Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!nic.the.net!don
From: don@nic.the.net (Donald L. Nash)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: copy protection
Message-ID: <43397@ut-emx.uucp>
Date: 29 Jan 91 19:43:30 GMT
References: <9101272223.AA08327@desktalk.com> <4605@lib.tmc.edu>
Sender: news@ut-emx.uucp
Reply-To: D.Nash@utexas.edu
Organization: University of Texas System Office of Telecommunication Services
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In article <4605@lib.tmc.edu>, jmaynard@thesis1.hsch.utexas.edu (Jay
Maynard) writes:
>>p.s. Tops also implements a networked serial number comparison
>scheme.
>
>Thanks for passing that along. Yet another product to avoid.

The copy protection scheme used by Tops is very inobtrusive.  It uses
AppleTalk Name Binding protocol to register its serial number as a named
entity on the network.  NBP automatically makes sure that there is no
other identical name in the same AppleTalk zone (duplicate names in the
same zone are not allowed).  If the NBP RegisterName operation fails,
then this means someone else is using a copy of Tops with your serial
number, so Tops refuses to run.   I wouldn't exactly call this
"attach[ing] bowling balls to the TV dinners to keep you from
shoplifting them."  This is more like those magnetic targets which
clothing stores use to trip their alarm systems when someone trys to
take a piece of clothing out the door without having the target removed
by the cashier.  They don't get in the way if you are honest, since the
cashier removes the target when you pay for the clothes.  But they do
keep you from being dishonest.

BTW, for those of you not familiar with NBP, it does use broadcasts to
perform name lookups.  So when you register a name, you cause a
broadcast to occur when NBP looks up your name first to verify its
uniqueness.  However, if you are using AppleTalk already then you are
already living with NBP broadcasts.  They are just something that
happens when you use AppleTalk.  As far as Tops is concerned, it only
causes broadcasts when it starts up and registers its name.  To my
knowledge, it does not periodically poll to see if someone else is using
its serial number, which is in contrast to what the SCO/Lachman cpd
program does.  I wouldn't use the Lachman stuff if it continually
broadcasts like that.  I have no problem using Tops, since it does not
contribute unnecessarily to network traffic and since it does not
prevent me from making backup copies of  my disk.  And since I'm honest
and pay for my software, it doesn't prevent me from getting my work
done.

				Donald L. Nash

				The University of Texas System
				Office of Telecommunication Services

Internet:  D.Nash@utexas.edu
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