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From: chou@endor.harvard.edu (scott Chou)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.misc
Subject: Re: Copy protection and the consumer
Message-ID: <3823@husc6.harvard.edu>
Date: 17 Jan 88 05:34:06 GMT
References: <4663@watdragon.waterloo.edu>
Sender: news@husc6.harvard.edu
Reply-To: chou@endor.UUCP (Scott Chou)
Organization: Aiken Computation Lab Harvard, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 46

In article <4663@watdragon.waterloo.edu>
palarson@watdragon.waterloo.edu writes:

>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.  As one who plans his carreer in the computer
>field, I can sympathise with these complaints, but I feel it is time to
>hear a consumer's mpoint of view.
>
>If you, as developers, wherather of hardware or software, plan to implement
>such draconian measures as mentioned above, you should also be scheaming to
>
>Personally, I refuse to buy copyprotected software.  The only exception to
>[ . . many good reasons to buy legitimately . . ]

I also avoid copy protected software like the plague.  Especially
when there are plenty of excellent unprotected products to choose
from.

My main complaint against copy protected software, especially the ones
where drastic punitive measures have been taken, is that they too often
end up destroying the work and time of even their legitimate users.
Many a time I have had files or entire diskettes corrupted due to modified
file/operating systems.  Many of their little hacks end up being time
bombs completely unaware of the evolution of the environment in which
they operate.  Data incompatibility and corruption are almost always
inevitable.  Of course there is always that possibility of a bug in a
hallucinating CPU which accidentally invokes the Hard Disk erase trap
intended for a pirate.

I, however, have no problems with serial numbers and other "safe" or
"passive" protection schemes.

Let's all ban together and boycott software with "harsh" copy
protection measures.

Scott Chou







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