[ot][music-dsp] re: software piracy

[Ross Bencina]

Hello James and Chris

I think what you say is true, although typing "* serials" into google, where
* is your favourite aboretum product, and one of the s is a z, makes it
pretty easy to get an illegal serial number - this kind of thing is
rellatively accessible to the "normally honest folk" mentioned below without
them resorting to the services of Radium, Zone et al.

My experience is that when people get desperate - for example when their
evaluation period ends and they have a gig the following night, they either
pay for the software or look for a serial number on the web - I think these
many of these people would pay if the serial number search failed.

Although I have no practical experience with this yet, I'm planning to
introduce some sort of product activation, where the activation code is
issued by email - a hash of their registration code and some low level
details of their computer, this would allow me to monitor and ban shared or
fake serial numbers. It isn't going to stop (nor is it aimed at) hardened
warez heads who would download a cracked version of the software or a serial
number generator, but it does keep honest people honest.

This is an interesting read:
http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/ubb/newsdisplay.cgi?action=topics&number=1
4&article=000052
which was linked from this slashdot story:
http://developers.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/03/18/037233&mode=thread&ti
d=98

Best wishes,

Ross.


"James Chandler Jr." <jchandjr at bellsouth.net> wrote:
> What do you think of "light" serial number type protection?
>
> Those don't seem much of a burden on the paying customer, and don't take
> much effort to program.
>
> The argument for using such, is summarized by "keeping honest people
> honest," a phrase I heard from a cop.
>
> Even normally honest folk might be tempted to "borrow" something if it is
> just sitting around completely unprotected. But light protection like a
> locked door, padlock, or bike chain is enough to reinforce honest behavior
> in the great majority of folks who have ethics.
>
> True thieves will use bolt cutters, crowbar, cutting torch, dynamite,
> whatever it takes. But light protection is enough to reinforce property
> rights for the majority of "potential" honest paying customers?



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