Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!ucsd!ucbvax!SMOKE.BRL.MIL!info-apple-request
From: info-apple-request@SMOKE.BRL.MIL
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Copy protection (key disks)
Message-ID: <8906280958.aa04315@SMOKE.BRL.MIL>
Date: 29 Jun 89 07:03:30 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 32

Even the Mac market has mostly given up on Key disks.  Most of the early 
companies that used them (Hayden) are long gone.  Don't even ask about
'ticket' disks.

>  3]  The scheme so far would not annoy buyers, because it can be copied and
>      put onto a hard drive, it simply requires a key disk ...

This presumes too much about your potential users.

It is a hassle when the key disk is trashed independently of the
software.  How will your users get a new one?  Will you provide free 
replacement key disks for registered users?

What disk format(s) will you provide the software and key disks on?
I use a UniDisk 3.5 (a Apple-supported product which won't work for any
copy protection designed for the 'dumb' 3.5 Drives.) and 5.25 drives
interchangeably, and truly important data is backed up on both formats
to survive failure of a single drive.  You key disk presumably can't be
backed up, violating the rights of users to make archival copies.
Without the key disk, the softare is useless.

Why not use a printed code book system, so that your key's are not stored
on something as volatile as magnetic media?  Or add enough value to the
'props' (manual) so that they're needed for the game; then make these hard
to copy.

Borland has sucessfully done this.
--
					- Ralph W. Hyre, Jr.
Internet: ralphw@{ius{3,2,1}.,}cs.cmu.edu    Phone:(412) CMU-BUGS
Amateur Packet Radio: N3FGW@W2XO, or c/o W3VC, CMU Radio Club, Pittsburgh, PA
"You can do what you want with my computer, but leave me alone!8-)"