The Windows operating system and the Office software suite are some of the most popular pirate cracking software products, as they are used by almost everyone – from schoolchildren to older people.
In this regard, Microsoft Corporation, which is the developer of both brands, has taken new measures in the fight against piracy: this time the company will use blockchain. The initiative became known after the publication of the Microsoft research department, compiled with the participation of experts from Alibaba and Carnegie Mellon University.
Note that Microsoft’s attitude towards cryptocurrencies has been lackluster lately. In particular, in February 2021, the president of the company, Brad Smith, said that the giant had no plans to change its position on investing in digital assets. In other words, the company is not going to invest in Bitcoin – and even more so on a large scale.
At the same time, back in May 2019, Microsoft added BTC to the list of currencies inside the Excel program. And although this step was small, it somehow played a role in the popularity of cryptocurrency. Now the software maker has turned its attention to Ethereum.
Microsoft works with blockchain
As the title of the study suggests, «Argus: A Fully Transparent Anti-Piracy Campaign Incentive System,» Microsoft’s new development builds on the transparency aspect of blockchains. The Argus project, built on the Ethereum network, should shape a more effective anti-piracy strategy.
Here is a quote from a publication in which experts share their thoughts on what is happening. The replica is provided by Cointelegraph.
We see this as a distributed system problem. In the process of implementing the project, we overcome a number of inevitable obstacles to ensure security, despite the complete transparency of the blockchain.
Recall that the blockchain is indeed a completely transparent and decentralized database. In the case of cryptocurrencies, anyone can track the desired transaction, see the contents of the wallets of the transfer participants, and also see the entire history of interaction with the network. At the same time, the person may easily not know the identity of the authors of the transactions. Although if it becomes known, then the essence of the transfers will be clearer – this feature is called pseudo-anonymity in cryptocurrency networks.
Watermarks with the need to activate inside Windows do not save you from piracy
Argus allows pirated content to be traced back to its source using a watermarking algorithm. Every content theft report, also called «proof of leak», is completely anonymous. The system also includes safeguards to reduce incentives so that a whistleblower does not report the same content over and over again under different pseudonyms. The experts continue.
With the safety and practicality of Argus, we hope that real anti-piracy campaigns will be truly effective with the move to a fully transparent incentive mechanism for reporting leaks.
This means that it will be possible to get into the field of vision of Microsoft employees, including on the initiative of other people who are concerned about the legality of the content and software consumed.
Piracy since Windows XP
It is noteworthy that Ethereum is gaining great popularity not only among corporations, but also in entire geographic regions. According to a recent report from crypto exchange Gemini, compiled in partnership with CoinMarketCap and Seedly, two-thirds of Singapore-based investors hold digital assets. The study sample was compiled from 4,348 investment portfolios – and 67 percent of them have crypto on hand. At the same time, 78 percent of these portfolios own Ethereum, while only 69 percent of holders have Bitcoin. Other popular coins include Cardano and Binance Coin at 40 percent and 31 percent, respectively.
Some other facts from the study: the average age of crypto investors, the proportion of those who are going to buy crypto in the coming year, and the proportion of female digital asset holders
Ethereum’s growing popularity is attributed to the ongoing boom in DeFi protocols, the successful integration of the important London update, and the hype around NFT tokens. All of the above is highly dependent on the altcoin network, so many people buy ETH at least for the mass adoption of the cryptocurrency and the further development of the mentioned niches.
Still, for any interactions with the Ethereum network, ETH is needed to pay for gas, which means that blockchain users will not be able to do without ether.
We believe Microsoft’s initiative will have a good impact on the reputation of the second largest cryptocurrency by market cap. It once again proves the enormous potential of distributed networks, which are characterized by transparency and immutability. Therefore, there is a high probability that other global giants will appreciate the Eth network in the future.
