Windows and Office are two of the most impacted software products when it comes to the high level of piracy around the world, and this is exactly the reason Microsoft should introduce new methods of blocking the download of illegal content straight from the operating system level.

This is the conclusion of a report published by Black Market Watch and the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime regarding ways to tackle piracy in Sweden, with hopes that similar measures could be adopted worldwide at some point in the future.

Specifically, the organization claims that Microsoft, Apple, and Google can introduce piracy-blocking filters in their operating systems and thus make it impossible for users to download illegal content anyway. This would make torrent trackers and other piracy content distribution channels obsolete because, this way, users wouldn’t be allowed to download files, no matter if these sources are available or not.

Furthermore, the organization claims (document in Swedish) that these companies need to be encouraged, and if this doesn’t work, “regulated” in order to block downloads of copyright infringement material, according to a report from TorrentFreak.

“Other players that possess the potential ability to limit piracy are the companies that own the major operating systems which control computers and mobile devices such as Apple, Google and Microsoft,” it says.

The Windows 10 example
The aforementioned report uses Windows 10 as the living proof that such a thing can be done, although it’s only based on pure speculation, and no evidence is brought in this regard.

Specifically, Windows 10 is described as a possible way to block piracy at the operating system level, citing older reports that suggested Microsoft planned to ban users from playing pirated games on their PCs.

Back in August 2015, updates that Microsoft made to its terms and services made everyone believe that the company wanted to block pirated software on Windows 10 PCs using an automatic detection system similar to the one proposed by today’s new report.

The terms pointed out that Microsoft might “download software updates or configuration changes, including those that prevent you from accessing the Services, playing counterfeit games, or using unauthorized hardware peripheral devices.”

Despite the fact that Redmond strongly denied these claims shortly after that, pirate websites were quick to respond and blocked access for computers running Windows 10, in an attempt to prevent additional risks that would have been caused by such a protection system.

Windows 10’s spying claims didn’t help either, as many accused Microsoft of using the new operating system to collect data about users and the content on their computers.

For the moment, an official statement from Microsoft and Apple isn’t available to see how the two companies react to this proposal, but we’ve reached out to both, and we’ll update the article with more info when it becomes available.

Source : Softpedia

Now poor can't even have fun virtually.
Hope pirates will find other way.

 

Linux... Did you know about it?

I believe every one of us should use a linux based PC for internet surfing/downloading purpose only.

 

Not gonna happen, that means reducing the functionality and closing the operating system to the ios level, and still there always were jailbreaks. This isn't worth the attention.

 

Totally agree, used linux for almost a year. But lack of softwares made me switch back to windows. And I dont have a powerful machine which can run both linux and windows together.

 

It's all speculative nonsense The early talks about WIndows 10 not working with pirated stuff, only meant stuff from the Windows store, and even that has been bypassed for example with Quantum Break, a WIndows store only release, and even that is fully cracked and working.

 

So the headline of the original article is

nothing there limiting this bs to windows 10.

 

- as well as for audio production:

https://ubuntustudio.org/tour/

- or at least for browsing, downloading, getting familiar with it, or just having it around.
For audio and video production, the software's lagging behind Mac & Windows, but more DAWs and plugins are being made for it.
If the other two platforms go all-out authoritarian, Linux will be a refuge for both users and developers.

 

This is nonsense.
Windows by today is not too responsive. If they install warez blockers on OS level, most of the systems in the world would refuse to run anymore.
It's the same as making the highway owner responsible for auto theft.

BTW: it is not an easy task to tell original software from cracked. Imagine all the false positives and the impact on an OS.

 

It really is a great time to get familiar with Linux and use it for Internet at least, and other stuff in the long run when you get familiar with tons of Open Source programs you can so easily install and uninstall without any consequences on the OS. Windows will always be here, whatever version you want to use, in a VM or another partition/HD, with whatever software you want to use it with.

The only question is what's going to happen with new audio software... but it's too early to discuss that as developers still support Windows 7/8 and even XP in 95% of cases just fine.

Eventually you will be able to download Windows 10 "UberLite" from "somewhere" with all the "optional" [read: crap] features deleted or disabled, so you will be able to use it without any worries *at all*. I'm sure of that.

In the mean time... Don't worry, be *making music*!

 

Last edited: Aug 4, 2016

Haha of course that is Microsoft's plan all along, it just needed somebody else to come up with the idea

 

IF Microsoft had have done their jobs correctly in the first place. I'm talking back when windows was first launched, there would have been no such thing as illegal software, no such culture as pirating. Unfortunately for them and software/ video companies they had useless code writers. Software pirating is now as much a part of life as salt on food. I don't think they have any other choice but to accept it graciously.

 

Apple and Microsft are the greatest Pirates.
Apple stole the mouse idea from xerox.
Microsoft bought DOS for merely 50000 usd, and recode a little and get visibility, with a joint venture with Apple get half of their code and reverse engeneering the rest to lounch Windows.
No one saw The Pirates of Silicon Valley?

 

mm, i think its a bit tricky to accomplish. if so they would have fixed their own but they haven't. a small change in that kind of area could end in a nightmare of never ending fixes and update just for that sake, besides of their own operation.

 

Ask Avid or Propellerheads would this work. Pirates will just stay on the platform that allows piracy (i.e. Pro Tools 10,Reason 5) Good idea but I don't think it would work.

 

Only fools risk there banking and other internet stuff to windows.

 

From an inside source, I heard that the likes of Adobe and Microsoft allow their stuff to be pirated so that it proliferates around the globe, more so than if it were locked down.
Sure, if someone wants to pay us enough so we can buy a license, go ahead

 

Of course this is an idea from a socialist country. Not a free Democracy.
FArgin Iceholes.

 

U cant catch all the pirates.. duh... Ive seen Black Sails

 

I would totally agree with this (for our own privacy ). Seems like a virtual environment could accomplish the same thing (with Windows or Linux as Host OS) + VMWare. Is this feasible? Can anyone comment on which works better for hardware purposes (assuming we have high amounts of ram / sufficient graphic card resources)

How long until Urs Heckmann uses an armed drone to shoot your PC until the HD drives upon detection of any U-HE product thats been altered?