mike%udel-oitvax.arpa@UDEL.EDU.UUCP (02/18/87)
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Some of our people are getting into the business of selling software, and
would like to implement software protection mechanisms:
- some serial number checked by the software
- yearly maintenance agreements & fees
- blowup dates
Anybody out there have any reasonably secure general mechanisms that could
be considered for VAX software?
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Given how well the DEBUG and PATCH work, any scheme would have to execute at an
elevated privilege level to render DEBUG useless. Having privileged code just
to prevent the occasional un-licensed user creates more problems for users in
general than it solves. Also bear in mind that if a competitor offers a
similar product that is not protected, I would certainly recommend that the
un-protected program be purchased.
I get very annoyed at people who sell software like this. The typical problems
I run into are:
1. The updates are not delivered on time, meaning that the users can not
run because the software "expired".
2. I get pressured into doing an update when I may not have time to do it.
Is pirated software through typical VAX users a problem? I know the
University of Delaware would never consider running software that we are
not licensed for - it is not worth the potential problems.
Mike Porter
Systems Programmer
University of Delaware
mike@oitvax.udel.edu
mike%udel-oitvax@udel.arpa
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