Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!lll-winken!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!caen!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!aplcen!boingo.med.jhu.edu!haven!mimsy!mimsy.umd.edu!evett From: evett@drinkme.umd.edu (Matt Evett) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games Subject: Re: SimEarth copy protection Message-ID: Date: 30 Jan 91 22:27:06 GMT References: <18659@natinst.natinst.com> <1991Jan28.043033.11475@en.ecn.purdue.edu> <4f802472.20b6d@apollo.HP.COM> Sender: news@mimsy.umd.edu Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742 Lines: 50 In-reply-to: carlton@apollo.HP.COM's message of 29 Jan 91 20:13:00 GMT In article <4f802472.20b6d@apollo.HP.COM> carlton@apollo.HP.COM (Carlton B. Hommel) writes: Path: mimsy!haven!boingo.med.jhu.edu!aplcen!samsung!sdd.hp.com!apollo!carlton From: carlton@apollo.HP.COM (Carlton B. Hommel) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games Date: 29 Jan 91 20:13:00 GMT References: <18659@natinst.natinst.com> <1991Jan28.043033.11475@en.ecn.purdue.edu> Sender: root@apollo.HP.COM Reply-To: carlton@apollo.hp.com (Carlton B. Hommel) Organization: Apollo Computer, Chelmsford, MA Lines: 8 >Except why did they put that stupid copy protection scheme in. It is SOOO >irritating! An examination of the first few blocks of the file with a sector editor could possibly prove enlightening. Carl Hommel carlton@apollo.hp.com I take it from Mr. Hommel's response that he either has defeated SimEarth's copy protection scheme via this method, or he is suggesting that others might defeat it this way. In either case I wish to rant and rave a bit. First, I do not find SimEarth's copy protection scheme all that bothersome. It is certainly far superior to having to insert a master disk every time the program starts. I keep a little chart of "keywords" (copied out of my documentation) next to my Plus at home. It's no big deal to have to refer to this chart whenever I fire up SimEarth, Faces, etc. I strongly sympathize with software manufacturer's needs to protect their copyrights. This need is amply (and frequently) demonstrated in this very newsgroup (indeed, by the letter quoted above). For entertainment software, my sympathies are even more with the manufacturers. Entertainment software typically is not a big money maker. Moreover, the software is relatively inexpensive; I see no reason why people can't scratch up the $30 or $40 bucks to buy a good game. Many of the people reading Usenet are programmers. They make their living by selling--not giving away--software. This readership, more than any other, should be supportive of reasonable copy protection schemes. It's nice to condemn software piracy, but it's even nicer to do something about it. --Matt Evett -- Matt Evett Dept.Comp.Sci., University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland. evett@brillig.umd.edu