From: robertw@informix.com (Robert Weinberg)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps
Subject: Re: SPA piracy raid: Call for Solutions
Date: 24 Jul 92 15:43:43 GMT
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

In article <906700.2A686D57@cmhgate.fidonet.org>  
Adam.Frix@p18.f20.n226.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Adam Frix) writes:
> robertw@informix.com (Robert Weinberg) writes:
> 
> RW> It would be really neat to see people throw out their favorite 
> RW> solutions to the problem. My suggestion is given below. It 
> RW> attempts to make software similar to any other possession: 
> RW> you can lend it, but there is always the chance you won't 
> RW> get it back. Here goes: 
> 
> you know, I think I like this.  And there's really no need to send the
> original disk back.  Simply have, in the About box, some way for the user to
> interact with the encryption key at the publisher's direction.  Let's say I
> call Informix and tell them I want the updated disks (of whatever kind, be
> they program updates, or additional utilities, or whatever).  Informix tells
> me to pull up the About box, and in the little text entry box, plug in some
> number.  I do, and some other number appears in another field.  I read the
> resultant number to Informix; they go backward (lookup table, or calculation,
> or something) to determine my encryption key, and pull up the record _for  
that
> copy_ on their screen.  Voila.  No need for Informix people to spend their
> days inserting disks and pulling up encrypted keys.  They then tell me what I
> need to do, how much I need to spend, and whatnot.

That sounds great - really convenient.

It feeds into one question that has been nagging me a bit about "upgrade  
coupon" software, though.

Assume that the department copy of RageMaker has been extensively copied by  
now-departed employees, all of whom are intent on grabbing off the upgrade  
path. The question is, when can they send in a floppy or call in to get the  
upgrade, and to whom does the publisher grant the upgrade?

So far, my suggestion has been as follows.

MacroHard, the publisher of RageMaker, announces that Version 91.0 will be  
officially available on July 1st.

On that date, MacroHard starts going through its bin of received diskettes,  
like someone picking lottery numbers from a tumbler. It reads the "upgrade  
coupon" number embedded in each diskette, and if the number is both registered  
and has not had an upgrade issued to it, MacroHard sends off an upgrade to the  
person who sent the diskette (no questions asked). MacroHard updates its  
database to indicate that this "upgrade coupon" number has been taken.

If another diskette is picked with the same "upgrade coupon" number (there  
might be 30 with the same number!), MacroHard sends out a letter saying,  
"Sorry, someone has already claimed the $59 upgrade, but check here if you  
would like us to send a copy of Version 91.0 of RageMaker at $595 retail."

I suppose, if call-ins with encryption were allowed as you suggest, MacroHard  
could just take the first caller after 8:00am on July 1st. It would sure take  
guts for MacroHard to say, "Yes, I know you are one of our top 10 customers,  
but someone else just called in and purchased the upgrade for that registration  
number so I can't sell you an upgrade. No sir, I'm sure you did not copy  
someone else's software, we're not accusing you, but this is the licensing  
agreement. I can send you a new copy for $595."

This would be a real test of the resolution of MacroHard: would they really be  
willing to risk alienating customers in order to protect their software from  
copying?


--
*********   MY OPINIONS, not those of my employer!   **************

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|         Rob Weinberg           |  Workstation publications tech |
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