Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!world!decwrl!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!macman From: macman@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Dennis H Lippert) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games Subject: Re: SimEarth copy protection Message-ID: <86364@unix.cis.pitt.edu> Date: 1 Feb 91 15:41:46 GMT References: <18659@natinst.natinst.com> <1991Jan28.043033.11475@en.ecn.purdue.edu> <4f802472.20b6d@apollo.HP.COM> Reply-To: macman@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Dennis H Lippert) Organization: University of Pittsburgh, CIS Lines: 24 In article <1991Jan31.135756.587@psuecl.bitnet> tgm@psuecl.bitnet writes: >06@drinkme.umd.edu> >Organization: Engineering Computer Lab, Pennsylvania State University >Lines: 65 >Here's my idea of a reasonable copy protection scheme. You boot up Game X and >the first thing you see is a window that says in big bold type, "Please don't >steal from us." Below the headline are a few paragraphs about what piracy does >to the software industry, written in an honest, up-front manner. Most pirates >are young and don't really understand that their actions harm the industry. >By educating them and appealing to their sense of what's right-and-wrong, >perhaps piracy can be reduced at the source, without holding the legitimate >user hostage to master disks, manuals, and hardware keys. Yeah, sort of like the FBI warning on video tapes. It's true that you really can't stop the copying of programs, a hacker will find a way. But I've gotta admit that at least we should make them feel a bit guilty every time they play a copied game! Sure, the true die-hard pirates will still copy it, but "passive" copying would probably decrease. Just my thoughts... Dennis Lippert - macman@unix.cis.pitt.edu