hmm, i'm not getting into a discussion about the exact definition of "DRM" in this particular forum ^^
Anybody has made up their minds already anyway. As I said classifying anti-debugging techniques per se as "DRM" does not make sense to me. I guess you will have to analyze the executable of each game you buy and try to get a refund if it doesn't match your "100% clean" vision. And maybe start a list of games who are similarly "dirty", so that nobody who shares your opinion will accidentally buy them.
I wouldn't hold my breath though that GOG (or (game) developers in general) will ever completely satisfy your expectations.

now hold on. Those are separate issues if my memory of this thread is correct.
The first issue, which started the thread, is about the (unused?) FEARMP.exe. If a user accidentally clicks on that exe it will install some (dormant) files and a bunch of registry entries. While that doesn't actively do any harm it isn't particularly nice. Especially since that stuff won't get removed if you uninstall the game from what I understand. Leaving stuff behind is just shitty behavior (regardless of whether it is SecuROM or something else).
GOG said they had a workaround for this "in the works" and since apparently it would be enough to simply delete FEARMP.exe or replace it with a dummy exe it is unclear why that fix is taking so long.

The second issue which was posted just last year is that the two expansions don't launch if you have the ProcessMonitor tool running. It's not clear to me whether that was reported to support at the time or whether they acknowledged the issue here on the forums. Anyway, when someone opened a support ticked about it a few days ago, GOG replied (paraphrasing): "it's just an anti-debugger protection and we won't be removing it since the available workaround of simply closing ProcessMonitor seems acceptable for us."

different explanations for different problems

I´d still like to have an offical up-to-date response. It´s been a long time since April2015...

Exactly what I thought so here is the reply I just got from support:

"I've talked with the Production Lead and this is not DRM, it is an anti-debugger protection and we will not be allocating resources to remove it. Process Monitor is an optional software, since it is interfering with the game we recommend to close it.
It is not uncommon for software to interfere with games and in some cases closing other programs before launching will be required.

Regards"

Nothing really new and basically the same john_hatcher was told. I already replied that this probably won't satisfy the people keeping this thread active and I still don't think it's a good thing that such a thread saying that GOG sells a game with "DRM" still is active without some kind of solution. It's all about GOGs image here and I really hope that they will find a way to meet the unsatisfied customer half way. I have to say that I doubt this but I would love to be wrong here.

Because your post made me think of this, and we all need a laugh:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt5Ot990d74

DRM = Digital rights management. Simple as that. GOG also defines it as "no copy protection". Anti-debugging measurements are commonly used to prevent reverse engineering. The fact that it also can or even might be used for other things does not change this fact. SecuROM in itself IS DRM. Basically it is a DRM package and GOG only removed that part that is preventing to start the game without a Disc or a client.

These MIGHT in fact be different things (I can ask john_hatcher if those entrys are there even without clicking on the fearMP.exe but even this workaround never happened - three years later. It also does not change the fact that - no matter if those entrys are responsible for this or not - the DRM is far from being dormant and doing nothing.

Like I said. It was said that these entrys are leftovers of a DRM doing NOTHING. Wouldn't you say that if GOG really would have examined the issue thoroughly they should have seen that there still is some active protection left? But o.k. - even if we would say that these are two different problems with two different explanations this is the result for both of them:

Leftover files => We have a workaround in the works => 3 years later nothing happened.
Unable to launch game when process monitor is running => No problem - just shut it off

In the end they just defined a solution and told what they would want to do. But nothing happened and nothing evern WILL happen. So this thread will go on forever and new customers will be unsure if GOG really is that great when stumbling on it. Not a good idea, imo. If GOG would simply give some official feedback here in the thread to tell people that they are aware and maybe even offer something. But telling people that their problem is none is no help at all imo. I would want to keep customers happy especially when we are not talking about 1 or two persons here.

I got another reply from support:

"Users that have an issue with this can contact us, we will decided what to do on a case-by-case basis.

I'm pretty sure what Firek wrote concerns only the registry entries and dummy files created when launching multiplayer, the anti-debugging protection was not discussed back then. There was a test executable prepared that would remove those files when multiplayer was closed, but there were issues that prevented us from using it in the build. There was also the option to create a shortcut and launch this FearMP executable with the:
-iknowwhatimdoing
parameter, it should forcibly remove the known entries/files when launched using "Run as administrator". This executable and information was provided to the creator of the original support request from 2015. I'm attaching it as proof that something was being done, please don't distribute it on the forum."

