Windows XP Service Pack 2 available to pirates
 

A Microsoft product manager has said that the company has not made any effort to prevent Windows XP Service Pack 2 from installing on computers without properly licensed copies of Windows XP. SP1 was released with anti-piracy measures aimed at rendering pirated copies of XP inoperable. Barry Goffe, the product manager who spoke with ComputerTimes, explained the decision.

http://arstechnica.com/news/posts/1084120121.html

Interesting decision, not an easy one, nevertheless.