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by mirimir 2620 days ago
If they didn't catch bugs, maybe they also wouldn't catch booby-traps. Are there examples where developers have done that?
2 comments

FTDI modified the driver for their USB<->RS232 chips so that it would brick counterfeits: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/10/ftdis...
So not one that worked out well.

The article discusses Microsoft's anti-piracy measures. And it brings back horrible memories. So I had this server, running Windows Server 2000. And there was a nearby lightning strike, which bricked the motherboard.

But hey, service contract. Except that the company had gone through reorganization. So they sent me a motherboard that was comparable and compatible with the box. But it had a different seller code, so my copy of Windows Server 2000 wouldn't install.

Microsoft couldn't/wouldn't fix that. So I had to return the replacement motherboard, wait for another replacement, and install it. But hey, it all worked out in the end.

Yeah, that's DRM by another name. I'd be worried about doing it wrong and affecting customers.