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From: joels@tektronix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro.cbm
Subject: Re: preventing piracy but not backups? - (nf)
Message-ID: <2467@tektronix.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 10-May-84 01:34:05 EDT
Article-I.D.: tektroni.2467
Posted: Thu May 10 01:34:05 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 6-May-84 07:38:42 EDT
References: <36100076@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 14


   Dongles are circuits used to protect commercial software. They are sealed
in epoxy for secrecy, and they plug into one of the game ports. The protected
program checks for the presence of the dongle during operation. What is
actually inside of the dongle varies widely. Often they are timing or counting
circuits. Others produce a voltage that is read by the paddle inputs.
   Dongles provide no better protection than DOS schemes, since the same
method is needed to break them - find the code and patch around it. Their
advantages are that backups can be made, and the disk drive doesn't get beat
to death every time the program is used.  Their disadvantage is the extra cost
of producing a non functional piece of hardware.

Joel Swank
Tektronix, Beaverton OR