'm more concerned about false positives and the flagging and removal of innocent programs. We already have this problem with overzealous anti-malware software. You download a program to help recover a lost password or modify a specific part of the registry a little easier and it gets flagged as a "hack tool" or labeled as a "generic trojan" - the catch-all for anything someone thinks you shouldn't be using because it might be used improperly by someone tampering with your computer... nevermind that the original intent was to make it easier to fix certain kinds of problems. I understand some of it is designed to protect ignorant users, but there's also the issue of larger software companies not wanting certain utilities out there for anti-competitive reasons. If it's not on Big Brother's "approved" list of programs it gets blacklisted.

We do not need the operating system becoming some kind of puppet of Microsoft's version of the Master Control Program that dictates policy to users on what they can and cannot run on their hardware. I really hope this is being blown out of proportion. I'm no advocate of piracy, but I'll side with the pirates before I accept that kind of overt dictatorial intrusiveness.
 
Hash .exe files and compare them on a table of known cracked games?

I'd love to see MS help weed out the scumbag pirates.

ironically Ubisoft used the no-cd EXE from a 'scumbag pirate' to make their game work without the disc in the drive... :rolleyes:
 
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