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Geek Culture / Copy Protection

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Complex
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Joined: 27th Apr 2003
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Posted: 4th Jul 2003 00:18
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Does anyone know any effective ways of copy protecting your programs (or what to get for doing ti)? ie they need the CD to run it, but the CD shouldn't be able to be copied.

I've seen Digital Thumbprint methods and Serial Codes but I don't know how to implement those things into a CD.

I've developed one method, but it's a bit of a hassle for the buyer.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
All your base are belong to us
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MrTAToad
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Posted: 4th Jul 2003 01:49
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You could always buy DESLock - it will require a dongle to use a protected program.

Good news everyone! I really am THAT good...
http://www.nickk.nildram.co.uk/ for great plug-ins and other exciting things - oh my, yes!
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Rob K
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Posted: 4th Jul 2003 01:52 Edited at: 4th Jul 2003 01:55
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@Complexity

I have exactly what you want, a program called TZ Copy Protection (I am known as AtomicX over on the site)

http://tzcopyprotection.cjb.net

Basically you encrypt your executable and add it to a CD which you burn with Nero (normal CD layout, burn in TAO mode), TZ will then extract a CD-KEY for your burnt CDR and the CD-KEY (12 digits long) will only work with the original disc. No special CD burning tools necessary, and no "thumbprints" or "signatures" which could be incompatible with some CDROM drives.

Download the new TZ 2 if you want CloneCD proofing.

Do you want Windows menus in your DBP apps? - Get my plugin: http://snow.prohosting.com/~clone99/downloads/tpc_menus_103.zip
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empty
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Posted: 4th Jul 2003 02:20
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@Rob K

Ah, didn't know you were AtomicX. I tried TZ a few months ago (well, those glorious days my CD-Writer still worked.) Very good job.

I awoke in a fever. The bedclothes were all soaked in sweat.
She said "You've been having a nightmare and it's not over yet"
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Rob K
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Posted: 4th Jul 2003 02:55 Edited at: 4th Jul 2003 02:56
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We all have our secrets (I would have used the devious smilie but it looks stupid)

Do you want Windows menus in your DBP apps? - Get my plugin: http://snow.prohosting.com/~clone99/downloads/tpc_menus_103.zip
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empty
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Posted: 4th Jul 2003 02:56
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... revealed one day.

I awoke in a fever. The bedclothes were all soaked in sweat.
She said "You've been having a nightmare and it's not over yet"
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empty
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Posted: 4th Jul 2003 03:10
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Quote: "
(I would have used the devious smilie but it looks stupid)
"

You could have used

I awoke in a fever. The bedclothes were all soaked in sweat.
She said "You've been having a nightmare and it's not over yet"
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Ian T
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Posted: 4th Jul 2003 07:31
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Er, I was looking at the FAQ, and... it seems that most the protection is based on errors... I'm just wondering, how come this dosen't make the CD totally unreadable in the first place?

--Mouse

Famous Fighting Furball
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IanM
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Posted: 4th Jul 2003 10:11
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Coz all CD's have errors - but the system was designed with that in mind and has built in error-correction.

Have you tried burning information onto a disk spinning at several hundred RPM with a laser lately? It's hard I tell you
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Rob K
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Posted: 4th Jul 2003 12:49
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@Mouse

That is TZ 1.5.4 Step 5, I intended Complexity to use the NEW TZ 2 Beta 5, which is the first item on the news page, and does not use errors or anything else.

Do you want Windows menus in your DBP apps? - Get my plugin: http://snow.prohosting.com/~clone99/downloads/tpc_menus_103.zip
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Complex
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Posted: 4th Jul 2003 14:05
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Thanks Rob K, currently in the progress of fiddling about with it.

Cheers

All your base are belong to us
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Ian T
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Posted: 4th Jul 2003 22:39
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thx fr infoz doodz omg lol

--Mouse

Famous Fighting Furball
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8truths
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Posted: 4th Jul 2003 23:06
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There is a point at which you have to accept that a determined user is going to find a way. Even MS finally had to give up and go to telephone/on-line activiation for XP.

We can't stop here! This is bat country!
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Rob K
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Posted: 5th Jul 2003 01:38
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"There is a point at which you have to accept that a determined user is going to find a way."

If you make it hard enough, most people give up. Besides, with a small distro app, you aren't likely to get major or even minor-league crackers having a go at it.

Do you want Windows menus in your DBP apps? - Get my plugin: http://snow.prohosting.com/~clone99/downloads/tpc_menus_103.zip
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8truths
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Posted: 5th Jul 2003 08:34
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Rob, the problem is if the program in question is really in-demand, folks don't give up.

Yes, it becomes more of a pain. Definitely you can kill the casual folks.

However, the major software associations largely go after businesses (at least in the US), who generally bust their asses to avoid having illegal copies and getting caught in a software sweep.

And, frankly, we should all be lucky enough to have folks want to hack our stuff.

We can't stop here! This is bat country!
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