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From: gus@Shasta.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.micro.mac
Subject: Re: Strangest Software License I've Ever Seen
Message-ID: <1567@Shasta.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 3-Dec-85 14:01:43 EST
Article-I.D.: Shasta.1567
Posted: Tue Dec  3 14:01:43 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 6-Dec-85 08:03:27 EST
References: <1405@wanginst.UUCP>
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Organization: Stanford University
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> Yesterday, I bought a copy of "Pinball Construction Set" by Bill Budge.
> Unlike some companies, Electronic Arts does not impose any license or
> usage restrictions on the user.  Instead, Apple does:
> 
Yes, I noticed this weird statement when I bought a copy of PCS a few
months ago. I should also add to your comment that the documentation suggests
how to use PCS with switcher!!! Now while this can be considered 'Apple
software,' it is certainly not that 'Apple software' that came on the PCS
disk. I mulled over this one for a while and finally came to the conclusion
that there IS a 'legal' way to use PCS with MacPaint and Switcher.

Create a system disk with MacPaint and Switcher.

Boot from this disk in drive 1. Bring up Switcher and MacPaint.

Bring up PCS in drive 2.

Use the remaining space in drive 1 for file storage.

In this configuration, you always use 'your' system, because switcher locks
that down to drive 1. There is no provision in the restriction for using
some other system with PCS.

Seriously, folks. I think that this was an honest slip of the pen on the
part of Electronic Arts. The copy protection system, however, which
doesn't seem to do much anymore other than make the program incompatible
with the Mac XL and slow down boot up significantly is, however, very
deliberate.

I found that this program causes the Mac XL to automatically reboot upon
launch. When I removed part of the protection system, (The part that actually
chaecks for a bad sector on the disk) the program worked PERFECTLY!!!
I still havn't gotten around to removing the rest (the part that decodes
each of the code segments) but I strongly believe that doing so would provide
a 10-50% decrease in segment loading time. Note that their Deluxe Music
Construction Set has an almost identical protection system. Although I would
never expect this program to work on an XL, I would expect EA to realize that
any new protection system, no matter how sophisticated, will only stand for
at most about a month before it is defeated and rendered simply a hinderence.

							Gus Fernandez