Xref: utzoo comp.sys.amiga:26237 comp.misc:4324 Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!mcdchg!ddsw1!karl From: karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.misc Subject: Re: Software Development And Piracy (Spurred By FTL replies) Summary: If you had bothered to read the entire posting.... Message-ID: <2397@ddsw1.MCS.COM> Date: 8 Dec 88 16:11:56 GMT References: <555@icus.islp.ny.us> <2363@ddsw1.MCS.COM> <1334@leah.Albany.Edu> Reply-To: karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM(Karl Denninger) Organization: Macro Computer Solutions, Inc., Mundelein, IL Lines: 140 In article <1334@leah.Albany.Edu> jac423@leah.Albany.Edu (Julius A Cisek) writes: >> All it takes is ONE company that doesn't cripple their products -- and all >> of the cripple-ware firms' business dries up overnight. > >Yep, even though they may be the better software company... They are NOT the "better software company" if their products are crippled and they are not responsive to their customers. "Better" software companies listen to their customers, and more importantly, they _implement their requests within reason_ (because they know that those who make the request will probably buy more from them, and that they will ALSO tell their friends to do so as well). We do a heck of a lot of business on referral -- someone who currently has our product(s) is talking to a friend and says something like "Well, a couple of months ago I asked MCS if they could do, and whadda 'ya know, yesterday I got an update -- and it was in there!". Of course if you only produce products that are "one shot"; you provide ZERO in the way of support or assistance, and you basically never want to see the customer (or his opinions) once you have his/her money, then this doesn't work. In that case, though, I argue that you aren't interested in your customer at all -- only his/her pocketbook! We don't program (or sell programs) like that. We also listen to the customer; customers today are shouting "GET THAT @$%^& CRAP OFF THE DISKS, IT STOPS ME FROM PUTTING THIS PACKAGE TO USE - - or I will _NOT_ buy your product!" >> Btw: My relavent experience: >> We publish and write Unix and Xenix software, as well as some DOS >> material. NONE of our products has or ever will be copy protected, > >Errr... How could you copy protect Unix software in the first place? See SCO Xenix -- "brand". You can CP the original diskette, write an installation program, and use "brand" to serialize on installation. No serialization (meaning no valid key) and it doesn't work. Their OS and all their products install in this manner. You can also link your software in such that it looks at the OS serial number if you want to get cagey.... In fact, I recently got such a disk in the UPS delivery..... (it was a beta of a product I can't discuss); the people doing the beta thought they'd put some wierd things on the disk to prevent duplication. I could probably break it, but it would take some time and simply isn't worth it -- I'd rather not purchase the product at all if the CP was going to be on the final version (yep, we told them this). >You gave many reasons why companies should not copy-protect software, >now how about some ideas in how to stop piracy. I also listed several ideas to stop (or lessen) piracy. I see you didn't bother reading the rest of my article on the subject! Let's try again: 1) Form (and USE) associations such as the SPA (the SPA currently doesn't do much of a job -- unfortunately) to help combat organized piracy. This means that you need to hit the companies and individuals that do this as a matter of course -- with suits and confiscation raids, if necessary. In fact, if they really wanted to "crack down" they might even offer _REWARDS_ for fruitful tips....... All of this must be done within the law of course; I don't condone (and will not support) "police actions" by individuals or the state that violate Constitutional protections. 2) Burn purchasers names into programs if you need "protection". This also helps out the prosecution (and detection) under #1 above. The downside of this is that you need a system (or specialized "burning drive") at each point of sale. This sounds nasty -- until you consider that most computer stores ALREADY have the prerequisite machine onsite! All it takes is some fancy software. The other alternative is "Self-serializing" software that requires a PHONE CALL to the manufacturer for a code to "activate" the package. Both of these protection methods entail cost, but NEITHER one of them is intrusive or stops me from backing up or using the product, and both will stop the "heh Joe, check this package out" type copying, because if Joe calls for technical support, Jack (who gave Joe the disk) is busted! The "phone call" method also gives you a permanent record of everyone who has purchased a copy of the program.....useful if you DO find that a certain serial number is being seen often.... 3) Include a section in each manual (AT THE FRONT) discussing copyright law and the user's liabilities and responsibilities. 4) DO SOMETHING for the customer -- thereby forcing him to deal with you if he wants to keep things up to date -- AND keep him happy. The last may be the most important point. A _loyal_ customer simply won't let anyone copy the disks.... once again, if you're into selling "one-shots" and can't/won't help people out or listen to them this isn't going to get you anywhere. Like it or not, you'll probably never stop the 15-year old who has 95% of the Atari software. That's the breaks, folks -- until and unless we can get people to acknowledge (especially kids!) that it's WRONG, or we make enough examples out of people it simply won't stop. How to make an example? BUST that kid, take his computer, and sue the parents; Dad & Mom will turn WHITE when they discover that willful copyright violations are $25,000 a crack! (Heck, give the successful "informant" 10% of the net recovery, that ought to be enough incentive to keep people tattling on their fellow thieves!) After the first successful suit, how many parents will tolerate Junior's 200 "free" games? You can bet that first arrest and trial will make the headlines! I also contend that if you DO somehow stop the stealing by under-age people (which are probably the majority in the game area) you'll not make much more money as an author or publisher -- most of those kids simply couldn't afford to purchase the games no matter how good they are; you wouldn't see a plugged nickel from them REGARDLESS of the circumstances. The kids wouldn't have the software, true, but you wouldn't be compensated _either_. I'd estimate that you'd only see a 10% increase in sales of these products -- this means that only one in 100 (at a 10:1 copying ratio) of the present thieves would purchase the product, and I think that's probably pretty accurate. MOST of those kids who have 100's of games have a hard time buying the disks to copy the things on to! If you stop the piracy, they could only afford 1 or 2 of the games... and out of the 100's out there, what's the chance that YOURS is going to be that 1 or 2? About 1 or 2% :-) Until we treat (privately and publically) stealing software like stealing money we don't have a chance; currently stealing software is not only nearly risk-free, but it something that "everyone does". Even with those changes piracy won't disappear completely -- there are (and will be) thieves in every profession. BTW: We're not mass-market with our products; even so, our prior and current offerings, to the best of my knowledge, are not in use on any unauthorized sites (this probably means a few dozen ARE out there ;-). Anyone want to start an Association of Software Publishers & Authors, with a small annual dues that initially funds both a "rewards" system and a legal fund to bring the axe down on these people? NOT another SPA -- they're not enough. What we need to be effective is an organization with wide-based power, not something controlled only by huge giants like Lotus. Or is it better if we just ignore the problem, or continue on our present course? Do we REALLY want to change the "status quo"; if so, let's do it! -- Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, ddsw1!karl) Data: [+1 312 566-8912], Voice: [+1 312 566-8910] Macro Computer Solutions, Inc. "Quality solutions at a fair price"