Jose->From what I understand from your statement you only provide>one installation, not allowing backups, reinstallations,>upgrades to the system

Lol, Robert I wish everyone had been into FS when I was in the dorms a few years back! People thought I was rather nuts with my 767PIC actually!Ryan

Gosta --Very interesting. I learn something new every day :) To Jason, I apologize for saying that you would be commiting a crime. I spoke without knowing all of the facts.

Well, I really wonder how much longer the customer will tolerate and endure all those restrictions and problems. What I forgot to mention is, that apart from having to pay AND activate, the honest customer very often is then rewarded with a VERY buggy software (and I do NOT speak of PMDG here but of my general experiences with software (flightsim-) products)!!! In an increasingly number of cases the customer now becomes beta-(or even alpha)-tester! Just think of a famous "727" - it took them half a year (or even longer) after the "release"- date to deliver something which resembled the product they promised in the first place :-(I think this all is really becoming too much, expecting too much understanding from the customer! I think they already have crossed the fine borderline between neccessary protection-systems to protect their work and pestering and scaring off their customers...If this pirate-problem is such a BIG problem how is it possible that Bill Gates inspite of it still is (one of) the richest men in the world???Walter

Hi,I guess your customers need to use a credit card in order to buy online your software...? So, every CC has it's numbers and is bound to your customer or the father/mother if under 18 years old. So, like F1 and FDS does it, you get a key file ones when you buy one of there products and you are to save that somewhere. If it is ZIP, DISC, HDD or CDR/DVD, it aint matter. Whenever you wanna reinstall, you have to have this key file. But that alone doesnt work. Online you have to locate and send info from your key AND some digits from YOUR CC in order to identify yourself as a registrated customer. Is there any way how THAT system of protection can be cracked? Well, I still can copy the unpacked install file and install it wherever I wand to. But, if you cannot install it at all without having the original CDR or a internet connection, cause you have to verify your ident as a reg. customer within running the installation by the net with key and CC digits, this last way of hacking will be blocked. It is in every country against law to pass your CC number to someone in order to use the key and the number illegal to install a software. If I would let my virtuell son buy your software, I'd give him my CC number. He has to use his name, but our family name and my CC to get a key. Ah, the installation software of the product has to check if there is already a installed version without need of an update or any big change within the customers PC system. If there is a need to reinstall, it will ask for the CC and the key file and maybe as well for a password created by only the customer who bought it. So, only he may install it again. Further more you may have some dll within FS2k2 after installation which looks if the key generated bound to mayor system components is right. If not, FS2k2 just dont let you fly your planes. So, it cannot be installed at more than one PC without checking with you online. So, I see a mix of F1 and CS copy protection system without you personaly have to handle it by e-mail.Did I made any sence? Is it a idea?Ciao and Regards, Torben Hadler EDDM

>I think it all depends on what your definition of 'is' is>;-)That

:-lol @ Walter.

Hi Fred,I think that terms such as 'legal', 'law', 'criminal', 'prosecute' etc. are often used way too readily by the general public. Anyone who feels wronged by someone tends to assume that there is a law in place that would correct this perceived 'wrong'. In the majority of cases, this is not true. Let's look at the facts instead: Unauthorized distribution of copyrighted matrial without paying royalties due to the author does consitute a criminal offence in the majority of jurisdictions, and is commonly referred to as 'piracy'. Such activity has been around ever since distributable media was introduced. On this, the law is quite clear. Where it is not clear, is on the measures taken by copyright owners to protect their work. In the US for example, where legislative consumer protection has traditionally been very weak, numerous pieces of legislation have been passed enabling the enforceability of restrictive licence terms beyond what is required by existing criminal statutes. It should be noted, though, that the vast majority of those constitute civil wrongs, and not criminal offences. In other countries, legislation has been passed to enable swifter prosecution of those who commit criminal offences, such as theft of intellectual property, but still uphold a high level of comsumer protection. In Germany, for example, any licence term that prohibits the making of a backup copy of a software title is void by law. In other countries, activation technologies per se are prohibited, as there software is regarded as a chattel. This doesn't mean that a software title containg such technology can't be sold in this country, it just means that the author has no legal recourse against anyone who writes a crack to circumvent this technology.Now we get to the terms of a licence agreement. All licences by big companies are written by their corporate lawyers - so do they know less than I do? No, they don't. They do exactly the same as me - acting in the best interest of the client. If a client comes to me requesting a contract be drawn up, I will ask what he wants in it, tell him which clauses are enforceable, and where he would stand no chance, if it ever got to court. The latter would still be included in the contract. Why? Because in the vast majority of cases, the other party just walks away, after you point them to a clause in a contract they signed, whether legally enforceable or not. Similarly, if I was advising a client on the other end, I would probably tell him to agree to the contract, knowing full well that if the other party ever tries to enforce the void/voidable clauses in court, they'd fall flat on their face.It's all a big game, really. Look at it as a game of Chess, where your status a licensee determines the square you're on, and the merit of your case determines the figure you're playing with. Most likely, you're a Knight or even a Queen, while the licensor is only a pawn at best - you can knock him out cold - that's if you've had the stamina to sit through his previous attack where he converted various Pawns to Queens... Cheers,Gosta.http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/images/wxrebeta.jpg

