Has Ubi's DRM Been Cracked Already?

Edit: we are informed by an anonymous tipster that the DRM is indeed removed. Apparently the 1.1 patch released by Ubi today was cracked within minutes.

The rumours are circulating that Ubisoft's new draconian always-online DRM has been cracked only one day after the release of Silent Hunter V. At this point we cannot verify if this is true, but the reports are that it is already possible to play the game without connecting to Ubisoft's servers, storing save games locally. While Ubisoft never claimed that their DRM was impenetrable, it was possible to infer they had long-term hopes for the system.

If this proves to be true this is clearly a huge blow to Ubisoft, bt certainly not one that they weren't loudly warned about. It highlights the most serious problem with increasingly prohibitive copyright protection: you inevitably end up only further punishing your paying customer base.

If Ubi's system is now irrelevant to pirates, then the consequences of the DRM are now that only those who pay for their game will suffer from the game refusing to play when your internet's down, or when away from a reliable signal. Those who illegally download the game will be the only ones who do not have their privacy invaded every time they play. This is incredibly serious.

We are looking forward to when Ubisoft backs down and removes this DRM so we can enjoy their games again.