🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <3i9r3d$5s9@news.irisa.fr>, moysan@irisa.fr (Erwan Moysan) says:
>
>If this post is not in the appropriate newsgroup, don't flame me: it has been posted
>automaticaly.
>
>I looking for any hint about copy protection. I would like to avoid "low-end-user" copy
>my program but my boss doesn't want to use a dongle. sigh...
>
>So, if you know some useful software tricks to avoid copy...
A few off the top of my head - NB I don't know how to code these, just the
principles

1. Serial number of disk, covered in EDM/2 3-1 - can be circumvented 
    with right utility programme.

2. Disk formatted non standard ie extra tracks which diskcopy can't handle
    or cross link the FAT entries and keep the proper FAT somewhere else.
    can sometimes be nulled by a good diskcopy program.

3. Machine signature - get info from the BIOS and machine equipment -
    some problems when the machine is upgraded though.

4. techniques beloved of the games world - word in manual, code wheels

5. Serial number for each copy of the program

6. Dongle - horrible to use.. (but most effective)

7. Put the program on CD. It's not too difficult to copy CDs, but CD writers
    aren't standard information and it removes a lot of the 'diskcopy' brigade

note that all of the above can be hacked around including dongles and 
weird disk formats. All you can do against a determined hacker is buy time,
the more checksums that are placed in your program the longer it takes to
crack and the more your program can sell..

and the no 1 way to sell more product: Produce a decent product and
sell it cheap..

.....Peter Kay, OS/2 Programmer, www author & all round techie..........
. email: P.J.KAY@ITI.SALFORD.AC.UK                                     .
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