Path: utzoo!attcan!ncrcan!scocan!jim From: jim@sco.COM (Jim Sullivan) Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386 Subject: Re: software piracy (was "Interactive and me") Message-ID: <1990Jul17.121815.11752@sco.COM> Date: 17 Jul 90 16:18:15 GMT References: <3126@rsiatl.UUCP> <1990Jul11.164044.7241@sco.COM> <1990Jul13.231942.14009@ico.isc.com> Reply-To: jim@iggy.UUCP (Jim Sullivan) Organization: SCO Canada, Inc. (formerly HCR Corporation) Lines: 52 In article <1990Jul13.231942.14009@ico.isc.com> rcd@ico.isc.com (Dick Dunn) writes: >jim@sco.COM (Jim Sullivan) writes: >> Software piracy exists and until the ethics and morals of the software user >> community improve, companies will have to go to serialization codes and such >> to try and prevent software piracy... > >I find this attitude very unsettling. I don't believe the "ethics and >morals" of the software community are any better or worse than the world at >large. Moreover, and my main complaint: *Even if they are worse* this is >no way to talk to users! This is not the proper attitude for going into a >business relationship. It's one thing to say, "I'm providing a product to >you and I expect you to pay me for it." Caution in business dealings is >wise. But the attitude above is more like "I think you're going to try to >cheat me, so I'm taking pre-emptive action." But software has been sold like this for years, with cottage industries to break the copy protection schemes. While I don't like it, it is reality. I believe that you mis-understand me (and I wasn't clear anyways). I don't like serialization, but I understand why companies go for it. (It's interesting that we both work for companies that use serialization schemes :-) >>...If anyone has a better idea of how to >> prevent multiple copies of the software to be installed, then please, present >> their solution. > >That's an interesting question, but perhaps we should back up a bit and get >some background information: > - What is the level of "software pirating"? Sure, it happens... > but how much? > - What are the most common forms of pirating? E.g., is it single > system, installed once then given to a friend? Single license > used on multiple machines in a company? Resellers copying > systems and selling black-market copies as if they were > originals? We have caught people installing our software on multiple machines, in multiple sites because they called for support and gave the same serialization code for the different sites/machines. I don't think I can give more details than that. It does happen, and for the reseller who only sells 2 or 3 a month, an extra system or two a month is significant. ISC claims that the pressure for this came for the resellers. I can understand why this pressure was applied (while I might not agree with the solution, I understand the problem) >-- >Dick Dunn rcd@ico.isc.com -or- ico!rcd (303)449-2870 > ...Reality is neat! It works even if you don't believe in it! -- Jim Sullivan Youth Culture Killed My Puppy! SCO Canada Inc. (Formerly HCR Corporation) ...!uunet!hcr!jim jim@hcr.com Opinions are mine. 416 922 1937