How PC makers exploited BIOS copyright strings to unlock trial software during the Windows 95 era
Microsoft programmers discovered the trick while developing Plug and Play
Federal court says AI training on books is fair use, but sends Anthropic to trial over pirated copies
Landmark decision draws line between lawful AI training and pirated content use
What just happened? A federal court has delivered a split decision in a high-stakes copyright case that could reshape the future of artificial intelligence development. US District Judge William Alsup ruled that Anthropic's use of copyrighted books to train its Claude AI system qualifies as lawful "fair use" under copyright law, marking a significant victory for the AI industry.
Greek man sentenced to prison for running a private torrent site 10 years ago
File sharing crime doesn't pay, and could eventually land you behind bars
Amazon Fire Sticks are enabling billions in video piracy, report finds
Facebook and Google are also playing a major role
Why it matters: It's somewhat ironic that arguably the biggest piracy enabler today is a device that comes from Amazon, a $2 trillion tech giant with a streaming service. According to a new report, jailbroken Amazon Fire Sticks are used to watch billions of dollars worth of pirated streams, and Google, Meta and Microsoft are exacerbating the situation.
Italy fines thousands as crackdown on pirate IPTV targets viewers
Illegal streaming drains €1 billion every year from Italy's football industry
"You wouldn't steal a car" anti-piracy ads may have used a stolen font
The anti-piracy campaign that failed its own background check
WTF?! In what must be the very definition of irony, one of the most infamous anti-piracy campaigns from two decades ago may have included a font that was, in essence, stolen. The "You Wouldn't Steal a Car" PSA is still remembered by many people old enough to recall its 2004 launch, but it seems the ad didn't heed its own warning.
First-ever Switch modding case in Japan ends with fine and suspended jail time
His fine was over 400,000% less than the one given to Gary Bowser
Denmark issues "landmark" prison sentences to notorious piracy group member and one other
Both received "unconditional" minimum time served for piracy without profit
Piracy lawsuit against Meta could set precedent for torrenting copyrighted works in AI training
Plaintiffs believe case is clear-cut infringement, but judge does not understand what torrenting is
A hot potato: Meta is embroiled in a groundbreaking AI lawsuit that could change how courts view copyright law. The case seems open-and-shut from the plaintiffs' view. However, if a judge sees otherwise, it could set a monumental precedent allowing corporations to pirate copyrighted material to train AI systems.
Nintendo wins another lawsuit against file-sharing service hosting pirated content
Nintendo: "This is a big win that will reverberate through the entire gaming industry"
Microsoft: nearly one million devices hit by malware spread through ads on illegal streaming websites
Be careful if visiting sketchy websites
In brief: If you're going to visit websites that host pirated video streams, you'd better be willing to accept the risks. That's something owners of the one million devices affected by a malware campaign originating from these sites might not have considered.
Microsoft's own Copilot will tell you how to activate Windows 11 without a license
AI-powered activation hack?
Hacker group releases updated tool to activate almost all modern Microsoft software
The MAS project is donation-free because "profiting from piracy is not good," the pirates say
Meta used pirated books to train its AI models, and there are emails to prove it
New email evidence could turn Meta's "fair use" defense upside down
US copyright groups push for internet site blocking to combat piracy
Experts say piracy has "matured" into a sophisticated criminal enterprise
Tech giants urge EU to review Italy's anti-piracy measures amid overblocking concerns
In one incident, Google Drive was mistakenly blocked for three hours
Study finds cracking protections in 712 vintage games took 628 years
Research highlights challenges of circumventing obsolete game security
Switch modder arrested in Japan as Nintendo admits emulation is technically legal
This is the first arrest for selling a modded Nintendo Switch, setting a new precedent
Hacking group claims to have cracked Microsoft's software licensing security on a massive scale
Is Microsoft's entire licensing business in trouble?
Nintendo seeks to subpoena Reddit for details on piracy group members
Mario's wrath against r/SwitchPirates subreddit
In brief: Is there a more litigious company in the gaming world than Nintendo? Probably not. The Mario maker is once again going after those invovled with game piracy, including moderators and certain members of a popular subreddit. Nintendo is seeking to subpoena business records from Reddit (and other companies) to identify members.
Massive IPTV piracy network with 22 million users shut down by Europol and Italian police
The pan-European cybergang was making €250 million/month by reselling popular streaming platforms
Nearly half of young Norwegians are fine with piracy to save money, survey shows
High costs cited as the main reason for piracy acceptance
Study finds 20% revenue drop when Denuvo DRM is cracked soon after game launch
No revenue is lost if Denuvo survives 12 weeks
A hot potato: PC gamers often label digital rights management systems like Denuvo as "consumer unfriendly" because they can lead to performance issues, punishing those who legitimately purchase the games. But a new study shows that for all its downsides, Denuvo actually does help shield game revenues from the scourge of piracy, at least initially.
Nintendo sues two Switch hardware and software modders
"Modded Hardware" store and "Archbox" targeted for distributing modding chips and pirated games
Unactivated copies of Windows 11 will soon limit Edge customization, too
A recently spotted change to Edge Canary builds has been confirmed