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From: ez019654@othello.ucdavis.edu (Victoria Milliron)
Subject: Re: How to the disks copy protected.
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Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1993 22:16:29 GMT
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Hmmm...
  A possibility for the software registration conondrum would be to have the
distributor register the copy when the software was sold.  The clerk sticks it
in the store PC and asks for the buyers ID. Later, if pirated versions showed up they could be tracked to the original purchaser. In addition copies which were
sent to distributors/stores would have a vendor reg # or serial # in order to
track in store piracy.

Possible additional program security schemes would be:
1. having monthly password changes which necessitate user call in
   and registration. (inconvenient)
2. taking dire legal action on anyone caught (expensive)
3. encryption, crc check, self modifying code (limited effectiveness)
4. have an independent watchdog program in the installation/setup config or
   memory manager, etc. which would check the main program's crc. 
   (only as effective as above methods at best.)
5. have the above watchdog circulating as a virus which would trash cracked 
   copies of the program and/or the offenders hard drive. (risky, and probably
   illegal, certainly immoral)

my new ideas aren't terribly feasible to implement as presented, but I thought
if I threw them out people could think of variations that might be effective.
What is the problem with parallel port security keys? I haven't used anything
that had hardware key copy protection schemes, so I don't know what the
drawbacks are. I know the companies that make them claim they're uncrackable,
but I've seen cracks of AutoDesk 3d-studio floating around (I don't have one
so don't ask) and I had heard that it had parralel port keys.

vamilliron@othello.ucd.edu
-my apologies if I rambled, but vi inhibits my communication skills greatly.
