Apple Files Anti-Piracy Tech Patent Application

By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews

Many accuse Microsoft of copying Apple, but is the reverse now happening? Say it isn’t so!

Microsoft’s Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA), when it works (and that’s the problem; it doesn’t always) is an anti-piracy measure that currently disables functions in the OS when a pirated copy is disabled. However, due to false positives, Microsoft has indicated it will pull back somewhat with Windows Vista SP1 and simply nag you to death.

Apple’s patent application 20070288886 is called “Run-Time Code Injection To Perform Checks” and is dated Dec. 13. In the application, the process is described as follows:

In a first phase, an authorizing entity (e.g., an application owner or platform manufacturer) authorizes one or more applications to execute on a given hardware platform. Later, during application run-time, code is injected that performs periodic checks are made to determine if the application continues to run on the previously authorized hardware platform. If a periodic check fails, at least part of the application’s execution string is terminated–effectively rendering the application non-usable.

Let me just translate one sentence:

Later, during application run-time, code is injected that performs periodic checks are made to determine if the application continues to run on the previously authorized hardware platform.

Based on the prior sentences, that indicated that an application is authorized on a particular hardware platform (activation), this basically sounds like WGA checks to see if the software has been pirated onto a different computer.

We Say: Of course, it should be noted that an application doesn’t mean Apple will even get the patent, or that if they are granted it, that they will use it.

However, a couple of comments:

1) Section [0025] says these checks could be done as often as 5 - 10 minutes. 5 - 10 minutes? If that really happens, and the system is actually “phoning home” to check that often, can you imagine a) the impact on network traffic, b) how much flak they will take? WGA was initially only connecting with servers upon boot, not every 5 - 10 minutes, and people were up in arms over that.

2) It seems like as Apple becomes more successful, they become more corporate and more like Microsoft, which they previously eschewed, and with much fanfare. Although I can understand the reasons behind this, they might just lose some of their longtime fans as they move further in this direction.