Software prank (anti-piracy)

hellfire

hellfire

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Maybe this should have gone in OT, but anyway...

I re-installed a piece of software today that has a lite version.
The lite version comes with a bunch of feature reductions, but it does exactly what I want.
At the beginning, there are a few prompts and popups to go pro, which is fine and expected.
After a few weeks, the pop ups are more persistant, and eventually the software deactivates automatically after 30 minutes and has to be reactivated.
Very annoying, so I uninstalled.

Then I though of a solution - if I modify the Window hosts file, maybe the software won't be able to connect to its server and will stop plaguing me.
I justified this by reasoning that I am using the lite (free) version anyway, I just don't want to get annoyed :D

I updated the hosts file accordingly, and re-installed.
Then I check the hosts file after installation - best prank ever by the developers!

# PIRACY ISN'T NICE 127.0.0.1 downloads2.xxxxxxx.xxx
# PIRACY ISN'T NICE 127.0.0.1 www.xxxxxxx.xxx
# PIRACY ISN'T NICE 127.0.0.1 updates.xxxxxxx.xxx
Click to expand...

All my modifications were nicely commented out, and they wrote me a love letter with each one :D
 
Ouch. Does the software run as admin? A bit scary that they are mucking around with system files.
 
A piece of software editing your hosts file without your consent is worse IMO.
 
Nuro said:
Ouch. Does the software run as admin? A bit scary that they are mucking around with system files.
Click to expand...

Most people run there windows boxes under admin accounts - so this isn't altogether surprising.
 
Necropolis said:
Most people run there windows boxes under admin accounts - so this isn't altogether surprising.
Click to expand...
Yes but you still need to click on the UAC dialog for an application to run with admin rights...
(Unless you change the default settings)
 
P924 said:
Yes but you still need to click on the UAC dialog for an application to run with admin rights...
(Unless you change the default settings)
Click to expand...

You make the assumption that:

1) People actually read what those dialogs are saying

and

2) They don't turn them off.

;)
 
What do you mean anti-piracy? This is more like enabling piracy.

And it's nothing new...it's how most piracy cracks/hacks work with software that uses activation servers.

That the developers left a message for you should really just make you feel guilty.
 
SauRoNZA said:
What do you mean anti-piracy? This is more like enabling piracy.

And it's nothing new...it's how most piracy cracks/hacks work with software that uses activation servers.

That the developers left a message for you should really just make you feel guilty.
Click to expand...

They're anti-piracy. Wasn't referring to me
 
It's a bit sucky for a lite version to make life so difficult, it sounds more like a timed shareware demo than anything else.
 
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