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- .snip.
- >I understand your efforts to combat the pirating of your software
- >(your really deserve to be paid for the work you did!) but
- >unfortunately your solution won't change anything, in the pirating
- >nearly every CD-ROM is ripped and zipped to 1.44mb disks, there is NO
- >way to prevent pirating. Not to mention that CD-Writers are becoming
- >cheaper and cheaper.... The most secure thing is a hardware
- >copy-protection like the one used by Cubase, but even this one can be
- >beaten!
- >
- >Lucius Kuert
- .snip.
-
- Not quite true. While CD-Writers are becoming more prevalent, it takes
- time and effort to dupe an entire CD. Same thing with "ripping and
- zipping". While it's difficult to stop a pirate that is bent on copying
- your product, it is how it is then distributed that is the key point. (ie,
- over WAREZ groups, BBSs, etc.)
-
- Conclusion - you can REDUCE the amount of pirating by:
-
- * Distributing on CD only
- * Making your program/CD HUGE (hundreds of megs, compressed)
- * Serializing each copy with its own unique individual key code
-
- Number one is easy. Number two is inconvenient. Number three is a pain in
- the ass. I haven't even mentioned dongle/boot-block type copy protection,
- as it would probably make general release of Executor incredibly expensive.
-
- This of course, only refers to the minor pirates. Commercial pirates
- (based in places like China) who turn out millions of copies of commercial
- software (Microsoft Word, etc.) are a bigger problem than these weenie
- infringers, though they're not as visible or as bold. At this point of
- Executor's lifecycle, I doubt that Cliff & Co. have to wory about the Hong
- Kong swap markets and the high-volume press plants that Clinton wants
- action on. However, keep in mind, as Executor becomes more profitable and
- comprehensive, the number of both minor and commercial pirates will begin
- to grow.
-
- TC
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
- TC Lai (Pre)Cognitive Science Undergraduate,
- University of California, Los Angeles
- tclai@ucla.edu
- Macintosh Poweruser, Student Animator,
- "Those who dare, win." Shareware Author, Small Business Owner.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
- http://users.aol.com/tclai/pgp.html or
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- Copyright (c) 1996 by TC Lai. All Rights Reserved.
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