I can confirm that the file was attached to my support message. The most important thing for me regarding this latest message was that the sentence I bolded. Imo this is a step forward towards the customer - even if it is a small step. This reply also showed that this workaround actually WAS in the works and that (like it was assumed before by immi101) this "andi-debugging-measurement"/conflict with process monitor is much newer.

Are there other games on GOG with SecuRom in them?
I am asking because I buy games here 'cause I am unwilling to have additional software installed on my PC without my permission.
And if it detects other programs running in the system, then how is that just inert leftovers of SecuRom, and not active DRM?

If there would be other cases you would probably find similar threads like these. I am not aware of such so I doubt it.

My actual knowledge about your question is that the "SecuROM leftover files" are inactive but also independent from the SecuROM error message given out when running process monitor. Like I said, I don't own the game - otherwise I would test it myself but GOG said that these leftover files will only be created when you launch the fearMP.exe (somebody owning the game could test this) while the SecuROM error message because of the "anti-debugging measure" according to john_hatchers test is occuring no matter if you launched fearMP.exe or not.

It is nice to see, that at least some users get a more profound answer. Only question that remains a mystery is, why no one ever posted this in this thread. Shows me again who much GOG values their customers.

I do agree and I too would have prefered if GOG would talk to the community directly like I have posted before. However - also like said - I consider this to be a step forward which I still do appreciate.

Just ran into this thread and, frankly, I am extremely disappointed.

Having some (presumably) inert SecuROM legacy files install was already a bit iffy. For a storefront priding itself on no-DRM stance, it means a shoddy work at removing said DRM, at best.

To learn that there are active SecuROM elements (honestly, I do not care if it's called "anti-debugging," "anti-piracy," or Denuvo's favorite "anti-tamper" - it's still a protection mechanism!) being sold without much of an action taken from GOG long after they have been informed about it...

Come on, GOG. I thought you were the good guys.

You are right about „better than nothing“, but only 1 step away from worst and many from good. What I especially don‘t like is that only a person with specialcontacts gets this kind of answer. I, a stupid standard customer gets shit as an answer.

@Lukaszmik: You said it ... they were the good guys. Today they are the „we don‘t make money with principles, but by ignoring them“.

You summarized this problem really well. If you own this game I would and have an issue with this fact (which obviously is the case) I would suggest you to contact support about it and see how this "we decide on a case by case base" is working out.
To be fair: the first answer I got was nearly identical to yours.

Make that a third confirmation. I just tested it, clean installation and NO Multiplayer selected at any point, just the single player started immediately after installing it:-

- Process Monitor + FEAR (main game) = Works fine

- Process Monitor + Extraction Point or Perseus Mandate = SecuROM error message 5025 and this link which describes the problem as : "SecuROM™ has determined that a File/Reg Mon program is present is running in the background. Please close this program before you start the application". See attached image. Process Explorer works fine but Process Monitor does not. The error message link also mentions "virtual drives" so it's possible that other utilities will trigger the same thing. It's also interesting that the two FEAR expansions are criticised for randomly stuttering more vs the base game. Maybe this is partly related to having SecuROM running and scanning for what else is running in the background?

- Also I just tested both No One Lives Forever 1 & 2 retail disc games (by the same Monolith developer using the same family of Lithtech engines) and they both worked fine with Process Monitor running.

Even deleting FEARMP.EXE doesn't change anything, the DRM is clearly still active in the single-player expansions as well and the old advice of "The only DRM is clicking on Multiplayer which installs inactive Securom registry entries" is not the whole story. As MarkoH01 said, "SecuROM has determined that x is running" error message = SecuROM DRM is obviously running. If the DRM weren't running there would be no such error messages.

GOG's Response = "Anti-debugger protection that sends an error link to a DRM web-page that openly describes its protections as "SecuROM’s disc-based Digital Rights Management ensures that only authorized users who have made a purchase can enjoy and use your valuable intellectual property" has nothing to do with DRM".

Come on GOG this is just embarrassing for everyone to read that "defence". SecuROM isn't an anti-cheat program like Steam's VAC, PunkBuster, etc, it's 100% nothing but DRM and only DRM. That's why running Cheat Engine / trainers, etc, don't trigger it, not to mention how totally nonsensical "anti-cheat protection" excuse is in a game that contains its own internal cheats...