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Path: utzoo!utcs!lsuc!pesnta!hplabs!iles
From: iles@hplabs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro.hp
Subject: Re: software protection
Message-ID: <111800001@hplabs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 11-Jun-85 15:21:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: hplabs.111800001
Posted: Tue Jun 11 15:21:00 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 20-Jun-85 03:56:20 EDT
References: <52@duvel.UUCP>
Lines: 10
Nf-ID: #R:duvel:-5200:hplabs:111800001:000:446
Nf-From: hplabs!iles    Jun 19 11:21:00 1985

What HP is starting to do is distribute software which requires a codeword
to be purchased for each machine that will run the software.  The codeword
is generated by a rather protected algorithm based on the machine serial #.

HP can do this since all new machines will return serial numbers when
prompted through datacomm and it would take major ROM hacking to defeat
this scheme (if possible).

Dan Lieman
hplabs!iles or lieman%ucbugs@berkeley