Paul Thurrott’s WGA turmoil

Microsoft announced its Genuine Advantage software initiative in March 2006. It’s designed as part of the company’s wider assault on software piracy (another infamous part of this fight, Product Activation, won fame and fortune for Microsoft went XP was released in late 2001). The Genuine Advantage initiative is comprised of three parts: Education (customers should understand the risks of pirated software), Engineering (Microsoft’s ongoing investment in anti-counterfeiting technologies and product features), and Enforcement (Microsoft is helping law enforcement agencies go after the world’s worst software pirates).

Of course Paul is not using a pirated version of Windows, but it goes to show that WGA can affect -anybody-, regardless of whether you are legal or not. Paul takes a look through the history and aspects of WGA, and even includes some screenshots.