Windows Vista threatens with anti-piracy kill switch

Unlicensed Vista copies to tease pirates with limited functionality

Microsoft’s forthcoming Windows Vista operating system will crack down on software pirates by vastly reducing the functionality of a stolen version of the operating system.

The anti piracy feature is part of the new Software Protection Platform that Microsoft unveiled earlier today. It will be applied to several of the vendor’s software products, beginning with Windows Vista and the forthcoming Windows Longhorn Server.

Upon installation users have 30 days to enter a product key for the software. After this, the system will run in a so-called reduced functionality mode.

Microsoft said that pirated Windows copies will be locked out from several of the software’s more desirable features such as the new Windows Aero user interface, Windows Defender security features and the Readyboost technology that offers to increase system performance through the use of USB memory keys.

Full story: vnunet.com