Winamp & Shoutcast Forums - Microsoft SUED for Malware aka "WGA"

Winamp & Shoutcast Forums (http://forums.winamp.com/index.php)

- Breaking News (http://forums.winamp.com/forumdisplay.php?f=80)

- - Microsoft SUED for Malware aka "WGA" (http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?t=250018)

Well, to be fair, people selling pirated versions (particularly when bundled with computers) are often just scammers. When people download software or whatever, for free, I can see the argument ("I don't have the money" and so on). But when people start selling pirated copies, they're just taking the piss.

Quote:

Originally posted by zootm
Yes, but if you're microwave was to transmit its unique ID and your home IP address to the internet in order to determine how long to cook the popcorn for, you'd probably like to at least be told.

Not if it had a good reason, like if other people were using microwaves ileagily. It just wants to make sure that my Microwave is legal, so I have nothing to hide. The company has a right to protect itself.

Yes, but they also have an obligation to tell you that this is something that the software does.

Quote:

Originally posted by xzxzzx
Not at all. You've been buying licenses for a long time. Every book which you buy comes with an implied license. If you were really buying the book, then you could do whatever you wanted with it, including make copies of it.

When you buy software from Microsoft, the largest part of that purchase is in a license. You own the CD — you can do whatever you'd like with it, but as far as the actual use of the software, you've bought an implied license for one computer (the "license" bullshit that comes with it holds little to no legal weight).

But you see, the books I paid $1.00 for at my local flea market have been sitting on my bookshelf for five years now. Nobody can or ever will control my use of them as pertaining to my scanner in my living room. It's my house, I use my purchases in it as I see fit. Nobody knows the books are here. I'd certainly hope no one cares.

The book doesn't obsolete because of anything short of chronic decay or a house fire. It's a solid investment. I NEVER bought into an enforceable implied license when I bought that book (unless you're considering copyright as petaining to plagiarism to be a license, I suppose.)

The second hand market HAS to exist, period. Japan proved that recently. When licenses obstruct the second hand market, and articifically control how we enjoy an otherwise viable product, they are useful only to the producer AGAINST the consumer. Since the consumer is supposedly the driving force in a system even as marginally democratic as our own, such a license becomes useless and without benefit to the citizen.