jonas@lkbpyr.UUCP (Jonas Heyman) (01/09/90)
Hello, How do I copy protect ibm pc exe,com files. I've compiled a Dbase application and I don't won't people to make copys of it. What are the solutions ? Sincerley Jonas jonas@lkbpyr.lkb.se
darcy@druid.uucp (D'Arcy J.M. Cain) (01/10/90)
In article <399@lkbpyr.UUCP> jonas@lkbpyr.UUCP (Jonas Heyman) writes: >Hello, > >How do I copy protect ibm pc exe,com files. >I've compiled a Dbase application and I don't >won't people to make copys of it. >What are the solutions ? > >Sincerley Jonas > >jonas@lkbpyr.lkb.se Gather up all copies and set fire to them. No one will ever copy them after that and the world will be spared from yet another copy protected program. -- D'Arcy J.M. Cain (darcy@druid) | Thank goodness we don't get all D'Arcy Cain Consulting | the government we pay for. West Hill, Ontario, Canada | No disclaimers. I agree with me |
miller@b-mrda.boeing.com (Mark Miller) (01/11/90)
You don't. Copy protection does two things:
* It invites hackers to break the protection. And it can ALWAYS be
broken.
* It makes it difficult for your customers (the reason you're doing
this) to do honest things like make backup copies and install on
a hard disk. That upsets customers (like me) who would recommend
your competition's package because it is much easier to deal with.
Obviously, you want your money from your effort. You can go the
shareware route, which allows people to copy freely, and for the registration
fee you send them the manual. Or, you can make the program so heavily
dependent on the documentation that it is useless without a manual.
A third possible option (and the one I favor) is to sell your software
with a hardware copy protection device. This allows your users to copy the
file freely, but does not permit it to be used without the device installed
on the serial or parallel port. See the back pages of PC Magazine or PC Tech
Journal for such devices.
Please remember that no copy protection scheme (hardware or software) is
foolproof. You stand to profit more by putting your time and energy into making
your product affordable and VERY easy to use, and making the documentation
worth having.
======================================================================
Mark R. Miller + Disclaimer: Opinions expressed
Boeing Commercial Airplane Co. + are mine and mine alone, and
Seattle, WA + not necessarily those of my
Internet: miller@b-mrda.boeing.com + employer.
Voicenet: (206) 237-0960 +
+ +++ Phillipians 4:13 +++
======================================================================jbeard@ntvax.uucp (Jeff Beardsley) (01/11/90)
How do you copy protect?: YOU DO NOT! Sure it is possible to copy protect, through various unsavory means, but as already discussed in the ancient past (2-3 years ago), even the most vile offenders, (Lotus Corp., and Ashton Tate) have stopped for the most part. One different possibility is to allow users to copy to their hearts content, and have changing passwords or a codebook, etc, so that only the buyer (hypothetically) can use it. Still, if you would like the software user to respect you as a software author/distributor, don't even do this, just let them use it. -- ----- <Jeff Beardsley> --------------------- <jbeard@dept.csci.unt.edu> ----- Any similarity between my opinions and the opinion of any other person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
gary@dvnspc1.Dev.Unisys.COM (Gary Barrett) (01/11/90)
In article <399@lkbpyr.UUCP>, jonas@lkbpyr.UUCP (Jonas Heyman) writes: > Hello, > > How do I copy protect ibm pc exe,com files. > I've compiled a Dbase application and I don't > won't people to make copys of it. I guess that you don't want to sell it either. Copy protection! A curse on you! -- ======================================================================== Gary L. Barrett My employer may or may not agree with my opinions. And I may or may not agree with my employer's opinions. ========================================================================