>Microsoft and other large S/W companies have begun a campaign to stamp out piracy, or at least let the pirates know that they mean business (whatever that is.) I can't blame them, or anyone, for attempting to slow down the theft of private property that's going on - and for MS that's a global concern. All that fine print is their caveat for when the do catch a big fish in that tank. We, ie., "one man shops", are very very small fish and really not worth the trouble to MS if we just happen to play a game on the same machine or install an operating system on another PC in our Home Office. We are under the radar here. Besides, who's going to tell on us? our kids? our wife?

"Under the "radar" ? This reminds of the speed traps, with 10 cops standing around, while someone else is committing murder down the street or running a crack house. I have absolutely no doubt that MS' Authorization will be "cracked" in no time and only legitimate Users will get got up in the net, for whatever reason.

It seems now that you cannot even "own" software unless you have an Internet connection. What's going to happen if my ISP goes down, out of business, whatever, and I can't get my "Authorization Key" in a timely manner ? What if I operate in the boonies and don't have an ISP ? What about people who don't have/want an ISP ? I wager that they won't know about the "key" until they get their box home.

What if my wife happens to surf to MSN.COM and MICROSOFT.COM, using "my" MSDN OS, a couple of times, and the OS starts transmitting "my" ID to MS's Big Brother data bases ? You think they won't notice ? Bullies love making examples of "little people" ... it keeps the rest in line.

>Your question: "Do they care?" I personally believe that 'caring' is something that the attorney's who've been hired to take care of the legal work have no concept of. That's an emotion, which has no place in the legal view.
>
>The increase in prices (not only with MS) is reflective of Boards of directors becoming more and more demanding for profits. Theses BOD's are increasingly made up of 'professional' money people - Bankers, Venture Capitalists, etc... whose concerns and cares are similar to the 'accountants' who supposedly run the medical industry - MONEY. Has anyone noticed the pace of price increases? The demand for profits, which benefits stockholders, causes price increases, among other methods, which in turn causes everyone down the line to pay more. What i don't understand is how the blue collar worker is surviving.

Gates needs "more" money ? Why do I "program" ? For myself ? I program for others, and in the course of my business, I recommend upgrades, more hardware ... which translates into more (MS) OS's, etc. etc.

I "pay" MS and in the process generate "more income" for MS. For this I deserve an increase in the price of my Subscription and to be treated like a crook ?

I think they could make a bigger dent in sofware piracy with "Fink Fees". It works for the IRS.