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From: kucharsk@gumby.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro.pc
Subject: Re: Re: Copy Protection - a case study
Message-ID: <31@gumby.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 13-Dec-85 15:53:06 EST
Article-I.D.: gumby.31
Posted: Fri Dec 13 15:53:06 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 15-Dec-85 06:54:25 EST
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Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
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> 	(c) On EVERY distributed diskette, include (somewhere)
> 	    in the code an encrypted serial number. Keep a
> 	    record of which user has which serial number.
> 	(d) If you find a pirated copy of your code, check
> 	    the serial number and trace it back to the
> 	    source! 
> 	(e) Prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.
> 	(d) Realism: no one can protect anything, anyway, no how!
> 
> Comments?
> 
> 
> 	   
> -- 
>                            --- Rob DeMillo 
>                                Madison Academic Computer Center
>                                ...seismo!uwvax!uwmacc!demillo

Well, it is a thought, but most likely it will end up the same as any
other copy-protection scheme.  It's no real problem to take out the
"serial number," as anyone who's ever seen a pirated copy of a Infocom 
game knows. 


Realistically, I don't think there is a way to stop piracy, as most people
will never turn down "something for nothing," or a $250 applications program
for the cost of a disk and a few minutes with a double drive system.  The
best way of reducing loss to piracy is to provide good programs at low prices.
And as radical as this seems, another good way is to not protect it at all.
The majority of pirates out there are in it somewhat for the prestige, and
it's a lot more prestigious to say that you had to crack the copy protection
and remove the serial number than to say "Oh, I just got out the diskcopy
program on the master disk."  Good examples of this are Beagle Brothers and
Penguin software.  They both sell good programs at low prices, and except
for Penguin's games, UNPROTECTED.  Neither seems to be floundering due to
major losses from piracy, and amazingly enough, I haven't seen all that many
copies of their programs floating around.  Maybe these two companies have
the right idea.


Bill Kucharski
University of Wisconsin - Madison

Disclaimer:  "The above opinions do not represent those of this scholastic
	      institution, the CS dept. herein, or of the babel fish in my
	      right ear."