Thread: Restricted software and hardware usage on a computer

A client computer runs an operating system that executes additional applications by loading them using an application loader and executes device drivers for peripheral devices by loading the drivers using a device loader. The operating system restricts the functionality of the operating system, such as by making selected portions and functionality of the operating system unavailable to the user or by limiting the user's ability to add software applications or device drivers to the computer. Additionally, various techniques can be used to remove or reduce the functionality limitations of the computer.

United States Patent: 7536726

You'll see it is Microsoft that registered this patent. Scroll down a bit and:

In exchange for payment, a software or hardware vendor will acquire a digital signature(s) for the appropriate program files from the supplier of the program files. The digital signature(s) will then be transmitted to the consumer in exchange for payment to the vendor.

Do they plan to make users pay for drivers or even OS functionality as an anti-piracy measure?

I think this was the problem that the owners/creators of PeerGuardian 2 faced, when Vista came out. They were unable to pay for such a digital signatures, and so PG2 could not function in Vista x64. There were a few solutions, like disabling them via a command window, but an update from MS ended that option. The only other option was to have to press F8 at startup and select something like "Do no load digital signatures", which eventually became a pain in the ass. Then someone created a BOOT loader which would automatically go into boot options and select"Do not...", and so PG2 was able to function.

I think I read somewhere that when PG3 gets released they will have digital signatures for it, in preparation for 7.