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From: ok@edai.UUCP (Richard O'Keefe)
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: Software Piracy
Message-ID: <4118@edai.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 13-Apr-84 18:40:37 EST
Article-I.D.: edai.4118
Posted: Fri Apr 13 18:40:37 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 9-Apr-84 06:09:14 EST
Organization: Art.Intelligence,Edin.Univ.
Lines: 27

If people make backup copies, that doesn't represent lost sales.
If they give copies to their friends, that does represent lost
sales.  What we'd like is a method for discouraging the latter
but not the former.  Doesn't matter if it doesn't stop ALL thefts,
nothing's going to do that, all the method has to do is persaude
some of the morally shaky purchasers that piracy isn't prudent.
So how about this:
1) Distribute object code.
2) Include 4 bytes in each program which serve as a (possibly
   encoded, say 1/256th of the numbers are valid) serial number.
3) In return for his $30, the purchaser obtains the right to
   make any number of copies for his own use, but he promises
   that in the event of anyone else being found to have a copy
   of his copy, he will pay the author $100 per stolen copy, up
   to a maximum of $2000.  (These figures as guesses.)  He
   further promises to pay a similar sum for each copy in his
   possession which does not bear the right number.
4) When you think someone has a stolen copy, check the serial
   number.

Checking the number of a stolen copy catches the backyard
pirate (sometimes).  The pirate who makes a business of it
and zeroes the serial number still pays if you can catch
him by other means (sometimes).  The question is whether
sometimes is enough.

Worth a try?