Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ncis.llnl.gov!helios.ee.lbl.gov!nosc!ucsd!rutgers!mailrus!purdue!decwrl!pyramid!octopus!pete
From: pete@octopus.UUCP (Pete Holzmann)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: prolock (A good reason to do copy protection, believe it or...)
Summary: Small quantity custom programs
Message-ID: <484@octopus.UUCP>
Date: 21 Jan 89 05:48:34 GMT
References: <1423@leah.Albany.Edu> <16800408@clio>
Reply-To: pete@octopus.UUCP (Pete Holzmann)
Organization: Octopus Enterprises, Cupertino CA
Lines: 23

Just to play devil's advocate for a sec: there is one good reason I can
think of for copy protection (although a hardware key is probably ok in
this case):

If you are making a custom system (small quantity type thing, including
hardware usually), you can't afford to have it get stolen. There are some
interesting new machine-lock mechanisms that make sense, as long as the
manufacturer of the software is willing to do heavy-duty support at times:

1) hardware key: you can do anything you want with the software, but must
	have the hardware key attached to the system in order to use it

2) software key: the original disk is copy protected. Once installed, the
	software 'knows' which machine it is installed on, and can't be
	installed on any other. Mfg must give a new copy if your mboard or
	hard disk controller is changed, I think...


-- 
  OOO   __| ___      Peter Holzmann, Octopus Enterprises
 OOOOOOO___/ _______ USPS: 19611 La Mar Court, Cupertino, CA 95014
  OOOOO \___/        UUCP: {hpda,pyramid}!octopus!pete
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