“In the second half of 2005, visitors to the Microsoft Download Center (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads) and Windows Update (http://v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/v5consumer) will be required to participate in Windows Genuine Advantage to access all content. To help customers who may require more time to move to genuine Windows software, Microsoft is offering security updates through Automatic Updates in Windows, with or without Windows Genuine Advantage validation.” (Source: Microsoft to Implement Worldwide Anti-Piracy Initiative)

For some time now MicroSoft has been trying to get people to verify that their copy of Windows is valid and licensed. In-and-of-itself, requiring people to be legit to gain services isn’t a truly bad thing. However, it causes difficulty in two specific cases: 1) they say you aren’t valid when you in fact are; and 2) they gather additional information beyond that required to determine validity (historical example). You wouldn’t take your Ford to a GM dealer for warranty service. On the other hand, when you look at it you know it is a Ford.

MicroSoft will begin requiring users in three countries to prove thier validity of license before they can get serviced as of February 7, 2005 … and the rest of the world won’t be far behind.

This article was posted on Thursday, January 27th, 2005 at 2:14 pm