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From: bnr-vpa!bnr-fos!bmers58!mlord@watmath.waterloo.edu (Mark Lord)
Newsgroups: comp.virus
Subject: Re: Shrink Wrap...still safe?
Message-ID: <0006.9001171419.AA13242@ge.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: 16 Jan 90 15:42:54 GMT
Sender: Virus Discussion List <VIRUS-L@IBM1.CC.Lehigh.EDU>
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Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu

fac2@dayton.saic.com (Earle Ake) writes:
>	If you have a virus on your system that reproduced your master
>diskette, that virus could infect the copy.  If the store that
>re-sells your software takes off the shrink-wrap, tests the program
>and re-shrink-wraps it, there is a chance of a virus infecting it
>there.  If someone buys a package, takes it home and discovers it will
>not work on his system and returns the software, the store
>re-shrink-wraps it and sells it for new.  Yet another way to infect a
>disk even though it was sold 'shrink-wrapped'.  Do we have to put all
>software in tamper-resistant packaging like Tylenol?  If a store tries
>a package out so they can be able to tell customers how good it is,
>can they sell that diskette as new software still?  Do we have to
>demand a no-returns policy on software?  Hey, the customer might have
>a shrink-wrap machine available to them and would be able to
>shrink-wrap and return as new.  Where do we draw the line?

Hmm.. the simple solution to most of these problems is to distribute
software on diskettes without write-enable slots (ie. built-in write
protection tabs).  There is simply NO way, short of modifying hardware,
for such diskettes to become virus infected on the customers premises.

I'm actually quite suprised that 99% of the software I purchase comes
*without* write protection tabs installed on the diskettes (5.25" floppies).
I really have to force myself to install that critical tab *before* inserting
the disk in *any* drive.  This guarantees that I don't infect the masters.

This whole deal with shrink-wrap and Tylenol-packaging for software is
really a big scam in a lot of ways (IMHO).

I mean, think about this.. the customer is expected to plop out (here in
Canada, at least) between $60 and $200 for the most trivial of store-bought
software, WITHOUT any guarantee of system compatibility (most people DO NOT
have IBM/COMPAQ/TANDY machines.. face it!).  In addition, if the program
does not work, or demonstrates bugs, TOUGH NUGGIES.. no source code to fix
and no replacements available.  Would you buy anything else *new* under such
outrageous conditions???  [other than software, of course]

Where is Ralph Nader when we need him?  Ooops.  Wrong country.

'cuse me while I take a long dandelion break...
- --
+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Mark S. Lord                           | Hey, It's only MY opinion. |
| ..!utgpu!bnr-vpa!bnr-fos!mlord%bmers58 | Feel free to have your own.|
+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+