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Apple puts ‘Don’t Steal Mac OS X’ message to would-be hackers in Intel version of Mac OS X 10.4.4

Friday, January 13, 2006 · 11:57 am · 27 Comments

“We’ve received some information regarding Apple’s newest portable, the MacBook Pro, and with it a hidden message for would-be hackers,” OSx86 Project reports. “We were made privy to a text dump from the System Profiler of one of the new MacBooks and, naturally, couldn’t wait to sort through its contents. What we didn’t expect to see was a warning from Apple to those that would hack OS X, presumably to those wanting it to run on beige-box PCs:”

————————————————–

_name
Dont Steal Mac OS X
[...]
Copyright (c) 2006 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.

The purpose of this Apple software is to protect Apple copyrighted
materials from unauthorized copying and use. You may not copy, modify,
reverse engineer, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense,
transfer or redistribute this file, in whole or in part. If you have
obtained a copy of this Apple software and do not have a valid license
from Apple Computer to use it, please immediately destroy or delete it
from your computer.

————————————————–

OSx86 Project writes, “The most interesting part of this message? Its placement, found in /System/Library/Extensions/Dont Steal Mac OS X.kext
Despite being a lighthearted jab at hackers, it seems that Apple is taking the pirating of the new OSx86 seriously, since the same kext is not found in the PPC version of 10.4.4.”

Full article here.

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Comment Feed

27 Comments

1 2 Next »

escaport

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 1:11 pm · Reply

Can the Dvorak plan be in effect?
CG5Addict

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 1:13 pm · Reply

I love it!!!
This is how it should be!
IF you have ever read my blog–>http://cg5addictmacpage.blogspot.com/ You know my feelings about the OSx86 Project.
Put frankly, a bunch of hacking thieves.
theloniousMac

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 1:14 pm · Reply

You have been warned. Homey don’t play dat sh&t.

MDN Magic Word: blood
Jaakko

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 1:15 pm · Reply

Simple PLEASE usually works better that scaring with a million dollar lawsuit.
effwerd

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 1:19 pm · Reply

So doesn’t publishing this message content constitute publicly displaying the OS in part? Shame on you MDN.
Fred

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 1:21 pm · Reply

OBVIOUSLY it’s not found in the PPC version of 10.4.4, because you can’t move that OS anywhere but another Macintosh.
Andy C.

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 1:37 pm · Reply

Jaakko: I wish it were that easy, but it doesn’t hurt to try (or cost anything).
Ampar

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 1:40 pm · Reply

Originally, it said, “Don’t Do Drugs” but a lot of the programmers complained. It wasn’t specific enough and they wanted it spelled out line by line.
Jeff

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 1:53 pm · Reply

Well I guess I won’t use it on my “beige” PC now, especially after that message.

In all honesty, a message like that is nothing more than an invitation to hack it.
Good luck

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 1:56 pm · Reply

Give it a month or two and you’ll see full versions of OSX x86 on the P2P networks.
Just wait

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 2:13 pm · Reply

Hackers will find a way around that message in a matter of weeks
Djenurm

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 2:38 pm · Reply

It won’t be that easy, you’d have to use a motherboard with the new firmware type, and a core processor. A quick search and I can’t find one of them, it’s probably only available on laptops, and then I don’t believe anybody elses laptops use the new firmware since XP doesn’t work with it.
TMAN

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 2:44 pm · Reply

Some people are honest, and some are not…

Some people will steal copyrighted material, and some will not…

If a lost wallet is found, some people will return it, and others will not…

The friendly warning seems appropriate, but no amount of DRM will keep determined hackers out.
Dave H

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 3:29 pm · Reply

Why isn’t it on the PPC versions? All those poor sods who bought AmigaOnes need an operating system. All seven of them.

That is, if their AmigaOne hasn’t broken already.
TimD

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 3:55 pm · Reply

Red rag to a bull?
OzzysCross101

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 4:06 pm · Reply

WEll of COURSE they’re taking it seriously. Would you like it if someone stole your baby? Possibly, but for Steve and Co., that just dosn’t fly right.
rob

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 4:12 pm · Reply

If apple will give people what thay want (osx os to run on a pc ) thay will make huge bucks and eliminate a great deal of stealing.
ie. give the people what thay want = mak lots of money
jrag

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 4:39 pm · Reply

Actually, doesn’t that imply that you CAN put it on another machine, as long as it’s “yours”? That’s the ipod disclaimer “don’t steal music”, that you see on new ipods. And we all know you can dump stolen music on a ipod.
twdldee

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 5:28 pm · Reply

that’s a good attitude. tell your kids that drugs are bad, but when they abuse drugs, let the authorities that make the drugs illegal deal with the crap.

Kids, you have been warned.

Would be cool if there is some software in OS X that fries the processor of the illicit computer once it’s installed.
twdldee

Friday, January 13, 2006 - 5:38 pm · Reply

Installing a few pirated tunes is one thing, but an OS is the most sophisticated object created by software right now.

Dude, just get a Mac.

The iBooks, uh, MacBooks that are going to come out this year are going to be dirt cheap.

Oh, yeah, can’t wait for Jobs to have his own podcast, or for someone to leak it.

“Hi, everyone, this is your humble Lama, Stevie, broadcasting afterhours from a different office each week. Guess who’s? I’ve been looking through this drawer here and notice that someone’s kids are doing well at school, but didn’t make the varsity basketball team. From now on I will provide free basketball training workshops with none other than Wild Bill Walton…oh, and that’s a very attractive wife…what’s this? Ladies and gentlemen, contraband is strictly forbidden. The ROKR was a project, but nothing to be taken seriously. Well now I have to run along to my meditation room for my weekly world domination plotting, uh, meditation session. Peace be with you. Loves and hugs, Stevie”