Unfortunately Lephturn, Hussein is not totally off base with that statement. SP1 currently won't do that, but installing it does add the following into the EULA, which does give Microsoft the right to do that should they wish to do so. Windows Media Player 9 adds a copy protection capablilty as well. You can currently turn it off in the beta as of right now though...
Additions to EULA with SP1:
Security Updates. Content providers are using the digital rights management technology ("Microsoft DRM") contained in this Product to protect the integrity of their content ("Secure Content") so that their intellectual property, including copyright, in such content is not misappropriated. Owners of such Secure Content ("Secure Content Owners") may, from time to time, request Microsoft to provide securty related updates to the Microsoft DRM components of the Product ("Security Updates") that may affect your ability to copy, display and/or play Secure Content through Microsoft software of third party applications that utilize Microsoft DRM. You therefore agree that, if you elect to download a license from the Internet which enables your use of Secure Content, Microsoft may, in conjunction with such license, also download onto your computer such Security Updates that a Secure Content Owner has requested that Microsoft distribute. Microsoft will not retrieve any personally identifiable information, or any other information, from your computer by downloading such Security Updates.
They also add this to the EULA:
Internet-Based Services Components. The Product contains components that enable and facilitate the use of certain Internet-based services. You acknowledge and agree that Microsoft may automatically check the version of the Product and/or its components that you are utilizing and may provide upgrades or fixes to the Product that will be automatically downloaded to your Workstation Computer.
This is in Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 as well. In Windows 2000 you can manually kill the Automatic Update service, curiously the disable option under the control panel does not stop the service from running.
Microsoft hasn't done anything yet, but they now have the legal right and capability to do so.
