Will it work?

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Dear TPH,
Recently I bought a DVD containing a pirated version of Windows Vista Ultimate, but I have not installed it yet because one of my friends told me that Microsoft can detect pirated software when I connect to the Internet. Is it true, and if so what happens when they find out that I am using pirated software?
– L.T.

Dear L.T.,
You seem to be the type of person that gives pirates and hardened criminals a bad name. Pirates are a proud, undeterred bunch who wouldn't survive a day in the deep, dark oceans on your hesitant, slippery feet. They've already cracked the codes protecting the new High Def HD-DVD and Blu-Ray discs this year. Billions of dollars on the profit columns of the biggest software giants in the world are 'virtually' at their mercy.

However L.T., as you have just found out, having a pirated disc isn't the whole story. There is more to how and why pirated software has worked so far than just knowing the CD key.

Here's how it used to work. When you try to install it on your PC most software asks for a serial number, found on the original box. However, it doesn't directly match with one on the manufacturers' database; instead it's interpreted by a secret algorithm which spits out an answer. If the answer is correct the software activates. Imagine if you knew the answer you were looking for and how the algorithm works. Then you could reverse engineer the puzzle and generate your own codes or keys. These automated key generators were often included on dodgy copies but they could also be found on the web. Some work, some don't, and some are infested with malware or viruses.

Vista was supposed to be different. It also needs a serial number but it's only good for 30 days, after which you have to go online to activate it. Microsoft says that when you do go online, it'll be able to detect whether or not you've got a dodgy copy. So what did the pirates do? Stop the clock – and the trial period will never end. Again the crack isn't difficult to find for the tech savvy, and some pirated discs even include it for you.

To answer your question, Microsoft says that it can track down these types of copies when the buyer goes online. Most copies of Vista that come pre-installed by reputable vendors are genuine. Therefore the customer needn't worry about the 30-day trial period, as the software is already activated. Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage Programme is about detecting pirated installations of its software and warning users if they may be using an unlicensed copy. Over time, it gradually disrupts the user experience.
But new technology and infrastructure developments have given software manufacturers a new set of tricks which could change the way we use computers. Like a car needs to be regularly serviced, so operating systems and other software need updating over time. That's where the hacked versions, becom risky because once you go online the software company has the chance to detect you're running a fake. Broadband Internet is making it possible for application servers to service thousands of client machines without the application software ever having to be installed on client side. Instead of buying the programmes we want to use we'll sort of have to rent them.

Software manufacturers are trying to move away from a CD key and activation- based method to a remote distribution based method where all the applications and all the software are sitting on a server that they control and you buy time to access that application.

There won't be any software installed on your computer and nothing for you to download either. Everything will sit on remote servers that the software manufacturers or their distributors control including the mechanism by which you interact with those applications.