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From: plocher@puff.wisc.edu (John Plocher)
Newsgroups: net.micro.pc
Subject: Re: Protecting against copying from hard disks
Message-ID: <314@puff.wisc.edu>
Date: Fri, 7-Nov-86 19:28:23 EST
Article-I.D.: puff.314
Posted: Fri Nov  7 19:28:23 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Nov-86 07:20:31 EST
References: <836@ur-tut.UUCP>
Reply-To: plocher@puff.WISC.EDU (John Plocher)
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
Lines: 30

The easiest way to keep niave pirates from copying from C: is to
                        ^^^^^
modify command.com to disable the copy command, and write a NEW program
called copy which dissallows copying from C:.  (if filename starts
with C: or no drive and current drive is C:) 
Even better, make it SEEM to work, but instead have it copy the string
    "Copying this software is illegal"
as many times as needed onto the floppy so the resulting file is the
same size as the orig file on C:.  Thus, the copy seems to work, a
file is there on the floppy...  When the pirate gets home and looks
at the file... :-)

Even better than that, if the copy is from C:, disable ^C and ^BREAK and
ring the bell till someone from the MicroLab types in a password...

I can see it now:
	      Me>  Copy c:dbaseIII a:
		     BEEEEEEEEP
	MicroLab>  What are you DOING?
	      Me>  Nothing (trying in vain to clear screen)
	MicroLab>  This is a clear case of attempted THEFT...

NOTE:  There are always ways around schemes like this (if I have my *own*
       cp program...)

-- 
"Never trust an idea you get sitting down" - Nietzche
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