cb@sequoia.execu.com (Christopher D. Brown) (09/21/90)
I hate copy protection but we must still use it in select
markets. The vendor that supplies our MS DOS copy protection
and LAN user count control does not (yet?) do Windows. Are
the any vendors addressing copy/LAN protection for MS Windows?
"Yes"s (if any) will be summarized.
Thanks ... Chris
---
Christopher D. Brown
Digital: {uunet|cs.utexas.edu}!execu!cb
Analog: (512) 327-7070
Physical: Execucom, 108 Wild Basin Road, Two Wild Basin, Austin, TX 78764
--
Christopher D. Brown
Digital: {uunet|cs.utexas.edu}!execu!cb
Analog: (512) 327-7070
Physical: Execucom, 108 Wild Basin Road, Two Wild Basin, Austin, TX 78764medici@dorm.rutgers.edu (Mark Medici) (09/27/90)
cb@sequoia.execu.com (Christopher D. Brown) writes: >I hate copy protection but we must still use it in select >markets. The vendor that supplies our MS DOS copy protection >and LAN user count control does not (yet?) do Windows. Are >the any vendors addressing copy/LAN protection for MS Windows? >"Yes"s (if any) will be summarized. What markets would they be? Except for games, I can't understand why any one market would be more succesptible to pirating than others. If your products offer a good value, are well supported, and backed by an update policy that rewards registered users (instead of alienating them), pirating should be no greater an issue for you than anyone else. Excluding games (which have, unfortunately, always been the most pirated software around), most mature users will eventually purchase legal copies of all the software they use, as long as the cost of the software represents a fair value. If one product is being pirated more than another, perhaps its value has been overestimated. The market ultimately decides the value of software, artifically high prices notwithstanding. The microlabs I run at Rutgers have a policy that excludes software that uses copy protection of any form, or LAN metering that complicates server installation for its own sake. We, and I believe most network administrators, implement our own anti-pirating policies and mechanisms. -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mark Medici/SysProg3 * Rutgers University/CCIS * medici@elbereth.rutgers.edu ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
gsm@sequoia.execu.com (Scott Mather) (09/27/90)
In article <Sep.26.13.34.20.1990.23472@dorm.rutgers.edu> medici@dorm.rutgers.edu (Mark Medici) writes: >cb@sequoia.execu.com (Christopher D. Brown) writes: > >>I hate copy protection but we must still use it in select >>markets. The vendor that supplies our MS DOS copy protection >>and LAN user count control does not (yet?) do Windows. Are >>the any vendors addressing copy/LAN protection for MS Windows? >>"Yes"s (if any) will be summarized. > >What markets would they be? Except for games, I can't understand why ^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^ >any one market would be more succesptible to pirating than others. If >your products offer a good value, are well supported, and backed by an [list of reasons supporting apparent belief that copy protection should never be tolerated, deleted] I acknowledge that you have covered perhaps 1% of the BIG list of reasons for why copy protection is bad. Nevertheless, in your opening statement you acknowledge that at least one market may have a valid reason for CP. Has it occurred to you that black/white absolute statements rarely have much merit? It should come as no surprise that you do not have knowledge about ALL of the software market niches that there are in the world. You also shouldn't be surprised to find out that there are undoubtedly many niche markets where CP is a necessary evil. This may explain the fact that companies selling CP technology STILL EXIST! The intricacies of the markets which we serve that REQUIRE CP (notice that the MARKET requires the CP, not that WE require the CP) are too complex to detail. However, please consider the effects that differing interpretations of the rights to intellectual property exist around the world has on your absolute approach to CP. Not all legal systems, nor cultures, nor business environments, nor governments in the world mimic our own. I would love to just trust everyone in the entire world, but business realities just don't jibe with my desire. The market which we serve, in this instance, is highly specialized and is non-US. Please, if anyone has any info on CP, let me know. Thank You Scott Mather 512-327-7070 >update policy that rewards registered users (instead of alienating >them), pirating should be no greater an issue for you than anyone >else. > >Excluding games (which have, unfortunately, always been the most >pirated software around), most mature users will eventually purchase >legal copies of all the software they use, as long as the cost of the >software represents a fair value. If one product is being pirated >more than another, perhaps its value has been overestimated. The >market ultimately decides the value of software, artifically high >prices notwithstanding. > >The microlabs I run at Rutgers have a policy that excludes software >that uses copy protection of any form, or LAN metering that >complicates server installation for its own sake. We, and I believe >most network administrators, implement our own anti-pirating policies >and mechanisms. > >-- >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Mark Medici/SysProg3 * Rutgers University/CCIS * medici@elbereth.rutgers.edu >----------------------------------------------------------------------------
ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Nur Iskandar Taib) (09/29/90)
>>I hate copy protection but we must still use it in select >>markets. The vendor that supplies our MS DOS copy protection >What markets would they be? Except for games, I can't understand why Foriegn markets. Especially Taiwan and Hong Kong. Boot- leg copies abound and are beyond US copyright law. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iskandar Taib | The only thing worse than Peach ala Internet: NTAIB@AQUA.UCS.INDIANA.EDU | Frog is Frog ala Peach Bitnet: NTAIB@IUBACS !
