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From: mark@ems.UUCP (Mark H. Colburn)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: A dream about breaking copy protection !
Message-ID: <103@ems.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 23-Dec-86 10:57:20 EST
Article-I.D.: ems.103
Posted: Tue Dec 23 10:57:20 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 24-Dec-86 00:13:20 EST
References: <161@tiger.Princeton.EDU> <1366@nicmad.UUCP> <107@mas1.UUCP>
Reply-To: mark@ems.UUCP (Mark H. Colburn)
Distribution: world
Organization: EMS/McGraw-Hill, Eden Pairie, MN
Lines: 35
Summary: any copy protection CAN be broken

Let's face it folks, there is not a protection scheme for software that can
be written that cannot be broken.  It is the same idea as sending coded
messages, which it has been proven that mathematically, there is no perfectly
secure method of coding available as yet.

Software protection is worse that message coding, since, in almost all cases,
the key for the protection is available on the diskette.  Granted, some copy-
protection methods may be harder to break than other, but the first person
who claims that a copy protection scheme that is based entirely on software
is truly unbreakable will have a lot of proving to do first.

I heard a story once about a company that developed the 'perfect, unbreakable
copy proctection' scheme.  A fourteen year old walked the office and asked if
he could try to break it.  Being smug and sporting about this whole thing,
they agreed.  The kid walked into a room with a computer, the diskette that
was protected, and a box of his own diskettes and walked out 45 minutes later
and dropped an unprotected copy of the original program on the secretary's
desk.  Unbreakable, indeed.

Now that I have bashed that to peices...

Copy protection is just like the locks on your car.  If you honestly beleive
that locking your car will prevent a professional car thief from breaking in
then you are VERY nieve.  However, locking you car does prevent the casual
passer-by from taking your car, or the contents thereof.

Copy protection is much the same way.  The software industry realizes that 
copy protection will not keep the dedicated 'pirate' from breaking the
software, but it will keep the average Joe Blow from making copies and 
passing it out to all of his friends.
-- 
Mark H. Colburn             UUCP: ihnp4!meccts!ems!mark
EMS/McGraw-Hill              ATT: (612) 829-8200
9855 West 78th Street
Eden Prairie, MN  55344