Starforce Will Sue Your Ass

Angelspit · Unread postby **Angelspit** » 31 Jan 2006, 19:16

The fact that Starforce increased once again the money prize of its <a href="/http://www.star-force.com/protection.ph ... 707">Prove It</a> contest (the initial prize of $1000 has increased to $10,000, on the last day of the contest) went unnoticed. However, today they managed to make the headlines, but not in a good way. <a href="/http://it.slashdot.org/it/06/01/31/1721 ... lashdot</a> and <a href="/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_i ... masutra</a> are reporting that Dennis Zhidkov, PR Manager, threatened to sue a site called <a href="/http://www.boingboing.net/2006/01/31/st ... tml">Boing Boing</a> because they called StarForce "Anti-copying malware" yesterday. Zhidkov also claims to have contacted the FBI to complain about harassment.

If you would like to take a look at the original page visit this link:
https://www.celestialheavens.com/1138734986

Arzang · Unread postby **Arzang** » 31 Jan 2006, 19:22

..ouch. can someone answer this:

what boing boing said that starforce does to your computer (granted it's true and common), is it a software or hardware issue? meaning: if I would format my drive after starforce rapes my system, would my system have gotten starforce out of its system (nice pun)?

summary: are the damages permanent?

ThunderTitan · Unread postby **ThunderTitan** » 31 Jan 2006, 19:56

A format should do. And don't worry, even if it does Hardware damage it's only your CD-drive that gets trashed.

And tell SF my @$$™ knows some very shady lawyers, so they better watch out.

madcat_lives · Unread postby **madcat_lives** » 31 Jan 2006, 19:57

They can sue me on this, I don't have any money,lol. Starforce is a virus. I bet even if it kills your computer they will find a way out of paying you $10k. They will say it happen some where else. I don't like to do business with people who don't care what thier product does to you. They are just as bad as those smoking company that don't care what it does to you. So Starforce, you will make players copy the game even more now, for it safer to do that then kill our computers off!

madcat_lives · Unread postby **madcat_lives** » 31 Jan 2006, 20:06

Maybe this is thier plan, send a messed up program, so if anyone says anything they can sue them.

Linky · Unread postby **Linky** » 31 Jan 2006, 20:29

"They are just as bad as those smoking company that don't care what it does to you."

My, what huge irony in that comment indeed.

HodgePodge · Unread postby **HodgePodge** » 31 Jan 2006, 20:33

. . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

So now SF is lowering itself to "suing" anyone who has an issue with their product? And contacting the FBI? how lame …

… what do they think the FBI will do? maybe investigate SF and ban that kind of software altogether from the USA.

Orfinn · Unread postby **Orfinn** » 31 Jan 2006, 21:05

Dennis Zhidkov should just go back from where he came from that little weasel! C'mon DZ sue me if you dare, owww as I thought hes a sissy! But if you did little man I personally would rip yor throat straight off and give the blood to the blood bank! Oww that was a bit grose but I would certainly do it with no witnesses and a pure conscience as reward.

One less badguy in the world no matter what goal he had, well 1 billion criminals left anyone placing bounties? >:D
Edited on Tue, Jan 31 2006, 14:07 by Orfinn

Bandobras Took · Unread postby **Bandobras Took** » 01 Feb 2006, 00:01

Okay, now we have some real reasons to think that StarForce is malicious. While there may not be positive evidence that StarForce does damage systems, there seems to be an equal lack of evidence that it doesn't. But my ethical sense tells me to be on the side of the people who aren't trying to crush free speech.

Da_Vane · Unread postby **Da_Vane** » 01 Feb 2006, 01:13

Havine read the article, and the article that prompted a reply, I found a link to an article on StarForce's website in which DZ attempts to disparage another article, by attacking the writer as a pirate. That sounds like libel to me. I wonder how many international laws that violates?

