davidd@ttidca.TTI.COM (David Dantowitz) (06/15/90)
One note in this thread mentioned the idea of using a hardware key with each software product (as a method of adding a machine readable serial number to a single CPU). If low cost (unforgable) keys were available, would the accountability of each copy lower the costs for software? Current costs per unit are in the vicinity of $30-$50 (U.S.). Any thoughts on hardware keys? One variation on this scheme was mentioned earlier: have users subscribe to a local (network) service that provides access to software. The same service could authenticate a user and make an appropriate charge to her account. A 30 second call to an 800 number wouldn't tie up a line, but would require that the user had a modem. David Dantowitz Not an employee of Citicorp/TTI, just a full-time student working here part-time. -- David Dantowitz Singing Barbershop when not computing
davidd@ttidcb.tti.com (David Dantowitz) (06/16/90)
re: David Snearline's note To provide for the student using the campus computers and perhaps one own at home, the solution is to use a small ADB-type device that plugs in easily. (Such a device is on the market today, toward the $50 range and can be in series with the keyboard or mouse or at the end of an ADB line.) Yes, I would never support disk level protection -- too vunerable. A better solution would be to use something built into EVERY CPU. I believe that every ETHERNET card has a UNIQUE address. Some products use this number as a protection against unauthorized use.