jdudeck@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (John R. Dudeck) (09/29/90)
In an article ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Nur Iskandar Taib) wrote: >>>I hate copy protection but we must still use it in select >>>markets. The vendor that supplies our MS DOS copy protection > >>What markets would they be? Except for games, I can't understand why > >Foriegn markets. Especially >Taiwan and Hong Kong. Boot- >leg copies abound and are >beyond US copyright law. In Europe most of the popular software comes out in language-specific or national versions. This software costs about 4 times the US list price of the same package, since they are paying royalties, plus trying to recoup thier development and marketing costs. That makes MS Word cost something like $2000 in France. No wonder hacked and pirated versions abound. US vendors are tempted by the bloated prices in Europe, and since copy protection is tolerated by the users there, they figure that copy protection must be used. I suppose in some cases a US developer is creating a European version "to specs" for a European vendor, who is insisting on copy protection in the product. -- John Dudeck "Nothing is foolproof, because jdudeck@Polyslo.CalPoly.Edu fools are so ingenious." ESL: 62013975 Tel: 805-545-9549 -- quote from PC Mag.
edt@microsoft.UUCP (Edward Tharp) (10/02/90)
In article <Sep.26.13.34.20.1990.23472@dorm.rutgers.edu> medici@dorm.rutgers.edu (Mark Medici) writes: |cb@sequoia.execu.com (Christopher D. Brown) writes: | |>I hate copy protection but we must still use it in select |>markets. The vendor that supplies our MS DOS copy protection |>and LAN user count control does not (yet?) do Windows. Are |>the any vendors addressing copy/LAN protection for MS Windows? |>"Yes"s (if any) will be summarized. | |What markets would they be? Except for games, I can't understand why |any one market would be more succesptible to pirating than others. If |your products offer a good value, are well supported, and backed by an |update policy that rewards registered users (instead of alienating |them), pirating should be no greater an issue for you than anyone |else. In some countries, pirating is as accepted there as copying audio cassettes is here, not only on the individual level, but also the coporate one. Copy protection is a necessary evil in some cases, until copyright laws abroad protects people's investments. Ed Tharp -- +------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Edward Tharp Microsoft Corporation #include <std/disclaim.h> | | ..!{uunet,uw-beaver}!microsoft!edt or microsof!edt@beaver.cs.washington.edu | +------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
pete@indep1.UUCP (Peter Franks) (10/05/90)
In article <24981@sequoia.execu.com> gsm@sequoia.execu.com (Scott Mather) writes: >In article <Sep.26.13.34.20.1990.23472@dorm.rutgers.edu> medici@dorm.rutgers.edu (Mark Medici) writes: >>cb@sequoia.execu.com (Christopher D. Brown) writes: >> >>>I hate copy protection but we must still use it in select >>>markets. . . >> >>What markets would they be? Except for games, I can't understand why > ^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^ >>any one market would be more succesptible to pirating than others. . . I can think of at least one reason for copy protection other than piracy prevention - data security. If an application saves sensitive data, maybe to a floppy, maybe not, it might be a good idea to copy-protect the floppy to protect the user's data from being stolen (copied). Just a thought. -- +------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Peter Franks | pete@indep1.mcs.com OR pete@indep1.uucp | | NI9D | Use whichever one works | +------------------------------------------------------------------------------+