Product Activation Mandatory in MS Windows XP
Microsoft Windows XP will require users to authenticate their ownership of the operating system online. The authentication protocol will store a profile of the user�s system configuration in order to bind each copy of XP to a specific computer.Microsoft Cracks Down On Sharing Windows XP, Wall Street Journal, July 5, 2001 (subscription required).
Microsoft softens XP anti-piracy feature, CNET (Reuters), July 18, 2001.
WinXP product activation cracked: totally, horribly, fatally, The Register, July 17, 2001.