DON'T buy SPORE!!!!!!!

Well, it is now officially Spore is a must NOT have game!

Just reading the new this morning about the game sued over anti-piracy software. Basically when you install the game to your computer, the game also install an anti-piracy software, SecuROM, to your computer as well...with out telling you or asking for permission. You are given no control, rights or options over SecuROM and once installed, it becomes a permanent part of the your' software portfolio. Even if you uninstalls Spore and entirely deletes it from your computer, SecuROM remains a fixture in your computer unless and until you completely wipes your hard drive through reformatting or replacement of the drive.

Here is the detail

Spore creators sued over anti-piracy software

The freshly-launched Spore computer game that lets people play God has been hit with a lawsuit accusing its creators of slipping devilish anti-piracy software onto players' machines.

The lawsuit filed this week in a federal court in Northern California contends that players were not warned about tenacious digital rights management (DRM) software that stays in computers even if game programs are removed.

Spore maker Electronic Arts told buyers that there are anti-piracy safeguards but did not advise people the SecuROM program it used "is essentially a virus that installs itself without warning," the lawsuit alleges.

The DRM software attaches itself to the "command and control centres" of computers and tracks activities, blocks certain operations and even disrupts hardware, according to the suit filed on Monday (local time).

A US woman was named as the plaintiff in the lawsuit, which is seeking class action status to represent all Spore buyers.

The filing demands a jury trial and wants Electronic Arts forced to pay unspecified damages as well as turn over money it has made from Spore, which went on sale in Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States this month.

Electronic Arts declined an AFP request for comment, saying it does not discuss pending litigation.

DRM software is commonly used to thwart piracy of video games, as well as digitised music and films.

- AFP