Hmm...I am one of the MOST enthusiastic fans of this new project, but I must say that this registration thing really isn't my cup of tea!I have once bought and downloaded the PSS Dash8, and their system had to be downloaded and then when I had to install it went on net again!Well this type of installation is not satisfying!If I for some reason should loose my internet OR if you in the future would stop giving Costumer support, then where will I be?I know you don't think this way, but us costumers do!And one of you made a comment back there, where you said that "technically when you buy a license all you buy is one installation", that is just the type of comment, that would be used as an argument to why you shouldn't buy over the net!This kind of attitude is also a thing that would decrease costumer support for you and what you are doing!I want to feel like I have bought something, and not just paid to have permission to use...!There is a HUGE difference!That is why many only buy CD's!I want to buy your product, and still know that I am able to use it in the future, if I want to or not!Also cracks will be done, NO DOUBT!!!Find a product, and you'll be able to find a code generator!It's up to the loyalty of your fans, whether or not they will pay or download a code!If you loose public support, then more will download the cracked version or a cracked code, and less will feel like paying for your product!Now I know that your product will be available for free many places on the net!but I am willing to buy your product out of respect and wish to support and reward you for what you have created, but still it's not nice to have to go through such a system, in order to just reinstall the plane!I think that you should focus on another way!You could loose more costumers by doing a tighter security net, than if you hadn't! That is for sure!!!Think about it...I just want to stress out, that I am a 130% loyal costumer, and I will pay for ALL of my Precision manuals products, but I know that I would not be a happy costumer, should I find this procedure inconvenniant! So costumer satisfaction, should also be a concern, it is with you on all other terms, why this?Boaz....

Hi,ah, sorry, I am not one of "Precision manuals" team. I am a potental customer like you and Ii just think about the protection system. I see the need of one and I dont like it at all, cause I dont crack sofware. I use it but I dont break it for using. I am a thinking multimedia producer and a FS2k2 fan and customer.>Hmm...>I am one of the MOST enthusiastic fans of this new project,>but I must say that this registration thing really isn't my>cup of tea!>>I have once bought and downloaded the PSS Dash8, and their>system had to be downloaded and then when I had to install it>went on net again!>>Well this type of installation is not satisfying!>If I for some reason should loose my internet OR if you in the>future would stop giving Costumer support, then where will I>be?>>I know you don't think this way, but us costumers do!>And one of you made a comment back there, where you said that>"technically when you buy a license all you buy is one>installation", that is just the type of comment, that would be>used as an argument to why you shouldn't buy over the net!>>This kind of attitude is also a thing that would decrease>costumer support for you and what you are doing!>>I want to feel like I have bought something, and not just paid>to have permission to use...!>There is a HUGE difference!>That is why many only buy CD's!>I want to buy your product, and still know that I am able to>use it in the future, if I want to or not!>>Also cracks will be done, NO DOUBT!!!>Find a product, and you'll be able to find a code generator!>It's up to the loyalty of your fans, whether or not they will>pay or download a code!>If you loose public support, then more will download the>cracked version or a cracked code, and less will feel like>paying for your product!>>Now I know that your product will be available for free many>places on the net!>but I am willing to buy your product out of respect and wish>to support and reward you for what you have created, but still>it's not nice to have to go through such a system, in order to>just reinstall the plane!>I think that you should focus on another way!>You could loose more costumers by doing a tighter security>net, than if you hadn't! That is for sure!!!>>Think about it...>>I just want to stress out, that I am a 130% loyal costumer,>and I will pay for ALL of my Precision manuals products, but I>know that I would not be a happy costumer, should I find this>procedure inconvenniant! So costumer satisfaction, should also>be a concern, it is with you on all other terms, why this?>>Boaz....>