🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1993Feb7.171320.10974@ac.dal.ca> asuncion@ac.dal.ca writes:
>Does anyone know how to copy-protect software? I am presently writing software
>in Turbo Pascal 5-5.5. Are there any good books available that basically explain
>everything.

If you wish to sell, in the modern computer world you don't.

   All the best, Timo

..................................................................
Prof. Timo Salmi      Co-moderator of comp.archives.msdos.announce
Moderating at garbo.uwasa.fi anonymous FTP archives 128.214.87.1
Faculty of Accounting & Industrial Management; University of Vaasa
Internet: ts@uwasa.fi Bitnet: salmi@finfun   ; SF-65101, Finland

In article <1993Feb7.171320.10974@ac.dal.ca>, asuncion@ac.dal.ca writes:

> Does anyone know how to copy-protect software? I am presently writing software
> in Turbo Pascal 5-5.5. Are there any good books available that basically explain
> everything.

Well, if it's fully explained in a book, that's going to make it more
than a tad easier for a "cracker" to break your system.

I agree with Timo -- if you want to sell your software, don't try to
include a software-based copy-protection scheme.  Remember, if you can
do it with software, someone can undo it.  If you really feel that you
need some kind of copy-inhibition, buy into one of those dongle schemes.

Historically s/w-based copy-protection has been nothing but a pain in
the butt to legitimate users, usually because it has depended on out-of-
or beyond- spec performance (which not all hardware supports), or
undocumented (and often very flakey) OS behaviour which stops working
when the user upgrades to the next version of the OS, or loads a new
driver for some fancy piece of hardware that's just become available, or
whatever.  You get the picture?

Software-based copy-protection is generally seen as a hindrance, and to
legitimate users it is effectively an insult to their integrity, as the
message from the s/w author/vendor seems to be "I think my customers are
crooks".  For these and other reasons, we no longer buy programs with
s/w-based copy-protection unless there is absolutely no alternative. 
Generally dongle protected programs are looked on more favourably
(unless they have to run in a networked environment), as they lend a
degree of flexibility in installation and use that other systems might
not (though this sort of usage is still often deemed unacceptable in the
programs' licensing agreements).

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 Nick FitzGerald, PC Applications Consultant, CSC, Uni of Canterbury, N.Z.
 n.fitzgerald@csc.canterbury.ac.nz  TEL:+64(3)364 2337, FAX:+64(3)364 2332