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Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!ames!oliveb!pyramid!voder!kontron!optilink!cramer
From: cramer@optilink.UUCP (Clayton Cramer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.misc
Subject: Re: Copy protection and the consumer (dongles)
Message-ID: <1852@optilink.UUCP>
Date: 19 Jan 88 16:23:38 GMT
References: <4663@watdragon.waterloo.edu> <22628@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Organization: Optilink Corporation, Petaluma, CA
Lines: 28

> ->Several wierd and wonderful methods of copy protection(such as serial numbers,
> ->dongles, and sentinel-viruses) and counterattacks (such as frying a pirate's
> ->hard disk) have been proposed.  
> 
> What are "dongles"?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
>        -Tom
> 	tedrick@ernie.berkeley.edu

A "dongle" is a gadget that attaches to your serial port and when interro-
gated, returns a unique number which the software being protected knows
about.  However, the dongle allows any serial port actions other than the
interrogation for unique number to pass through unaltered.

At least that's the theory, and if they worked, they would be a perfectly
acceptable way of copy protecting very expensive software (though not
justifiable for software that sells for, say, $30).  I only have experience
with one software product's dongle, and it leaves a sour taste in my
mouth.

We use schematic capture software from Case Technology, and the PC version
uses a dongle, to which we have Logitech Mice attached.  For no apparently
reason, and with no apparent pattern, we sometimes have to disconnec the
mouse from the dongle to get the software started.

Clayton E. Cramer