Psychobabble · Unread postby **Psychobabble** » 01 Feb 2006, 01:34

Starforce seriously need a new PR director, threatening spurious lawsuits which have no chance of getting anywhere near a courtroom is a really, really good way of annoying people...

Caradoc · Unread postby **Caradoc** » 01 Feb 2006, 01:40

BoingBoing has probably got Sony all pissed off too. They are taking on the copyright nazis head on. They have a huge following, so I would not count them out.

Lord_Haart · Unread postby **Lord_Haart** » 01 Feb 2006, 05:27

I've installed SF with no worries. I actually support SF in general (not so much in this instance) because it appears that a small percentage of gamers who want to use pirated games made a big fuss about this and spread alot of bad rumors for no reason. I've yet to hear from someone who has had their system damaged and can garuntee that they did not use pirated software (intentionally or not).

Plus, the "stories" of malfunctions etc are all to do with older versions of SF. SF might have made a booboo here, but seriously, are you suprised that they are a little paranoid?

gunsharp · Unread postby **gunsharp** » 01 Feb 2006, 05:58

Well, you can never be 100% sure of anything people tell you so that part of your wish probably won't come true. However, we have heard from many people who have complained. Surely and most likely, not all of them are lieing crackers/pirates. At least, I hope the world hasn't to that. Also, I doubt SF managed to fix all problems their software creates, if anything, I would think they just make it worse by creating more strict limitations.

Furay · Unread postby **Furay** » 01 Feb 2006, 06:50

Watch out Lord_Haart, your treading on thin ice with HodgePodge around in this argument

[T]osHiro · Unread postby **[T]osHiro** » 01 Feb 2006, 10:40

HodgePodge wrote:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

So now SF is lowering itself to "suing" anyone who has an issue with their product? And contacting the FBI? how lame … … what do they think the FBI will do? maybe investigate SF and ban that kind of software altogether from the USA.

Hopefully worldwide, if it is proved harmful to all computers. Still, their action sounds sill. SF is gaining bad publicity quick.

If they threaten to sue CH, I'll...*censored*

Kalah · Unread postby **Kalah** » 01 Feb 2006, 12:17

I'll refrain from commenting this bit of sillyness and instead let my pet cow tell StarForce what it thinks.

"Moooooh!"

Bandobras Took · Unread postby **Bandobras Took** » 01 Feb 2006, 12:45

Lord_Haart wrote:I've installed SF with no worries. I actually support SF in general (not so much in this instance) because it appears that a small percentage of gamers who want to use pirated games made a big fuss about this and spread alot of bad rumors for no reason. I've yet to hear from someone who has had their system damaged and can garuntee that they did not use pirated software (intentionally or not).

Plus, the "stories" of malfunctions etc are all to do with older versions of SF. SF might have made a booboo here, but seriously, are you suprised that they are a little paranoid?

Though it does take my computer longer to read my CD drive since installing the beta. It'll take about three or four seconds where it used to take a half a second. Can't speak for burning, as I don't have a burner.

Labyrinth · Unread postby **Labyrinth** » 01 Feb 2006, 15:48

I don't know enough to boycott starforce, and I know MUCH too little to boycott Heroes V

This is love to the game.

However, no matter how I turn it, I didn't yet experience any of the on many sites described problems.

As soon as the first guy in the Hommunity experiences problems with SF, I will have a closer look at the issue...

madcat_lives · Unread postby **madcat_lives** » 01 Feb 2006, 16:19

2 can play this game, if they mess up my computer I will sue them for millions then. I will go on talk shows and talk about it, and in time own thier little company and shut them down. More we hear from SF more I see little kids or retard people running it. Calling the FBI on this is the same as a kid age 3 calling the cops on their parent for not letting them stay up longer. I want the list of 11 laws that were broken? Well SF list them now! With many players talking about them maybe "60 min" can do a show on them. all I can see is this, we get a list of players who will buy this game, we will show them SF is not needed. I will not trust a 3 yr running a company.

The Heroes Round Table