Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac:11112 comp.misc:1692
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!watdragon!palarson
From: palarson@watdragon.waterloo.edu (Paul Larson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.misc
Subject: Re: Copy protection and the consumer
Message-ID: <4745@watdragon.waterloo.edu>
Date: 22 Jan 88 15:09:58 GMT
References: <4663@watdragon.waterloo.edu> <3823@husc6.harvard.edu> <4676@ihlpg.ATT.COM>
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 16

In article <4676@ihlpg.ATT.COM>, tainter@ihlpg.ATT.COM (Tainter) writes:
> Copy protection based on use of a serial number unique to a machine is
> NO COPY PROTECTION AT ALL and is expensive for the seller since he has to
> customize each copy he sells!  The serial number has to be imbedded in the code
> somewhere and tested.  To break this one runs the program under a debugger
> until the testing is encountered.  Now you have a handle on where the
> imbedded serial number is.  So you write a quick routine to patch this
> given the new machine you want to run it on.  The pirate then distributes
> the program and the patcher as a set.  One the simpliest schemes to deal with.
> 
> --j.a.tainter
You have a point there, but you should also consider the fact that not all 
software pirates are professionals.  Thus, not all of them would be able
to do what you described.  The method described sounds much too difficult
for munchkins, as well as being a lot of work.
	Johan Larson