If you’ve ever downloaded a pirated Microsoft Windows release from the internet, you may have heard of the name ‘BIE’. BIE is a veteran release group who focused mainly on cracking Microsoft operating systems such as Windows Vista. In addition to official builds, BIE also released OS versions which had latest hotfixes and new features from Windows Update integrated into them. Anyways bad news for pirates and good news for Microsoft – BIE seems to be quitting the scene, at least for a limited period of time. Quoted below is the SceneNotice titled SINCERELY-BIE they released on the 19th April:
Now its time....BIE quits. Because of the economic crisis we had to release our members. But seriously: Our friends know, that we have got careers, families and even a real-life! We brought you fine releases a long time. But in the past month the gossip went up, the fun went down.
BIE was made just4fun. So for now we will quit to take care of our live and our loves. We will not leave the scene, so perhaps we will start again someday. So please dont take this as an "GoodBye", its just a "StandBy".
Who thinks we have to do some payback for all the gossip, would perhaps be right, but didnt recognize us and our ideology at all. We dont give a fu*k on this kiddy-shit! Fu*k the "Scene", we have got friends!!! We would like to thank our friends, we appreciate! Thank you very much!
To preventore gossip: No....we dont quit because of Microsofts new WGA. Our friends already got a new crack. If u havent got a new crack, perhaps u are not our friend..... ;o)
cYa
The
BIE-Leader
(There was also a German version of this message included with the SceneNotice - BIE is a German group).
It would be interesting to see which group will take over Windows releases in the absence of BIE. Earlier on it used to be ETH0 but they too quitted the scene long ago. Anyways folks from Microsoft will be extremely happy with this news – no doubt they still remember the infamous message displayed when a BIE crack is applied to a Windows installation “Please wait while BIE cracks Billy’s ass”.