Starforce: If We Break Your PC, You Get $1,000

Found on DSL Reports on Thursday, 15 December 2005
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Long before the Sony rootkit DRM there was Starforce copy protection, which installs stealth drivers and is generally despised by most PC gamers because of the headaches it causes. While it doesn't stop piracy, it does slow it down: Starforce protected games frequently show up on Torrent trackers months after publication, or sometimes not at all (at least not as major group releases). Sensing the public backlash against DRM, the makers of Starforce have issued a challenge: if our software breaks your CD/DVD drive, you get $1,000 - maybe.

Reading the contest rules however, you'll note that you have to travel to Moscow on your dime and prove to them their software screwed up your CD drive. If you're able to jump through a long list of hoops, you'll get $1,000 and will be reimbursed for your trip. If not, you get posted to their website as a "loser". Of course all of this completely ignores the multitude of other problems this software has caused on user systems since introduction.

I don't think many people will take part. You should also take a look at their rules: their software has to ruin a DVD/CD drive so badly that it doesn't even work in a completely different machine anymore. Considering those copyright systems cause software problems which can be fixed by formatting and reinstalling, changing all the hardware would fix it too.