“Here is what secuROM does:

After the first activation, SecuROM requires that it re-check with the server within ten days (in case the CD Key has become public/warez’d and gets banned). Just so that the 10 day thing doesn’t become abrupt, SecuROM tries its first re-check with 5 days remaining in the 10 day window. If it can’t contact the server before the 10 days are up, nothing bad happens and the game still runs. After 10 days a re-check is required before the game can run.”

This is going to be included in The Sims 3 and the highly anticipated Spore game. For more information on this, join this forum, which has this to say about the situation:

“I want to mention something here, at the beginning of this movement. This forum is not about piracy. Some of you may be pirates, and some of you may not be. That is irrelevant for our purposes. Our goal is to convince EA and other games companies to rescind their decision to use the “new” SecuROM on future games. The new SecuROM is invasive, Big Brotherish, and demeaning to those who purchase the game. On top of that, SecuROM, in all its forms, is well known to cause computer breakage of varying sorts. On top of that, usage of MY connection at unknown intervals, transferring unknown amounts of data of an encrypted, unknown sort, is nothing less than thievery. They’re stealing bandwidth, risking computer integrity, transferring unknown and unapproved information, and treating users who legitimately acquire their games like criminals. This is unacceptable.”

I want to make my position very clear - I am very against Securom, and its unauthorised installation on my computer, to such an extent that I removed it using Noukie’s very handy guide.

We shouldn’t have to stand for this, it isn’t fair on anyone. Whilst piracy is rampant amongst all computer media, this is nothing short of an Orwellian nightmare.

The only way this can be avoided is if people speak up about it now, and get EA to listen.