Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!bcstec!misty!b-mrda!miller
From: miller@b-mrda.boeing.com (Mark Miller)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: copy protect
Message-ID: <15160002@b-mrda.boeing.com>
Date: 10 Jan 90 16:46:14 GMT
References: <399@lkbpyr.UUCP>
Organization: Boeing Commercial Airplanes MR&D
Lines: 36


	You don't. Copy protection does two things:

	* It invites hackers to break the protection. And it can ALWAYS be
	  broken.

	* It makes it difficult for your customers (the reason you're doing
	  this) to do honest things like make backup copies and install on
	  a hard disk. That upsets customers (like me) who would recommend
	  your competition's package because it is much easier to deal with.

	Obviously, you want your money from your effort. You can go the 
shareware route, which allows people to copy freely, and for the registration
fee you send them the manual. Or, you can make the program so heavily 
dependent on the documentation that it is useless without a manual. 

	A third possible option (and the one I favor) is to sell your software
with a hardware copy protection device. This allows your users to copy the
file freely, but does not permit it to be used without the device installed
on the serial or parallel port. See the back pages of PC Magazine or PC Tech
Journal for such devices. 

	Please remember that no copy protection scheme (hardware or software) is
foolproof. You stand to profit more by putting your time and energy into making
your product affordable and VERY easy to use, and making the documentation
worth having.


======================================================================
Mark R. Miller                     +    Disclaimer: Opinions expressed  
Boeing Commercial Airplane Co.     +    are mine and mine alone, and    
Seattle, WA                        +    not necessarily those of my     
Internet: miller@b-mrda.boeing.com +    employer.                       
Voicenet: (206) 237-0960           +                                   
                                   +       +++ Phillipians 4:13 +++    
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