Hey,

I bumped into some old tutorials about reverse engineering, and I got this strange question: I know that using the cracked programs is illegal, BUT could the fact that you just play around, chance some values in the programs executable file and actually making it work without some supposed limitations get you into trouble? After a bunch of testing and adding non-working serial keys, can the company get mad at you for doing that? Or can they even detect it at all? Does the program report back whatever action you are doing on it?

Thanks!

using software that you did not pay for is illegal
however i doubt most software reports back to a server everytime its used, but that would depend on the program you are trying to crack

Chocrates wrote:using software that you did not pay for is illegal

This statement is very wrong.

Please think about how you word your posts in future.

TheConfusedEgo wrote:Please think about how you word your posts in future.

Ah man, irony is awesome.

Chocrates: Ever used Microsoft Word in school? "Yes" - Did you pay for it?

IceDane wrote:

TheConfusedEgo wrote:Please think about how you word your posts in future.

Ah man, irony is awesome.

Chocrates: Ever used Microsoft Word in school? "Yes" - Did you pay for it?

Well actually, when I was job shadowing my school's IT department, they said that most of their software is paid for via taxes.. So perhaps he did pay for it in taxes?

Well I'm not talking about using the program but experimenting with its protections, and I think that's legal

Also which program do you know that would report back to a server? Wouldn't windows or a firewall block it or just prompt you?

If they could know whenever a program is being cracked and used, wouldn't program pirates be sent to prison?

Since when did the legality of something ever stop anyone...?

Book - they don't know. And they most likely wouldn't care about the newbie cracker, there's bigger fish in the sea.

It depends very much on which country you're in. As I understand it (not a lawyer) in most countries, they'd have to show that either you had a particular illegal motive or were contractually bound not to do it. In the US, they can just slap a DMCA complaint on you.

But still, how could they do it?