Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mit-eddie!ll-xn!oberon!skat.usc.edu!bishop
From: bishop@skat.usc.edu (Brian Bishop)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: About Software Piracy!
Message-ID: <6037@oberon.USC.EDU>
Date: 6 Jan 88 17:37:13 GMT
References: <2273@crash.cts.com>
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Reply-To: bishop@skat.usc.edu (Brian Bishop)
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
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In article <2273@crash.cts.com> haitex@pnet01.cts.com (Wade Bickel) writes:
>
>	  Furthermore, if done correctly, a program could notice if it
>	were operating without it's dongle and subtly torpedo the pirate.
>	Perhaps waiting until a choice moment to strike, kind of like a
>	virus.  In this way, a pirated dongle-protected program would be
>	a risk to use for anything serious.  Confidence in the cracker
>	would be required, and since most people wouldn't know who did
>	the cracking...
>
>
  BZZT! First off...I immediately question the wisdom of creating something
"kind of like a virus". The creator of the (first) virus claims he meant no
harm. Look what happened. Now we will create a virus that will only harm a
certain set of people. Think about it. Think about how well some copy
protection works today (like Garrison, for instance). I don't find it at all
far-fetched that some innocent people would be hurt, and I, for one, would not
use such a setup.

>
>	  I have a friend at C= (they call him "Mr. Commodore")
>	who was talking of offering rewards for info leading to the
>	conviction of "Pirate BBS's".  This also seems like a partial
>	solution.  Have you heard anything about this?
>	
   This seems like a much better solution to me. In a court of law you have
to prove your accusations. A copy protection scheme that subtly destroys your
work when it decides you are guilty does not appeal to me. (The Wyatt Earp 
dongle!)


    Brian Bishop



Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: About Software Piracy!
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