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Incredibly annoying, but a wet raspberry in the face of pirates who thought they'd got away with it. However, other modern forms of copy protection are massive bones of contention. Take StarForce, security software behind games like LMA Manager 2007. StarForce drivers have been accused of causing system instability, computer crashes and probably the war in Iraq too. Does StarForce's trail of lawsuit complaints and furious gamers suggest that the Eye of Sauron is on copy protection providers?
Dmitry Guseff, PR manager in StarForce's Moscow base, argues not. "Lots of programs run on computers (at the same time), and many of them may interact with protection, like optical drive emulators or optical disc burning programs. StarForce achieved Microsoft Certified Partner Level and also became Intel Software Partner. Our products also smoothly passed Windows Vista 32/64-bit compatibility testing programs. Bottom line, we're just like any other well-reputed software protection company and as such consider these allegations false."
Above: Copy protection
In the face of controversy, and in an effort to seek new ways to protect their products, some games publishers are forgoing draconian copy protection in favour of luring legit customers with free updates. Meanwhile, content delivery systems like Steam have been successful in reducing piracy, although they're not without criticism - one dodgy server or a botched code is all it takes to ruin your jollies.
Short of shop owners threatening you with a shotgun at point of purchase, copy protection isn't going away any time soon. These days, it's just another necessary evil, reckons Ron Gilbert.
"My view of copy protection in games (and music and movies) is that it should be there as a subtle reminder that, 'Hey! Don't give this away! Someone worked hard on it and needs to feed their family.' However, it should be breakable so I can use the game/movie/music the way I need to. I see it much like a lock on a front door. It isn't keeping anyone out of the house if they really want to get in, but it's a reminder that if you don't live here, you're not welcome."
