Microsoft Orders DMCA Takedown for Windows 8 Screenshots

Makes you wonder what else is lurking in the OS!!

Puts me off buying it besides the other points that have been raised about it.
 
Seems a bit heavy handed.
Or there is more to this than just showing some screenies.

If 8 was still closed alpha code and hadn't been shown in public then you could well expect a take down notice.
However that is not the case now as it has had public trials, the previews and is now released to manufacturing.

Technet and MSDN customers are using it and there are 90 day trials for anyone who wants it.
They do not have NDA's attached.

Direct links to the iso's is a no no as well, but this is more reasonable.
There not much use without keys, but does use a ton of bandwidth and that has to be paid for.

Smart Screen has always been contentious.
One the one hand it is is usefull to catch rogue programs installing on your PC.
On the other, it is a good way of monitoring software installs and there are those who will covert such info.
 
Last edited:
Pixel said:
If you want something to really get angry about, check this out.

There's no way I'm using this OS.
Click to expand...

Let me just clear up some of that article for people who are actually interested.

SmartScreen is a default application in Windows 8, and when you run the operation system for the first time, it's turned on automatically.
Click to expand...

You opt in through express settings. If you are privacy conscious, you would never just run with default settings.

The program scans everything you download and install, and reports it back to Microsoft in order to verify that the app has a legitimate certificate. This is a slightly worrisome revelation on its own — especially since the feature is enabled automatically and isn't exactly easy to turn off — but it gets even worse.
Click to expand...

I believe this is factually incorrect. It doesn't make sense to contact Microsoft to verify the certificate. It's actually checking the reputation of the file which is why the hash of the executable itself is sent out. Microsoft are basically crowd-sourcing reputation data in order to feed back whether a file is potentially safe or dangerous.

It turns out that the protocol Microsoft uses to communicate this information is widely known to be extremely vulnerable to interception. This means that it may not just be Microsoft that will end up scanning your list of installed software. Identity thieves could conceivably use this information to profile their victims, which can lead to myriad headaches for the unfortunate Windows 8 user.
Click to expand...

No, at the moment it's speculation that that the system is using SSLv2. And if you find yourself in the position where someone is performing MIM attacks then Smartscreen is the least of your worries.

I wonder how many of you bothered to read the original source. If stuff like this bothers you then just learn the facts and decide for yourself, not listen to some sensationalist drivel from tech journo hacks.
 
Glaucus said:
There must be more to this story. There's thousands of screen prints all over the Internet.
Click to expand...
Rights to any screenshots of copyrighted software are in the hands of the software creator, even if the software creator themselves didn't take the screenshot. Therefore Microsoft reserves the rights to any screenshots taken of their software by third parties, and reserves the right to have them removed under the DMCA. This includes if they feel the context of the screenshots is to hold the software in a negative light.

I read somewhere that MS targeted them specifically because the comments on the website were mostly slating the Metro UI, alongside over 75%(?) of the whole internet.
 
Last edited:
asim18 said:
Rights to any screenshots of copyrighted software are in the hands of the software creator, even if the software creator themselves didn't take the screenshot. Therefore Microsoft reserves the rights to any screenshots taken of their software by third parties, and reserves the right to have them removed under the DMCA. This includes if they feel the context of the screenshots is to hold the software in a negative light.

I read somewhere that MS targeted them specifically because the comments on the website were mostly slating the Metro UI, alongside over 75%(?) of the whole internet.
Click to expand...

This is a situation where fair use/dealing is applicable.
 
Like I've said in one of the other threads..........

Upgrading from winxp to win7/win8 is a huge upgrade, but from win7 to win8 ummmm, is it worth it. The main reason I upgraded from winxp to vista was for the directx 10 support, but what good reason is there to go from win7 to win8?
 
Last edited:
Phil2008 said:
Like I've said in one of the other threads..........

Upgrading from winxp to win7/win8 is a huge upgrade, but from win7 to win8 ummmm, is it worth it. The main reason I upgraded from winxp to vista was for the directx 10 support, but what good reason is there to go from win7 to win8?
Click to expand...

That really has nothing to do with this thread?:confused:

but anyway if you have to ask, then there is probably no reason for you to upgrade.
 
Phil2008 said:
Like I've said in one of the other threads..........

Upgrading from winxp to win7/win8 is a huge upgrade, but from win7 to win8 ummmm, is it worth it. The main reason I upgraded from winxp to vista was for the directx 10 support, but what good reason is there to go from win7 to win8?
Click to expand...

Why keep repeating it? There's been several posts detailing the new features Windows 8 provides here http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18381377

If you have no use for any of that, congratulations you can stick with 7.
 
james.miller said:
That really has nothing to do with this thread?:confused:

but anyway if you have to ask, then there is probably no reason for you to upgrade.
Click to expand...

True but other ppl has pointed out that there's not much diff between win 7 and win 8? Its a bit like microsoft has run out of ideas, but they still need to roll in the ££££££ so thats the reason for win8 and to jump on to the tablet/touch screen friendly OS band wagon.
 
Phil2008 said:
True but other ppl has pointed out that there's not much diff between win 7 and win 8? Its a bit like microsoft has run out of ideas, but they still need to roll in the ££££££ so thats the reason for win8 and to jump on to the tablet/touch screen friendly OS band wagon.
Click to expand...

How long are you going to keep ignoring the link above with the list of new features/changes?

If they've run out of ideas it seems a little odd they're also introducing the most radical interface changes to Windows since 95 no?
 
Phil2008 said:
True but other ppl has pointed out that there's not much diff between win 7 and win 8? Its a bit like microsoft has run out of ideas, but they still need to roll in the ££££££ so thats the reason for win8 and to jump on to the tablet/touch screen friendly OS band wagon.
Click to expand...

Anybody who says there isn't much difference clearly doesn't know what they are talking about.

On topic, it would be interesting to know the story behind this. If MS wants to take down screenshots associated with negative criticism then they better get used to peeing in the wind.
 
It's probably an automated tool gone OTT, or at least will be blamed on that.
These things always are.

Not quite a non-story, but pretty close IMHO.

-Leezer-
 
AbsenceJam said:
This is a situation where fair use/dealing is applicable.
Click to expand...
Yes, fair use is possible in this situation, but fair use dictates some limitations; one of which is reduction of resolution. The screenshots were of full resolution, so any fair use claim goes straight out of the window.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom