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Big Brother Corel Draw may be watching you...

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I think it is wrong for a software publisher to include what Corel included in PSP XI without informing the customer. I want to know what I am installing on my computer. If the software publisher wants copy protection, fine--just tell me so I can make an informed choice. I am glad I did not purchase PSP XI. I probably will not every purchase PSP XI. I will be informing two or three friends who have been contemplating PSP XI. I doubt they will continue contemplating PSP XI.

Makes me wonder what other software publishers are doing without informing custormers. Reminds me of the ID tak Microsoft put in the Office 97 verision of Word.

Is it time to think twice before buying new versions of "traditional" (as opposed to open source or other) software???
--
thezero
 
Thanks for the info. What is the name of the process? I did not install the trial but bought and installed the program outright and I do not see any such service running in task manager. Does only the trial install it?
--
Tom

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25301400@N00/
 
I found it and was able to remove it without uninstalling PSP XI.

I believe we are overreacting to this since it is there only to prevent illegal copying but if you want to remove it, it is unnecessary to go to the extremes you did. I simply ran task manager to stop the process. I then went to the system32 folder and moved the PSIKey.dll and PSIService.exe files to another folder. I then went to the Paint Shop Pro Photo XI under Program Files and moved PsiClient.dll. I rebooted and the PSIService.exe process was not running. I started PSP XI and it ran fine so it is not necessary to uninstall PSP XI to get rid of the process. I really don't think it's harming anything anyways. Such Paranoia!! BTW, I moved rather than deleted the files in case it caused a problem I could simply move the files back rather than reinstall the program.

--
Tom

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25301400@N00/
 
freddyNZ said:
Philip said:
hbx2004

I use PSP XI and I also use Zone Alarm.

How do I stop them from snooping?
Click to expand...
It's probably a little extreme to call it "snooping".
AFAIK "Protexis" does not communicate directly with Corel or
anybody else, and if you block PSP from outgoing connection in your
firewall, then it still works fine.
Click to expand...
Exactly.
freddyNZ said:
If you want to use PSP XI, then you've probably got to put up with
the fact that Protexis is running on your system - as if you
disable it, then PSP isn't going to run. It runs as a service in
the background - and uses a little system resources.
Click to expand...
Yes...

Having outbound protection, I've noticed almost all commercial software tries to connect to internet automatically (being while installing or later when using software). That means, those who doesn't have such protection (and are connected to internet) simply cannot know that connection was established and that some data was shared to someone. Software developers describe that as a feature: auto check for update, etc... well, I'm not sure that's allways true -fact is, we don't know what is being sent to them.

Thinking further, Protexis is similar to (well known in the past) Gator malware: once installed, very difficult to remove... even worse: user doesn't know of it's existence.

One is for sure: Protexis doesn't prevent PSP being pirated and I'm sure Corel knoew that. Now I wonder: what is real purpose of Protexis? What else to assume as: for spying.

Bogdan
--
My pictures are my memories
http://freeweb.siol.net/hrastni3/
 
hbx2004 said:
Thinking further, Protexis is similar to (well known in the past)
Gator malware: once installed, very difficult to remove... even
worse: user doesn't know of it's existence.
Click to expand...
Both of those programs show up in task manager. I found both programs easy to remove but then I'm a 61 year old computer geek :-)
--
Tom

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25301400@N00/
 
tbcass said:
hbx2004 said:
Thinking further, Protexis is similar to (well known in the past)
Gator malware: once installed, very difficult to remove... even
worse: user doesn't know of it's existence.
Click to expand...
Both of those programs show up in task manager. I found both
programs easy to remove but then I'm a 61 year old computer geek :-)
Click to expand...
LOL, but the point is: ".. user doesn't know of it's existence." There are a lot processes listed in Task Manager. Which of them is needed to be (safe) removed? Not everybody is 61 and being comp. geek :-)

Greetings,
Bogdan

--
My pictures are my memories
http://freeweb.siol.net/hrastni3/
 
(iii) Corel may provide you with product and marketing information regarding this Product and other Corel, and Corel third party marketing partners’, products and services while you are Using the Product. Specifically, you acknowledge and agree that Corel may monitor your Use of the Product, and collect, use, and share with Corel’s third party marketing partners, data relating to your Use of the Product for advertising, marketing and operational purposes, all in accordance with Corel’s Privacy Policy located at http://www.corel.com/privacy . Use of the Product constitutes consent to such monitoring and data collection, and to receipt of in-Product messages from Corel and its third party marketing partners.
 
tbcass said:
I found it and was able to remove it without uninstalling PSP XI.

I believe we are overreacting to this since it is there only to
prevent illegal copying but if you want to remove it, it is
unnecessary to go to the extremes you did. I simply ran task
manager to stop the process. I then went to the system32 folder and
moved the PSIKey.dll and PSIService.exe files to another folder. I
then went to the Paint Shop Pro Photo XI under Program Files and
moved PsiClient.dll. I rebooted and the PSIService.exe process was
not running. I started PSP XI and it ran fine so it is not
necessary to uninstall PSP XI to get rid of the process. I really
don't think it's harming anything anyways. Such Paranoia!! BTW, I
moved rather than deleted the files in case it caused a problem I
could simply move the files back rather than reinstall the program.
Click to expand...
Interesting that removing the dll from the PSP program files directory allows PSP to run without Protexis Licensing. That's fine for the reasonably computer savvy, but I do not expect that your mother in law will be able to follow your instructions! My grizzle is that for the "average user" (if there is such a thing), then resource leaching drm sneakware is set to become a major problem for users.

From your post, I see that you are in the USA. You do realise that by posting information that advises a user on a method to disable Corel's DRM method, that you have committed at least one criminal offense under the DMCA 1998? I understand the penalty can be 5 years prison.
 
I typically try to support companies that do not have the monopoly position if at all possible. For that reason I purchased PSP XI instead of Elements 5 as my first photo editing software. My research indicated it to be somewhere between Elements and the full Photoshop. For my needs it has done a great job, and I always feel good supporting the underdog.

This thread does concern me however. At the same time I can't help but think that other companies are probably doing the exact same thing. With all the 30 day trials from Adobe arent they doing the exact same thing. I downloaded the Lightroom trial. Did it put spyware on my system?

Should Corel be singled out or is this a very common thing?
 
LeeK0 said:
I typically try to support companies that do not have the monopoly
position if at all possible. For that reason I purchased PSP XI
instead of Elements 5 as my first photo editing software. My
research indicated it to be somewhere between Elements and the full
Photoshop. For my needs it has done a great job, and I always feel
good supporting the underdog.

This thread does concern me however. At the same time I can't help
but think that other companies are probably doing the exact same
thing. With all the 30 day trials from Adobe arent they doing the
exact same thing. I downloaded the Lightroom trial. Did it put
spyware on my system?

Should Corel be singled out or is this a very common thing?
Click to expand...
Protexis isn't (AFAIK) spyware as such.
Others (incl adobe) use drm and product activation technologies.

Corel should be singled out not because they use drm and product activation, but because the way that they implement this sucks. Adobe manage to achieve the same - but without loading sneakware on a user's PC that isn't cleaned up when a trial or full installation is removed by the user.
If Corel get away with this, then others will follow.
 
I suspect Protexis stops a lot of people who do the trial version from using the software beyond the trial period. A lot of people won't bother trying to pirate if there is no easy work around. Corel is not aiming it at sophisticated crackers.
 
What I find disturbing is the attitude that a company feels it has the right to monitor your use of the product simply because they sold it to you. There is a growing trend in the business world to ignore any right to privacy the customer may have.

Corel does not give the information to third parties - they sell it. I personally do my best to avoid using any product that has so called spy-ware attacted to it in any form. If I cannot disable it, I will not use it unless I nhave no alternative.
 
freddyNZ said:
Protexis isn't (AFAIK) spyware as such.
Click to expand...
IMHO any product that monitors my actions and reports on them to another is spyware - period. Some my be less offensive than others but they are all spyware.

Not only are they monitoring us, they are then selling the information to others.
 
freddyNZ said:
From your post, I see that you are in the USA. You do realise that
by posting information that advises a user on a method to disable
Corel's DRM method, that you have committed at least one criminal
offense under the DMCA 1998? I understand the penalty can be 5
years prison.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the heads up. I never heard of that. It seems to be reserved for those that remove copyright protection and post such Info on web sites or distribute said product without protection.

http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/iclp/dmca1.htm

--
Tom

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25301400@N00/
 
So Corel does let one know, provided one takes the time to read the fine print. Thank you for informing us. I still will not purchase PSP XI. I agree that a company that believes it has the right to monitor because a customer buys/uses their product is wrong.

I still ask: how many other software publishers are doing this????
--
thezero
 
no crime. You are simply explaining the technical aspects of this software. The link you give states that quite clearly... :)

Dave
tbcass said:
freddyNZ said:
From your post, I see that you are in the USA. You do realise that
by posting information that advises a user on a method to disable
Corel's DRM method, that you have committed at least one criminal
offense under the DMCA 1998? I understand the penalty can be 5
years prison.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the heads up. I never heard of that. It seems to be
reserved for those that remove copyright protection and post such
Info on web sites or distribute said product without protection.

http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/iclp/dmca1.htm

--
Tom

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25301400@N00/
Click to expand...
 
Wow, is the licence agreement really displayed in that horrible difficult-to-read font? You'd think they didn't want anyone to read it :-~
 
... Sony took a world-class beating over installing nasties with their copy protected CDs ... I hope these guys take the same beating and find another way.

--
http://letkeman.net/Photos
 
Right on!!

I had my PC compromised by one of tose doctored Sony music CD's. Fortunately I read the earliest revelations about the invasive software and found excellent info on removing it.

Needless to say I am no longer a customer of anything Sony. As Elliott Erwitt, the one time photographer for Magnum once said after having been rebuffed by the staff of Annie Leibovitz, "I only get f* ed for free once. Second time you’ve got to kiss me."

Big business would do well to remember when they try and pull one over on their customers that many of them feel that way too.

--
Equipment
=======

Tin Type camera - and I have the powder burns to prove it!
 
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