Author: Shep
Date: 06:53:19 11/08/99
Go up one level in this thread
On November 07, 1999 at 21:15:57, James T. Walker wrote: >After some of the post on this BB concerning openly pirating software, I can >understand the use of copy protection. Many third world countries consider it a >right to copy anything and distribute it. In most there is virtually no way to >enforce the law so it is done openly. I have been to countries where you could >walk into a store and buy the latest copied programs for $2.00. Things like >Dbase , Microsoft Word, Excel, etc. I don't think this has changed much in the >last few years except it is more available than ever. Probably the copy >protection will not prevent this anyway. Exactly. Copy protection serves only two purposes: a) Prevent super-dummies from being able to make a copy with no effort. b) Annoy 90% of the customers. Everyone with decent knowledge of Windows (and most people with some assembly skills) can circumvent today's copy protection systems. (Chessbase products, Nimzo and a few others can be fooled just with some Windows tricks, and if you know how to redirect pointers in Assembler, programs like Shredder, MChess or Hiarcs are also easy prey.) Specialized crackers just laugh at the measures taken by the programmers (and believe me, it often makes me glad that I develop in a field where c.p. is not an issue, simply because *there is no copy protection that really works*). So in this regard, Rebel is going the right way. Especially since I don't think pirating is such a big issue in the chess scene; with Chessmaster being an exception due to its mass market status. But even that becomes ridiculous when you can download the thing from the notorious sites even before the official release. Typically the CP is the last thing that's done on a product, so if you have a source within the company itself (as it seems to happen more and more often), you can get a non-protected copy with no problem whatsoever... --- Shep
This page took 0 seconds to execute
Last modified: Thu, 15 Apr 21 08:11:13 -0700
Current Computer Chess Club Forums at Talkchess. This site by Sean Mintz.