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From: urlichs@smurf.sub.org (Matthias Urlichs)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system
Subject: Re: Upgrade Paths
Message-ID: <78l$e2./69@smurf.sub.org>
Date: 14 Aug 90 16:02:55 GMT
References: <18088@dime.cs.umass.edu>
Organization: University of Karlsruhe, FRG
Lines: 36

In comp.sys.mac.system, article <18088@dime.cs.umass.edu>,
  leban@cs.umass.edu (Bruce Leban) writes:
< 
< 1) Whenever the software is first installed on a disk, the user must enter
<    both a serial number and an authentication code [...]
< 2) The software AUTOMATICALLY becomes a demo version if it is not installed
<    with the correct authentication code.  [...]

Unfortunately, there is absolutely no way of installing a product with such a
key (or with any other scheme ever invented) which does both
a- let the user backup/erase/restore his hard disk without having to
  re-install,
b- prevent the software from working when being copied onto a disk, carried
  across the hall (or across the country), and reinstalled onto another hard
  disk,
c- guarantee that the program will not fail on next years' Macintosh just
  because the fancy protection scheme no longer works,
d- doesn't resort to fancy hardware which I, for one, am absolutely refusing
  to buy, and the tests for which a dedicated cracker always will be able
  to remove anyway (especially when the protection's author honors constraint
  -c-).

And even if you find a pirated copy that has been activated with such a key,
all you're likely to find out is that the package in question has been sold to
MacConnection or any other dealer, who didn't bother writing down your serial
number. What do you want to do? Sue MacConnection? You can't nail down the
guy/gal you caught the software with with anything more than the price of one
package, which in most cases isn't worth it.

Disclaimer: I don't know what it takes to make users more honest about these
things, but inconveniencing legitimate users with such schemes doesn't seem to
be it.

-- 
Matthias Urlichs -- urlichs@smurf.sub.org -- urlichs@smurf.ira.uka.de
Humboldtstrasse 7 - 7500 Karlsruhe 1 - FRG -- +49+721+621127(Voice)/621227(PEP)