[tor-talk] software activation

[Matt Joyce]

On 13/10/12 17:19, SiNA Rabbani wrote:
> Its very much possible and very easy  as long as the software supports
> socks proxy.
>
> Even if the software does not provide proxy support you can try transparent
> proxy and activate over Tor.
> On Oct 13, 2012 12:27 AM, "Achter Lieber" <zzretro999 at email2me.net> wrote:
>
>> Hello.
>>   Has anyone any experience with activating a software online through Tor?
>>
>>   I have to do that soon but I use Tor for most of my internet.
>>
>>   Many sites are blocked where I live so it has become common or normal
>> routine for me to use Tor
>>   but I haven't tried it yet for activation.
>>
>>   Now I just remember I had purchased a software some years ago but
>> everytime I tried to download an upgrade of new fish, it wouldn't update,
>> until I forgetfully did it while running Tor,
>>   and it worked!
>>
>>   Jeez, am I answering my own question?
>>   If I am, thank you very much.
>>   What a quick response!!!
>>   Amazing.
>>
>>   Thanks
>> _______________________________________________
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>> https://lists.torproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tor-talk
>>
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Depending on the software and the method it uses for activation I could 
see some programs potentially having issues with this, namely if they 
are expecting a unique IP address or which flags or limits the number of 
activations per IP address in the event other tor users had activated 
that software happening to use the same exit node.  This is of course 
far more likely to come up with a popular title than something fairly 
obscure, in other words anyone thinking about trying this with windows 
or <insert latest game craze> for example don't be surprised if it flags 
you and demands you register and activate by telephone or something 
instead.  Some might also flag because of a serial:IP mismatch even if 
they don't normally limit the number of activations per IP by a single user.

Of course those using the above techniques are making a fundamental 
error of presuming an IP equates with a user which is a faulty 
assumption that breaks down in numerous instances without tor such as 
with businesses/universities where the NAT may well aggregate many 
separate paying purchasers behind one IP.  Similar issues are often 
encountered with many home internet connections and DHCP assigned IP's 
also, I have known people who have been through long and accusatory 
phone calls with vendors as a result of attempting to activate products 
while assigned an dynamic IP that had been used before resulting in a 
vendor freezing them out and demanding manual activation by phone.