Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!husc6!rutgers!dayton!ems!mark 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