karl@rsiatl.UUCP (Karl Klingman) (07/15/90)
First SCO and then Interactive decided to practice the old rule:
"Do unto others BEFORE they do unto you." I find this sort of behavior
repugnant. I have had to install both systems for companies that I have
worked for and I find it to be a pain to have to deal with a bunch of
printed labels every time I want to install a package or call for support.
The real solution for both of these companies is simply: If you find a
company stealing your software, sue or prosecute them. Don't make the
rest of us miserable, just because some pencil-necked bean counter
is having paranoid nightmares about someone getting something for free.
If installing the software becomes too much of a problem, I intend to
recommend other sources of Unix to my clients. While I am sure that
Unix will become the operating system of the 90's, there is no guarantee
that SCO or Interactive will be major players once they've gotten
enough people mad. I for one, am looking for other solutions.
--
Live Wild or Die. | Karl Klingman
| American Research Group, Inc.
Onward though the fog. -- Oat Willy | emory!rsiatl!arg!karlrpeglar@csinc.UUCP (Rob Peglar) (07/16/90)
In article <3194@rsiatl.UUCP>, karl@rsiatl.UUCP (Karl Klingman) writes: > > First SCO and then Interactive decided to practice the old rule: > "Do unto others BEFORE they do unto you." I find this sort of behavior > repugnant. I have had to install both systems for companies that I have > worked for and I find it to be a pain to have to deal with a bunch of > printed labels every time I want to install a package or call for support. > > The real solution for both of these companies is simply: If you find a ^^^^ > company stealing your software, sue or prosecute them. Don't make the ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Disclaimer, I'm not trying to pass judgement on whether software serialization is a "good thing". Your message is clear enough, but how do you propose to implement "find"? The Software Police? Also, what is "stealing your software"? The law(s) have to clearly define what "stealing software" is, and also "your software". Also, whom does one sue? The dealer? The manufacturer? The holder of the trademark? It's just too messy for words. The only group of people who will enjoy such actions are the lawyers. Rob -- Rob Peglar Comtrol Corp. 2675 Patton Rd., St. Paul MN 55113 A Control Systems Company (800) 926-6876 ...uunet!csinc!rpeglar
richard@pegasus.com (Richard Foulk) (07/19/90)
>The SCO serial number/activation key is designed to do just that - help >find software copies. It sure doesn't prevent copying, but when >someone does copy, they have to do it with the same serial number >every time. This doesn't make much difference when someone makes >one or two copies, but we have caught people who have set up a >manufacturing line and sold many dozens or hundreds of illegal copies. >Their users call us up, register their software and we notice when more >than one instance of a serial number shows up. > Then why not just serialize the software before you ship it? The only difference is that your customers will stop complaining about having to do your work for you. -- Richard Foulk richard@pegasus.com
scjones@sdrc.UUCP (Larry Jones) (07/19/90)
> [ Pirated copies of software ] are poorly made (usually the manuals) > and give the vendor a bad name, not that anybody cares.... Or that the vendors need any help getting bad names.... ---- Larry Jones UUCP: uunet!sdrc!thor!scjones SDRC scjones@thor.UUCP 2000 Eastman Dr. BIX: ltl Milford, OH 45150-2789 AT&T: (513) 576-2070 "This probably just goes to show something, but I sure don't know what." -Calvin
friedl@mtndew.UUCP (Stephen J. Friedl) (07/19/90)
In article <8107@scorn.sco.COM>, rogerk@sco.COM (Roger Knopf 5502) writes: > The SCO serial number/activation key is designed to do just that - help > find software copies. It sure doesn't prevent copying, but when > someone does copy, they have to do it with the same serial number > every time. The alternative is to break the serialization scheme and give away copies all with serial number zero. That way it can't be traced back to you unless you leave fingerprints on the disk :-) Steve P.S. - No, I've not done this with the SCO package nor am I asking how to -- Stephen J. Friedl, KA8CMY / Software Consultant / Tustin, CA / 3B2-kind-of-guy +1 714 544 6561 / friedl@mtndew.Tustin.CA.US / {uunet,attmail}!mtndew!friedl Anybody know if Kelly Preston is single and available?
davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (Wm E. Davidsen Jr) (07/23/90)
In article <1990Jul19.131450.25497@pegasus.com> richard@pegasus.com (Richard Foulk) writes: | Then why not just serialize the software before you ship it? | | The only difference is that your customers will stop complaining about | having to do your work for you. Ican see this adding to the production costs, since the disks could not be mass duplicated. Not that I disagree with the intent, just that I would still like a way to reserialize everything on the system. -- bill davidsen - davidsen@sixhub.uucp (uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen) sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc and 80386 mailing list "Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me
rick@pcrat.uucp (Rick Richardson) (07/23/90)
In article <1334@sixhub.UUCP> davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (bill davidsen) writes: > I can see this adding to the production costs, since the disks could >not be mass duplicated. Modern disk duplicating equipment is capable of serialization, although it can be a bit tricky to get it set up for some of the UNIX formats. -Rick -- Rick Richardson | JetRoff "di"-troff to LaserJet Postprocessor| Ask about PC Research,Inc.| Mail: uunet!pcrat!jetroff; For anon uucp do:| FaxiX uunet!pcrat!rick| uucp jetroff!~jetuucp/file_list ~nuucp/. | for UNIX/386 jetroff Wk2200-0300,Sa,Su ACU {2400,PEP} 12013898963 "" \d\r\d ogin: jetuucp
peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva) (07/24/90)
In article <1334@sixhub.UUCP> davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (bill davidsen) writes: > In article <1990Jul19.131450.25497@pegasus.com> richard@pegasus.com (Richard Foulk) writes: > | Then why not just serialize the software before you ship it? > Ican see this adding to the production costs, since the disks could > not be mass duplicated. Then print it on the disk labels. That's where it ends up at most sites anyway. -- Peter da Silva. `-_-' +1 713 274 5180. 'U` <peter@ficc.ferranti.com>
rogerk@sco.COM (Roger Knopf 5502) (07/25/90)
In article <1334@sixhub.UUCP> davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (bill davidsen) writes: >In article <1990Jul19.131450.25497@pegasus.com> richard@pegasus.com (Richard Foulk) writes: > >| Then why not just serialize the software before you ship it? >| >| The only difference is that your customers will stop complaining about >| having to do your work for you. > > Ican see this adding to the production costs, since the disks could >not be mass duplicated. Not that I disagree with the intent, just that I >would still like a way to reserialize everything on the system. When I do mass installs for customers, we copy the unserialized stuff and then serialize when in place. Also, we have redone the serialization stuff so that (starting with Unix 3.2 v2, I believe) you can reserialize an already-branded binary. -- Roger Knopf <standard disclaimer applies> SCO Consulting Services "The True Believers will...formulate uunet!sco!rogerk or rogerk@sco.com a message that even a monkey could 408-425-7222 (voice) 408-458-4227 (fax) understand." --Jeff Tye
davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (Wm E. Davidsen Jr) (07/26/90)
In article <8344@scorn.sco.COM> rogerk@sco.COM (Roger Knopf 5502) writes: | When I do mass installs for customers, we copy the unserialized stuff | and then serialize when in place. Also, we have redone the serialization | stuff so that (starting with Unix 3.2 v2, I believe) you can reserialize | an already-branded binary. This is what I was suggesting be a standard feature of the system. Simply by giving a single command you could reserialize all the branded stuff in the system. It just means keeping a single file with the filename and a description. Then you could change serial or not, depending on the installation. -- bill davidsen - davidsen@sixhub.uucp (uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen) sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc and 80386 mailing list "Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me