Microsoft and Alibaba rely on Ethereum against pirated software – BTC Direct

US software giant Microsoft wants to develop anti-piracy software. The intention is to release this software on the network EthereumThey do this with the help of research from Chinese internet giant Alibaba and Carnegie Mellon University. If you want to read this again, check out paper Written by Microsoft Research.

Giant with hundreds of eyes

So Microsoft is partnering with Alibaba and Carnegie Mellon and says that the new system called “Argus” will run on the public blockchain. You know the name argus from Argus Eyes, which refers to a giant from Greek mythology, with hundreds of eyes all over its body. Therefore, the phrase ‘observe something suspiciously’ means that one looks at something vigilantly and with some suspiciousness.

According to Microsoft, one of the main challenges in developing such a network was finding a balance between privacy and transparency. Let’s say you are a whistleblower or a whistleblower of hacking use, in most cases you want to remain anonymous.

Leak proof

Using a proof of leakage mechanism, Argus will be able to trace illegal content back to its original source through a watermarking algorithm. This means that the same item cannot be claimed more than once without actually owning it. Due to concerns about high transaction fees or “gas fees” faced by the Ethereum blockchain, the team has improved several cryptocurrencies.

This should ensure that hacking reporting costs are reduced to the equivalent of sending around 14 ETH transactions. According to the newspaper, this is a small amount. At the moment, the cost of a single transaction is 2.81 euros. Either registering your digital watermark on the blockchain now costs €39.34. It is not yet clear if the user will pay for it, or if Microsoft will adapt to it.

Who pays for Microsoft Office?

Microsoft has been a victim of software piracy for years. In 2018, then-CEO Steve Ballmer complained that only 1% of companies in China that use Microsoft Office paid for it, costing Seattle’s $10 billion in lost profits annually.

Alibaba’s online marketplace Taobao encountered a different kind of problem and was blacklisted by the United States Trade Representative’s office in 2016 for selling counterfeit goods. Ant Group, a subsidiary of fintech company Alibaba, was among the top Chinese industrial companies in 2020 and was deeply involved in the development of blockchain and CBDCs for the Chinese central bank.