[net.micro.pc] A new copy protection scheme - is this feasible?

jmsellens@watmath.UUCP (John M Sellens) (08/11/84)

I've been thinking about this for a little while, and would like your
opinions on whethere or not it is a good idea.

Imagine buying a small board, at a very modest price, which contains
(almost) nothing but empty sockets.  Imagine that every time you buy
a protected package, you get a small PROM to insert in one of your
sockets.  Imagine that every time you start the program, it looks to
see whether or not your PROM is there.

As I see it:
Advantages:
- When your machine breaks, you can simply(?) move your board/PROM to
  a different machine.
- Can put on a hard disk (without needing some sort of 'key' diskette)
  and can make an arbitrary number of backup copies.
- Can sell your copy of the software, but it is impossible to keep a
  usable copy for yourself.
- No more weird diskettes.

Disadvantages:
- Requires cooperation between IBM and a mess of software manufacturers.
- Requires a (short?) slot.
- Large(?) initial outlay?
- What if you zap your PROM by some freak of nature??
- Like any other protection scheme, it would be possible to patch out
  the protection code, but I would guess that this would be acceptable
  since I would perceive the product as more acceptable to the public
  i.e. I don't buy copy-protected software if I can help it at all,
  simply because it's a drag to use.
- Requires reserved locations in memory or something that restricts
  the hardware a little (I don't know enough to comment accurately
  on such things).

Comments??

John M Sellens
UUCP:  {decvax|utzoo|ihnp4|allegra|clyde}!watmath!jmsellens
CSNET: jmsellens%watmath@waterloo.csnet
ARPA:  jmsellens%watmath%waterloo.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa

nather@utastro.UUCP (Ed Nather) (08/13/84)

[]
What's to keep me from duplicating the PROM and giving my friends
a copy?

-- 

                                 Ed Nather
                                 {allegra,ihnp4}!{ut-sally,noao}!utastro!nather
                                 Astronomy Dept., U. of Texas, Austin

slag@charm.UUCP (Peter Rosenthal) (08/16/84)

slurp slurp


problem #1:  You can patch out the code.( already mentioned)

problem #2:  You could copy the prom.

problem #3:  There is no 3.