DE19629793A1 - Protection of software against unauthorised copying - Google Patents

Abstract

The protection method is for programs which have dummy files or additional data installed on CD-ROM. This is in addition to the programs (3) being protected, which together deplete the storage capacity of the CD-ROM (1). The presence of the additional data, or dummy files (4) is queried by the user system during installation of the software program, and the system (2) hardware (6) is analysed during installation of the software program to generate a sign, test digit or similar from the analysis data so that the protected program can be started, in future, directly from the user system (2).

Description

The invention relates to a principle for protecting software programs against unauthorized copying, according to the generic term of Claim 1.

The provider of software programs generally wants prevent a software program bought by the user is illegally copied and redistributed. Wish worth it because it would make economic sense for the provider every user to purchase the original software program move.

There are already some variants on the market, the original protect software from unauthorized copying to your users dung. One of the ways is to use the disk Identify original software in terms of hardware. At instal The software will label this data carrier queried by the installer. Copying the original software on another data carrier is still possible Lich, the hardware identification of the data carrier is for the normal users, however, can hardly be carried out, so that the software is not installed from the copied data carrier leaves.

Another variant of the copy protection is when starting the installed program or when starting the  Program from the disk an input code from the user asks. The user can usually only use this input code answer if he has the complete program documentation is present. With the copied program version the user has Without these documents there is hardly any possibility of closing the program start.

Both examples mentioned above and used in practice a copy protection, as well as all other common princes pien can of course be bypassed by the user. In the first Copy protection from is an example of hardware identification Providers to install a little more, that's what it is for the user in the second case, for example by simultaneous Copying all documents, relatively simply a working one Make a copy.

The aim of the invention is to provide software programs a relatively simple and inexpensive way of knockout to offer pier protection, the copy protection at the moment The state of the art is difficult to avoid by the user.

This object is achieved by the features of Pa claim 1 solved. Advantageous further education and training Events are described in the subclaims.

In the attached drawing is the principle of the protective function against unauthorized copying of the original software in diagram form shown.

The program to be installed ( 3 ) is offered by the provider or manufacturer on a CD-ROM ( 1 ). A CD-ROM ( 1 ) with the highest possible storage capacity is selected, on which, in addition to the program ( 3 ) to be protected, there are further additional data or pure dummy files ( 4 ) that fully utilize the storage capacity of the CD-ROM. The user cannot easily recognize which files on the CD-ROM ( 1 ) are required for the program ( 3 ) and which only function as dummy files ( 4 ).

When installing ( 7 ) the program to be protected ( 3 ) from the original CD-ROM ( 1 ) to the hard disk ( 5 ) of the system ( 2 ) of the user, the presence of the special additional data ( 4 ) on the CD-ROM ( 1 ), and thus the existence of the CD-ROM ( 1 ) is queried. The CD-ROM ( 1 ) is used as a key for the activation.

In addition, during the installation ( 7 ) of the program ( 3 ) to be protected, the software analyzes the respective hardware ( 6 ) of the device ( 2 ) on which it is installed. The analyzed system components ( 6 ) are, for example, CPU type, FPU type, BIOS data, hard disk ( 5 ), drives, graphics card, network card, etc. The installation software uses this data to generate a check digit that is used during installation ( 7 ) is saved in the EXE file ( 8 ) of the program ( 3 ) to be protected on the hard disk ( 5 ). The program ( 3 ) to be protected can now be started directly from the hard disk ( 5 ) of the system ( 2 ) without the CD-ROM ( 1 ). Each time the program is started, the check digit generated during installation ( 7 ) is checked in the EXE file ( 8 ) using the existing hardware ( 6 ) of the system ( 2 ).

If a change is made to the system ( 2 ), for example a change in the graphics card or the CPU type, the installed program ( 3 ) to be protected again requests the original CD-ROM ( 1 ) for subsequent installation ( 7 ), where, among other things, the check digit in the EXE file ( 8 ) is adapted to the changed hardware ( 6 ). Because the hardware ( 6 ) in the system ( 2 ) is rarely changed, the user can work comfortably with the program ( 3 ).

The above principle of using a CD-ROM ( 1 ) high storage capacity, which is filled with additional data ( 4 ), to protect the program ( 3 ) against unauthorized copying prevents or complicates some conceivable possibilities of creating an unauthorized program copy.

The copy ( 15 ) of the complete original CD-ROM ( 1 ) with program ( 3 ) and additional data ( 4 ) on a second CD-ROM ( 9 ), which is then used as CD-ROM ( 9 ) to install ( 16 ) the copied programs ( 11 ) on the hard drive ( 13 ) of any system ( 10 ) could be used, has so far not been possible for users without special devices.

Bring a copy ( 20 ) of the complete original CD-ROM ( 1 ) with the program ( 3 ) and additional data ( 4 ) to the hard disk ( 5 ) of the system ( 2 ) so that further copies ( 17 ) can be transferred to other systems ( 10 ) to manufacture, is generally not profitable or is even impossible due to a lack of free capacity on the hard disks ( 5 ) and ( 13 ). In order to successfully prevent copying ( 20 - < 17 ) in this form, the original CD-ROM ( 1 ) should have as large a storage capacity as possible.

If the user does not change the complete original CD-ROM ( 1 ), but only the ( 7 ) program ( 3 ) installed on the hard disk ( 5 ) of the system ( 2 ) on the hard disk ( 13 ) of another system ( 10 ) copied ( 19 ), the program ( 3 ) can only be started if the system components ( 14 ) of the second system ( 10 ) match the system components ( 6 ) of the first system ( 2 ). If there is the slightest difference between the systems ( 10 ) and ( 2 ), the program ( 3 ) requires the original CD-ROM ( 1 ) for subsequent installation ( 18 ) in order to adapt the check digit to the new system ( 10 ).

The original CD-ROM ( 1 ) is required for each installation ( 7 ) of the program ( 3 ) to be protected on a new system ( 2 or 10 ). As a result, users are more or less forced to purchase the original CD-ROM ( 1 ).

Reference list

1 (original) CD-ROM
2 system
3 program (to be protected)
4 additional data or dummy files
5 hard drive
6 Hardware or system components
7 Installation
8 EXE file
9 (copied) CD-ROM
10 system
11 program
12 additional data or dummy files
13 hard drive
14 Hardware or system components
15 copy
16 Installation
17 copy
18 Installation
19 copy
20 copy

Claims (4)

1. A method for protecting software programs against unauthorized copying, characterized in that
that additional data or dummy files ( 4 ) are installed on a CD-ROM ( 1 ) in addition to the program ( 3 ) to be protected, which together exhaust the storage capacity of the CD-ROM ( 1 ),
that the presence of the additional data or dummy files ( 4 ) is queried by the system ( 2 ) of the user when installing the software program,
and that the hardware ( 6 ) of the system ( 2 ) is analyzed during the installation of the software program, a character, a check digit or the like being generated from the data of the analysis, which can be stored in the system of the user, in order to identify the program to be protected to be able to start directly from the system ( 2 ) of the user in the future. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the software during installation ( 7 ) analyzes the system components ( 6 ) of the hardware. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the additional data or dummy files ( 4 ) on the DC-ROM ( 1 ) are stored in terms of content and / or locally not recognizable. 4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the character or the check digit in the EXE file ( 8 ) of the program to be protected on the hard disk ( 5 ) of the system ( 2 ) is stored.