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From: RALPHW%mit-xx@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: Software Piracy and Coupons
Message-ID: <13343@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 4-Nov-83 08:13:00 EST
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.13343
Posted: Fri Nov  4 08:13:00 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 8-Nov-83 00:11:10 EST
Lines: 16

From:  Ralph W. Hyre Jr. <RALPHW@mit-xx>

Special drives aren't needed, just special software, which isn't too difficult to write.
The only special equipment needed is the encoding equipment used by the manufacturer to
write the soft bits on the disk.  All this would do would inspire the pirates (who by now
are used to having things their way) to hack their disk drives to also be able to write
soft bits.  Of course, this is a hardware modification, so I can see where it will
reduce the problem somewhat.  It's the same flavor as putting a program on a cartridge,
so that you have to copy ROM chips to get a copy.  (Because those crufty game programmers
fix their games so they modify themselves as they run, which works with RAM but not
with ROM.)

Next we'll be seeing expert systems to crack protection schemes.

				- Ralph Hyre
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