OpenEuphoria

RE: Registering and copy protection

• Posted by Ray Smith <smithr at ix.net.au> Oct 27, 2002
• 479 views

Hi Tony,

There is a terrible trend beginning where "security codes" (or 
whatever you want to call them) are based on individual information
obtained from the users PC.  

For example, 
* I buy some software, 
* install it,
* A program is executed (usually automatically after the install) 
that obtains some unique information about my PC (Network card 
address, CPU serial number, HDD serial number, or a combination of 
all) and sends that off to the software suppliers web site that 
registers my information and gives me an unlocking code that works 
for my computer only.

This in reality seems like a fair enough approach from software 
companies that are possibly lossing millions of dollars.

The problems begin when:
* You change PC's or part of your PC that makes your access key invalid 
(there is a way to get a new key but is usually a pain)
This is especially a pain if you change over a weekend when there is
no support to obtain a new key,
* You don't have internet access on the PC your installing the 
software on,
* You have a laptop that you want to install the software on (some 
software comes with licenses that allow you to install one copy of 
software on your main desktop AND "your" laptop.
* The lack of security (if the software supplier goes under and 
you need a new access key the software is now worthless),
* Privacy since a program is automatically collecting information from
your PC and sending it to a company! (Kat you'll love that one :])

The end result is the person who pays for the software is the loser.
Two of the software suppliers where I work went with this approach
and both removed it and went back to the usual serial number approach.

I believe Windows XP is using this "individual PC based" approach??

What you need are other incentives for people to register.  
Free upgrades? Support? web forums etc that only registered users 
have access to.
By all means use a serial number approach, but don't put any processes
in place that hurt the registered users.

Regards,

Ray Smith
http://rays-web.com


This means 
Tony Steward wrote:
> Hi All,
> I now that there is little one can do to totally prevent poeple from 
> riping of your software. I figure if it is registered and thier name or 
> company name is locked into the software, displayed on the screen and in 
> 
> printouts.
> 
> My Question is what ways are there to create registration numbers.
> One apparently easy way is to use the crc file in the archives to create 
> 
> a crc value for the name etc. But if this is a standard crc formula it 
> would be easy to crack. Then on the otherhand if somone is going to go 
> to this trouble then they will probably crack or patch the file anyway. 
> Just wondering what you all think and what methods you use to protect 
> your work. And if somone has created a library for this purpose.
> 
> Thanks
> Tony Steward
> 
> 
> Give your hardest tasks to your lasiest workers. 
> They will always find the easiest way to complete it.