EA Expands Copy Protection, blocks game working

[Radiation]

EA Expands Copy Protection

(Thanks PCNC) There's an article out detailing how EA plans on using ever-more restrictive copy protection on their new games, presumably including upcoming Command and Conquer titles. The new software "phones home" (connects with EA's servers) once every ten days. Should it be unable to do this (for example, if you are traveling and don't have access to the internet, or if you're experiencing connection difficulties), the game stops working.

Worse, should EA decide it's not worth paying for the cost of the servers, as they did with the online gameplay servers for all the old C&Cs, the game won't be able to connect, and thus, you can't play. In short, your continued enjoyment of the game is entirely conditional on EA deciding to support it. This is an extension of a policy--not supporting older games--that proved entirely unpopular in the past.

What happens when an expansion pack or a sequel comes out? I wouldn't put it past EA to "nudge" everyone to the new game by simply making the old ones not work. If it makes business sense for them to stop running the servers for the fans of an older game, odds are, they will. If you're one of those fans, odds are, you won't like it.

It would be nice to see a blanket denial from EA promising that they won't use this sort of software on C&C games. If Apoc doesn't address the issue soon, I'll try to raise it with him. It's things like this that make people--myself included--deeply angered at times about how our beloved franchise is faring.

After a couple days of anger, it seems EA has backpedaled on their DRM copy protection plans. GamersHell reports:

In this Official BioWare/EA Response to DRM Discussion thread, BioWare has annouced that Mass Effect will not require 10-day periodic re-authentication (story). With online authentication, consumers now connect to the Internet the first time the game is launched and are required only to reconnect if they are downloading new game content. A similar copy protection scheme will be used with the upcoming title Spore.

 

[TikTikTikTikTik]

meh, its for pc titles. They always get cracked anyway!

 

[embraceuk1]

I know Sony patented the rights to the technology for a console to read a game disk and not allow it to work on another machine thus killing the used game industry

 

[Radiation]

That never happened


From
http://forums.e-mpire.com/showthread.php?t=47928&page=4

Originally Posted by Patent Description
”A device and method for protection of legitimate software against used software and counterfeit software in recording media… A specific title code is read, and if this title code has been registered, the main unit shifts to a normal operation. If the code has not been registered, verification software is initiated… If matching does not occur, the disk is processed as illegitimate software… Since only titles for which legitimate software has actually been purchased and which have been initially registered in the machine table can be used, resale (so-called used software purchase) after purchase by an end-user becomes practically impossible.”

Quote:
patent: "The technology involves actually rendering a authentication code originally encrypted on the game disk unreadable to other machines once the disk is used"

This whole rumor started because people are completely miss reading/interpreting the patent. The parts in bold are what I want everyone to focus on. "Legitimate Software" is refering to copies of software that have been purchased at retail outlets at one point or another. The "Machine Table" they are refering to is a table that lists all licensed Sony software in Sony's On/Offline database. Now the important part; the "Resale" and underlined "So-Called" are refering to pirated software. They are not talking about legitimate resell (used) software that hasn't been pirated. I will further prove this below. As you all know there is a big difference.

Quote:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a disk recording medium, a reproduction device, and a reproduction method, whereby a legitimate recording medium can be protected from the used recording medium market by the structure of the disk recording medium such as a CD-ROM and a main unit (reproduction device) in which this recording medium is installed.

*Note* This patent deals with the above for software manufactured by Sony only. It is how the device & recording software for this invention work that effect not only the PS3 but the PC and PSP as well.

Quote:
2. Background of the Invention

In recent years, beginning with the popularity of videogame machines, numerous entertainment devices have circulated on a market, and accordingly, the demand for disk recording media such as video software has increased. In conjunction with this phenomenon, not only end-users purchase and use disk recording media by legitimate channels, but also the resale of disk recording media already purchased by the end-user, i.e., the purchase of the used software, occurs as well as the manufacture of so-called counterfeit software in which the recorded data is illegally copied.

*Note* The underlined part is where this whole rumor started. If you read it a couple times and process the information you will understand what it really says. It is talking about the reselling of pirated software from a pc user's media burner that used legitimate software and selling multiple copies.

Quote:
In the past, as a countermeasure against the manufacture of counterfeit software of this type, a device has been adopted whereby a fixed pattern with a mark stating that this software is legitimate, recorded on the disk recording medium, and when this fixed pattern is not detected, reproduction cannot be performed on the disk recording medium, thus attempting to suppress the creation of counterfeit software.

Nevertheless, the prevention of the creation of counterfeit software by the detection of a fixed pattern can be easily defeated by creating a circuit that generates such fixed pattern, i.e., a security bypass circuit. Specifically, equipment and the like which disengage checks on software other than legitimate software are in circulation in order to allow counterfeit software to be reproduced, even using specialized equipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been produced in light of the aforesaid problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a disk recording medium for the protection of legitimate recorded media in which security is maintained so that the sale of used software and counterfeit software can be prevented. It is a further object of this invention to provide a medium reproduction device and reproduction method using that disk recording.

When you actually read the patent you get a little more insite on to what it is they were/are actually trying to achieve. This patent deals the invention of a very secure "disk recorder" and "recording process" to prevent piracy. Again you must read the patent a couple times to understand what the underlined passage is saying. If Sony's On/Offline database (mentioned above) verify's that the software you have purchased (used/2nd hand) is/was pirated it will not work period (this includes the legal software); BUT if the used/2nd hand software you purchased hasn't been pirated according to Sony's database then you won't have any problems what-so-ever using it.

The only way to bypass this is to never hook your computer, PSP, or PS3 to the internet. Otherwise any Sony software that is deemed pirated will not work. How would this work in the PS3? If Sony's console has a flashable chip inside of it (like the PSP) everytime you access the internet the first thing it would do is update the chip with new information on any found/reported pirated software. If the code that was burned onto the disc at the time of manufacturing matches any on the chip, it would render the disc useless. Again this would only effect used software that has been pirated, not......I repeat not those who haven't.