Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site watmath.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!jmsellens From: jmsellens@watmath.UUCP (John M Sellens) Newsgroups: net.micro.pc Subject: A new copy protection scheme - is this feasible? Message-ID: <8615@watmath.UUCP> Date: Sat, 11-Aug-84 16:44:00 EDT Article-I.D.: watmath.8615 Posted: Sat Aug 11 16:44:00 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 12-Aug-84 02:03:22 EDT Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 39 I've been thinking about this for a little while, and would like your opinions on whethere or not it is a good idea. Imagine buying a small board, at a very modest price, which contains (almost) nothing but empty sockets. Imagine that every time you buy a protected package, you get a small PROM to insert in one of your sockets. Imagine that every time you start the program, it looks to see whether or not your PROM is there. As I see it: Advantages: - When your machine breaks, you can simply(?) move your board/PROM to a different machine. - Can put on a hard disk (without needing some sort of 'key' diskette) and can make an arbitrary number of backup copies. - Can sell your copy of the software, but it is impossible to keep a usable copy for yourself. - No more weird diskettes. Disadvantages: - Requires cooperation between IBM and a mess of software manufacturers. - Requires a (short?) slot. - Large(?) initial outlay? - What if you zap your PROM by some freak of nature?? - Like any other protection scheme, it would be possible to patch out the protection code, but I would guess that this would be acceptable since I would perceive the product as more acceptable to the public i.e. I don't buy copy-protected software if I can help it at all, simply because it's a drag to use. - Requires reserved locations in memory or something that restricts the hardware a little (I don't know enough to comment accurately on such things). Comments?? John M Sellens UUCP: {decvax|utzoo|ihnp4|allegra|clyde}!watmath!jmsellens CSNET: jmsellens%watmath@waterloo.csnet ARPA: jmsellens%watmath%waterloo.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa