Easiest way to protect software agains illegal copying?

[Steven Dehandtschutter]

Hi,

Someone asked me if I could write an OPL program (Psion 3a) and I was
wondering: how can I protect the program I make from being copied
illegaly? I was thinking about generating a registration number (which,
preferably must match the owner name). Are there any opl sources for
this? Can ayone point out some useful references regarding this topic
(as I have abolutely NO experience on this).

bye,

Steven.

[Rikki Prince]

To make a name specific code, all you need to do is play about with the
ASCII codes of each letter in the name. To get the code of each letter use
ASC(name$) to get the code, and mid$(name$,count%,1). You should put this in
a DO...UNTIL loop until the count% variable = LEN(name$). You should put the
mid$() inside the ASC() instead of name$. The loop should also add the code
to a variable called something like code%, or total%. You can then multiply,
and muck about with the total. If you need a really long code, you need a
bigger variable, like code&.
E-mail me if you need more help.

Rikki

PS If anyone knows a better way of doing this, can they tell me. I've been
doing this ages, but don't know how good it is. By the way, I'll probably
set up a webpage on my site about this.

Steven Dehandtschutter wrote in message <36B1D472...@ruca.ua.ac.be>...

[Brett Viren]

The simplest way to protect your program from being copied illegally
is to licence it under the GPL.

-Brett.

Steven Dehandtschutter <sdeh...@ruca.ua.ac.be> writes:

[ Extraneous MIME crap, cut ]

>
> Hi,
>
> Someone asked me if I could write an OPL program (Psion 3a) and I was
> wondering: how can I protect the program I make from being copied
> illegaly? I was thinking about generating a registration number (which,
> preferably must match the owner name). Are there any opl sources for
> this? Can ayone point out some useful references regarding this topic
> (as I have abolutely NO experience on this).
>
> bye,
>
> Steven.

[ Extraneous MIME crap, cut ]

[Alex Phare]

Brett Viren wrote in message ...

>The simplest way to protect your program from being copied illegally
>is to licence it under the GPL.
>
>-Brett.

er... whats GPL?

Alex

[Alan Clifford [email: change scatology to AC]]

And don't forget you need to put in some anti-Revtran protection,
otherwise you "mucking-about" algorithm can be translated back into OPL
code.

Alan

"Rikki Prince" <rpr...@dircon.co.uk> wrote:

>To make a name specific code, all you need to do is play about with the
>ASCII codes of each letter in the name. To get the code of each letter use
>ASC(name$) to get the code, and mid$(name$,count%,1). You should put this in
>a DO...UNTIL loop until the count% variable = LEN(name$). You should put the
>mid$() inside the ASC() instead of name$. The loop should also add the code
>to a variable called something like code%, or total%. You can then multiply,
>and muck about with the total. If you need a really long code, you need a
>bigger variable, like code&.
>E-mail me if you need more help.
>
>Rikki
>
>PS If anyone knows a better way of doing this, can they tell me. I've been
>doing this ages, but don't know how good it is. By the way, I'll probably
>set up a webpage on my site about this.
>
>Steven Dehandtschutter wrote in message <36B1D472...@ruca.ua.ac.be>...

[Brett Viren]

"Alex Phare" <NOSPAMPL...@phare59.freeserve.co.uk> writes:

WOW!! I am a little surprised at this question. I had assumed my
flippant remark would be understood. Sorry.

GPL (General Public Licence) is the the licences which all GNU (and
many other) groups release their software under. Once software is
released under this licence it can never legally be taken for proprietary

[Brett Viren]

"Alex Phare" <NOSPAMPL...@phare59.freeserve.co.uk> writes:

> Brett Viren wrote in message ...
> >The simplest way to protect your program from being copied illegally
> >is to licence it under the GPL.
> >
> >-Brett.
>
>
> er... whats GPL?
>
> Alex

Sorry, my butter fingers sent that first message before I was done.

As I was saying, GPL allows software to be released to the public in
such a way that it can never be taken and made proprietary. It
encourages collaborative effort as well as redistribution. This is a
really hot topic now, although the GPL and excelent software released
under it has been around for years (decades?).

For more info see the GNU site (http://www.gnu.org/). In particular:

http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/copyleft.html
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/philosophy.html

You can read the text of the GPL here:

http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html

One of the things which is holding me back from buying a Psion5 and
getting involved in EPOC32 developement is the whole proprietariness
of it. The concept of paying money to a company just so I can write
software which in the end will increase the value of this companies
product is just crazy, especially when the central part of the EPOC32
C++ SDK is G++ which *is* GPL'ed.

-Brett.

[John Forrest]

Brett Viren wrote in message ...

>"Alex Phare" <NOSPAMPL...@phare59.freeserve.co.uk> writes:

>GPL (General Public Licence) is the the licences which all GNU (and
>many other) groups release their software under. Once software is
>released under this licence it can never legally be taken for proprietary

Unless:

*somebody disputes it (ie claims prior ownership)

* more importantly there has been a lot of discussion in this group on
shrink wrap contracts recently, with people questioning their validity
because you often obtain the software before seeing the license and because
the Licensor often does not know who the Licensee is. (Apparently the latter
is officially an important point under English Law). No body seems to have
spotted that the GNU license is in many ways the shrink wrap license to end
all others, and if those of MS etc are invalid then perhaps that one is too!

John

[Steve Litchfield]

> Someone asked me if I could write an OPL program (Psion 3a) and I
was
> wondering: how can I protect the program I make from being copied
> illegaly? I was thinking about generating a registration number
(which,
> preferably must match the owner name). Are there any opl sources for
> this? Can ayone point out some useful references regarding this
topic
> (as I have abolutely NO experience on this).

There are lots of useful tips regarding this sort of thing in the
right-hand column of http://3lib.ukonline.co.uk/programm.htm

Steve Litchfield

[Brett Viren]

"John Forrest" <j.fo...@dial.pipex.com> writes:

> Brett Viren wrote in message ...
>

> >GPL (General Public Licence) is the the licences which all GNU (and
> >many other) groups release their software under. Once software is
> >released under this licence it can never legally be taken for proprietary
>
> Unless:
>
> *somebody disputes it (ie claims prior ownership)

The owner of the copywrite of a software is free to release under any
license desired. I don't understand your point. If you are
suggesting that the GPL is invalid if someone steals someone elses
software and slaps the GPL over it, then yes, this is true, just as it
is true if this is done with any licence.

> * more importantly there has been a lot of discussion in this group on
> shrink wrap contracts recently, with people questioning their validity
> because you often obtain the software before seeing the license and because
> the Licensor often does not know who the Licensee is. (Apparently the latter
> is officially an important point under English Law). No body seems to have
> spotted that the GNU license is in many ways the shrink wrap license to end
> all others, and if those of MS etc are invalid then perhaps that one is too!

HUH? What are you on? The GPL is no more a shrink wrap licence than
I am a fan of MicroSoft.

Read it here: http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html with out the need to
obtain any software.

Most packages which are under GPL clearly state they are so, in the
README or other introductory file.

Furthermore, if you obtain software and somehow don't know it is under
GPL and then decide that you can't abide by the GPL, simply delete the
software. You loose nothing.

The GPL is simply a legal means where a software author can allow
other people the freedom to improve and use his/her code with out
worrying that these improvements will be kept from him/her in the
future. There are other implications of the GPL (high quality code,
freedom of choice, accessibility, efficient use of programmers time)
but this freedom to have my code improved by others in a way that I
can benefit from is what I see the primary reason to release under
GPL. Strict selfishness.

-Brett.

[John Forrest]

Brett Viren wrote in message ...
>"John Forrest" <j.fo...@dial.pipex.com> writes:
>
>> Brett Viren wrote in message ...
>>
>> >GPL (General Public Licence) is the the licences which all GNU (and
>> >many other) groups release their software under. Once software is
>> >released under this licence it can never legally be taken for
proprietary
>>
>> Unless:
>>
>> *somebody disputes it (ie claims prior ownership)
>
>The owner of the copywrite of a software is free to release under any
>license desired. I don't understand your point.

You seemed to be saying that putting a GPL license on it then there could be
no legal dispute. I was pointing out that this could only be the case if
whoever did this was in a position too. Mute point.

>> * more importantly there has been a lot of discussion in this group on
>> shrink wrap contracts recently, with people questioning their validity
>> because you often obtain the software before seeing the license and
because
>> the Licensor often does not know who the Licensee is. (Apparently the
latter
>> is officially an important point under English Law). No body seems to
have
>> spotted that the GNU license is in many ways the shrink wrap license to
end
>> all others, and if those of MS etc are invalid then perhaps that one is
too!
>
>HUH? What are you on? The GPL is no more a shrink wrap licence than
>I am a fan of MicroSoft.

The dispute about shrinkwrap licences centres on two things: whether they
are morally acceptable and whether they are legal. The first point we can
argue about for ever, but the second is probably more important. The
problems seem to centre on several places:

* At what stage the "contract" is made - ie. did you know of the terms and
conditions before the transaction took place. With bought software this is a
particular problem, but it is not altogether clear whether it is always
clear for downloaded software either.

* Whether there is a need for both sides of the contract to know the other
side - there is some argument that there is a requirement under Engish law.
This is not satisfied by the GNU licence.

* Whether any "consideration" takes place. I don't really understand this,
I'll admit, but it includes payment in cash as well as payment in kind.
Releasing stuff for evaluation seems to be covered. It is not clear that
freeware, in either sense, can be.

* And what if people ignore the license? Who is going to sue. This is, I
understand, civil law and I understand only the Licensors can sue and only
then they have to show they have suffered loss.

>Furthermore, if you obtain software and somehow don't know it is under
>GPL and then decide that you can't abide by the GPL, simply delete the
>software. You loose nothing.

and what if the GPL itself is not-valid? In that case are there is no
license.

My big question is to whether the GPL has much legal validity, or whether it
is a con.

John

PS. I'm not a layer and I expressively decline any responsibility for these
comments. Anybody who is worried should seek professional legal advice in
the appropriate juristiction. (;-) IMO etc)

[hra...@my-dejanews.com]

In article <36B1D472...@ruca.ua.ac.be>,

sdeh...@ruca.ua.ac.be wrote:
> I was
> wondering: how can I protect the program I make from being copied
> illegaly?

Two easy ways:
1) Don't release it
or
2) Allow copying so that it becomes legal.

--
The legal stuff:
** Ich widerspreche der Nutzung oder Übermittlung meiner
** Daten zu Werbezwecken oder für die Markt- und Meinungs-
** forschung (Paragraph 28 Absatz 3 Bundesdatenschutzgesetz)

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[Czo [Olivier Sirol]]

Brett Viren wrote:
> > >The simplest way to protect your program from being copied illegally
> > >is to licence it under the GPL.
> > >
> > >-Brett.

exellent!

Czo.