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From: aaz@pucc-j (Marc Mengel)
Newsgroups: net.micro.amiga
Subject: Re: Maxidesk, Deluxe Paint (really copy protection)
Message-ID: <761@pucc-j>
Date: Sun, 26-Jan-86 21:47:07 EST
Article-I.D.: pucc-j.761
Posted: Sun Jan 26 21:47:07 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 28-Jan-86 05:45:31 EST
References: <831@caip.RUTGERS.EDU> <185@uscvax.UUCP> <1048@utcs.uucp> <11396@watnot.UUCP>
Organization: The Hacker's Liberation Front
Lines: 44
Summary: Copy protection is a waste of time


	Copy protection is only useful up to a point... Someone will
    eventually find a way to copy the program -- especially if it is
    excessively high priced ( as most software is today! ).  There
    are even people who break copy protection schemes as a hobby.
    (Not to mention the people who do it for income...)  Programs
    that will copy copy-protected disks are always in demand. Why?

	First, backups of programs *are* a neccessity.  One spilled
    cup of coffee, one too many drops on the floor; anything of the
    sort will destroy a 300 dollar program.  Then you get to pay
    however-many-hundred dollars for a new one, or go through the
    hassle and wait of getting a backup copy sent.  It is an 
    inconvenience, and an insult to honest people who wouldn't sell
    or copy illegally.

	Second, most copy protection schemes are hard on the machine's
    hardware (esp. the copy protected disk itself.)  Things like 
    forcibly imposed write/read errors cause the offending sector to be
    re-read many more times than it would have been otherwise.

	So, you may ask, how do we prevent software piracy?  Answer: you
    don't.  You can't.  You can *reduce* it, however.  Making programs 
    that have hidden serial numbers make it easier to trace pirated
    copies.  Good user support for "registered" owners is a good incentive
    for buying a product.  Also, not charging excessive prices (i.e. $500
    for a spreadsheet or simple database manager) will help.  All of these
    things make it less worth someones time to copy it, and more worth their
    time to buy it.
	
	To those people who claim that programs will only be stolen if 
    they are not copy protected, I point to the success of programs like
    PC-Talk for the IBM, which is not copy-protected, indeed it is 
    distributed by "free-ware", where you are *encouraged* to give copies
    away, and then you can register for a small fee and get updates, etc.
    This also gives prospective puchasers the chance to "try out" software.

-- 
					Marc Mengel
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