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From: kim@amdahl.amdahl.com (Kim DeVaughn)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Copy protection (really, dastardly dongles)
Message-ID: <11337@amdahl.amdahl.com>
Date: Mon, 3-Aug-87 18:32:20 EDT
Article-I.D.: amdahl.11337
Posted: Mon Aug  3 18:32:20 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 4-Aug-87 05:46:03 EDT
References: <8707171737.AA01789@THYME.LCS.MIT.EDU> <437@sugar.UUCP>
Organization: Amdahl Corporation,  Sunnyvale, CA 94086
Lines: 45

In article <437@sugar.UUCP>, karl@sugar.UUCP (Karl Lehenbauer) writes:
> 
> If everyone or most companies agreed on using dongles for copy protection, it
> would conceivably be possible to have only one dongle per computer.  You
> would send your gizmo ID number along with your payment to the company whose
> software you're buying.  They then send you a copy customized for your dongle.
> 
> [ ... ]
> 
> This has some obvious drawbacks, which I will go on and list along with what I
> think is the amount of impact:
> 
> [ ... ]

It is unclear to me why there is so much recent discussion of dongles going
on here (among other non-Amiga related discussions).

Dongles are (thankfully) all but a dead issue insofar as major s/w publishers
are concerned.  Seems that a year or so ago, ADAPSO (who represents software
houses, etc.) formally withdrew their support of "dongles", and their proposed
implementation(s).

The reasons given were "logistic difficulties", such as have been pointed out
time and again here and in various other news.groups.  Also given was
*lack of direction and support* by the member companies represented by
ADAPSO itself.

Now I know that a few small-time s/w outfits are using (and will continue to
use) these devices, but "The Industry" has spoken, and made it's decision.
Dongles are out!  I wouldn't buy such products, and hopefully nobody else
will either.  Such negative reenforcement in the Marketplace is the best
way to bring about *rational* solutions to the Execution Protection problem.

/kim


[  Any thoughts or opinions which may or may not have been expressed  ]
[  herein are my own.  They are not necessarily those of my employer. ]

-- 
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