craig..
you have a point here..
very good scheme. :)) sounds nice.. but is it a cost effective
system for cheap software? (ie: games)!?
no matter how hard we try.. people will still copy.. the
problem with this warez site is that they are not distributing
"binaries".. they are distributing programs that generate the
registration codes.. :((
that does not solve our problems..
az.
--
Aaron Ardiri
Lecturer http://www.hig.se/~ardiri/
University-College i G�vle mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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On Wed, 9 Jun 1999, Alan Kennington wrote:
> Craig,
>
> I really don't want to stretch out this thread any further,
> but there's an interesting little strategy here,
> which is sort of semi-ethical.
>
> First you write a non-open-source copy of your software,
> and make it available from you directly with a certificate etc. etc.,
> which authenticates that it came from you etc.
>
> Then you plant large numbers of virus-laden versions of your software
> in third world countries on the net for hackers to copy and distribute.
> These could, say, do something nasty every 90 days.
>
> The trick here is to create a _fake_ cracker site,
> and play their game.
>
> Then the user, hearing that there are vast numbers of
> virus-ridden copies of your software washing around on the net,
> will be happy to have an authenticated copy of your software --
> direct from the author.
>
> That's one very good reason why commercial concerns do not
> use pirate software. Where I ahve worked, it has been a firing
> offence to install pirate software, because it is too
> dangerous for the company. Only companies really ahve the money
> to buy software anyway. They have budgets for buying software,
> whereas individuals want everything for nothing.
>
> The virus-ridden software could be initially the same as the real software,
> and then start getting calculations wrong, and mysteriously stop from
> time to time -- a kind of steganographic kind of virus, namely
> a virus which is not obviously a virus, but just gets things
> progressively more and more wrong, or just randomly wrong
> at certain random times of day. Or they could just all out
> delete all databases or something.
>
> Now what distinguishes your software from pirate software is
> the fact that the user has a secure feeling that they
> are getting the software from you.
>
> If anyone tries to sue for damages caused by the virus-ridden
> software, then you can say "where is your certificate?",
> and you can check the certificate for that registered individual
> against some watermark (or CRC) for the binary executable.
>
> The only question now is whether you can get sued for
> distributing buggy software.
> Ethically, I think you are safe.
> You give away software from a third world site -- who will
> know that it was you who put the virus in?
> There are a lot of 3rd world countries where you could
> quite cheaply hire some people to distribute such
> virus-infected software. The cracker networks
> use writeable "incoming" directories, don't they?
> Well, just write your code in there anonymously!
>
> Then you can say "don't risk it with imitations --
> get your software securely from the source, with a certificate".
>
> How about that?
> Have I solved the problem???
>
> Cheers,
> Alan Kennington.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> name: Alan Kennington
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>
>
