jtreworgy@eagle.wesleyan.edu (08/21/89)
I just read a review in Amazing Computing about some spreadsheet. This isn't important. What is important is how this thing was copy protected, and it seems like the ultimate solution to the whole copy protection problem. You buy the piece of software, and you get a copy protected version. Then, when you send in the registration card, they send you an UNprotected copy of the program, encoded with an ID they can track your name with. That way the honest folks can have an unprotected copy to do what they want with, and there will be absolutely no excuse for copy program makers to make a parameter or whatever for it. In this particular case it was somewhat less than ideal (you had to send them $10.00). The program in question was also dongle protected. This kind of system seems pretty benign to me. It wouldn't cost the company much (another $2.00 at most after the sale to send out a new disk) and everybody would be happy. Are any software companies listening? I can't see any flaws with this system. They would also save themselves the trouble of dealing with consumers' disks that have gone bad, since everyone would be able to make their own backup copies. (Or maybe they like this trouble... don't companies usually charge $10.00 or so for replacement disks? Certainly more than enough to cover costs...but that's a different discussion) As an afterthought, they could even take this a step further. Protect it with a dongle in the first place. (i.e. so you could make a backup from the start). Then send you a new disk as above, unprprotected, and with a postpaid mailer. If you send them the dongle back, they will then send you a refund. It would probably save a lot of dongle production costs, too. (Actually as an afterafterthought this is probably a little too involved for joe software buyer, but I think the original proposition is fine) -- James A. Treworgy jtreworgy@eagle.wesleyan.edu jtreworgy%eagle@WESLEYAN.BITNET
alj@bilver.UUCP (alj) (08/23/89)
...but wouldn't the people who make the copying programs find/distribute a way to copy the program anyway? Some of their customers might just want it anyway... Sad but true. -- ****************************************************************************** * (uiucuxc, hoptoad, petsd)!peora!tarpit!bilver!alj PLink: DUNG * * alj@bilver.UUCP <FEH> GEnie: A.JOHNSONJR * ******************************************************************************
kudla@pawl.rpi.edu (Robert J. Kudla) (08/24/89)
In article <286@bilver.UUCP> alj@bilver.UUCP (alj) writes:
...but wouldn't the people who make the copying programs find/distribute a
way to copy the program anyway? Some of their customers might just want it
anyway...
Sad but true.
Yes, and for strictly informational, politically correct purposes,
this is how:
Get two unscrupulous, nasty people to buy the program and get the
unprotected version.
Write a program to mark all the differences between the two
unprotected disks.
Render the ID useless.
This could be circumvented by a number of means: encode the ID in such
a way that if it's not up to some mathematical spec, it still won't
function. Or be intelligent and creative and put a slightly different
title screen, music (if appropriate) or whatever, or just fill all
unused sectors with random information. That would make it a bitch to
crack, but not impossible.
politically correct disclaimer: I haven't cracked a piece of software
since my early c64 days, and have never done so on the Amiga. So
before you scream bloody murder, remember "Steal this Book".
--
Robert Jude Kudla <kudla@pawl.rpi.edu> <kudla@acm.rpi.edu> <fw3s@RPITSMTS>
Pi-Rho America \\ /// Blah
2346 15th St. \\ ///
Troy, NY 12180 /X\ \\\/// keywords: mike oldfield yes u2 r.e.m. new order
(518)271-8624 // \\ \XX/ steely dan f.g.t.h. kate bush .....and even Rushamir@pro-generic.cts.com (Amir Michail) (08/24/89)
Network Comment: to #3198 by jtreworgy@eagle.wesleyan.edu You can't do anything to the customer if you find his copy (with his ID) being distributed to others. The reason is rather simple; pirates can hack unprotected versions easily, and hence, an ID system becomes useless. UUCP: crash!pro-generic!amir ARPA: crash!pro-generic!amir@nosc.mil INET: amir@pro-generic.cts.com