Piracy Reports

[Guest GCBarni]

I'll cite another bit of irony, and since we're in a flightsim discussion group, I'll make it FS specific: how many of the payware/shareware authors/developers have freeware planes, panels, scenery, etc.?

[Guest Edam]

I fail to see the irony.

[Guest Paragon]

Based on this thread I see quite a few people being skeptical on this whole "turn in your friend" idea. Perhaps it needs to be reconsidered...just an observation.

[crvm 0]

Another thing that I believe would help lesson the effect of the "supply and demand" of cracked versions amoung our community is the availibity of DEMOS! In fact, I would venture to guess that a number of "honest folks" might have downloaded a priated version simply to "try" it before they bought it. This certainly "sounds bad" of course but looking past appearances and facing reality, if the flight sim developers added demos I think it would help towards elimination of demand in our already small market. Most major game software developers have demos partly for this reason IMO. Possible? sure. Help to cut down on cracked versions? I believe so. Best Wishes,[h4]Randy J. Smith[/h4]http://www.rawbw.com/~bdoolin/shinault/Animation1.gifCaution! Not a real pilot, but do play one on TV ;-)AMD 64 3200+ | NEC LCD 1980SXi 19" | ASUS KV8 DELUXE | GFORCE 5700 ULTRA @535/1000 | Maxtor 6Y080M0 SATA 80 GIG | 512 DDR 400 | Windows Xp Pro |

[Gridley 257]

On a related vein, patches! Not just a security update - that's a hassle for the owner. It's a win-win situation. The owner gets continued development and progress, new features, etc., and the hacker has more work to do.Good thread.Best,sg

[oqvist 11]

>> Thank all of you for keeping this thread civil.>> Again I support all fs developers and do desire to help them>secure their sales potentials by making purchases of their>products. My support is made through buying those products>that spark my interest. >> As for ideas I think I have a few that could help in this>area.>>1] Since most add-ons are sold *on-line* make softeware that>periodically checks the computer it is installed on (stated>clearly in the EULA of course).>>2] frequent security updates (say bi-monthly) to hamper crack>artists and make it so difficult to be not worth their time to>crack. Nothing fancy on the developer's part maybe obtain>cracked versions and update accordingly. This could even run>in the background once a month and be like windows update, if>it has been tampered with have a code to disable the software.>>>3] Write code not solely based in the EXE file so regardless>of mr cracker's messing the protection is *hidden* or placed>somewhere that is not easy to get to or modify. A good example>is a un named developer's gauge lockout where one cannot get>into the gau with any known program to modify the software. >> Just some ideas, it's true it will never go away but working>together maybe we can lesson it's effect...>>Any other ideas?>>>>Best Wishes,>[h4]Randy J. Smith[/h4]>http://www.rawbw.com/~bdoolin/shinault/Animation1.gif>Caution! Not a real pilot, but do play>one on TV ;-)>>AMD 64 3200+ | NEC LCD 1980SXi 19" | ASUS KV8 DELUXE |>GFORCE 5700 ULTRA @535/1000 | Maxtor 6Y080M0 SATA 80 GIG | 512>DDR 400 | Windows Xp Pro |CRVM really that is not the way to go to copy Microsofts activation scheme for windows XP.All it does is make it ten times easier to install and use a pirated copy of a product then the real game is that the way it should be :(There is a reason why these aggressive methods aren

[crvm 0]

The developers have a right to implement whatever copy protection they see fit, we as consumers can opt to use their product or pass it by. I do not mind a certain type of protection that works for most, most as in consumers and the developers. I am just throwing out some ideas that is all. I was not thinking of MS's protection when I said that, I know there are already some developers with *hidden* protection schemes in their products that do what I have suggested. What needs to happen is a standard that works for the fs development community. We have many implementing different schemes and I believe they should come together. Sort of like PUNK BUSTER that gets updated all the time and does a great job at keeping cheaters and hackers out of on-line gaming, it's not perfect but a lot better than without such a program. I'm sure something could be ported for flight sim developers..Best Wishes,[h4]Randy J. Smith[/h4]http://www.rawbw.com/~bdoolin/shinault/Animation1.gifCaution! Not a real pilot, but do play one on TV ;-)AMD 64 3200+ | NEC LCD 1980SXi 19" | ASUS KV8 DELUXE | GFORCE 5700 ULTRA @535/1000 | Maxtor 6Y080M0 SATA 80 GIG | 512 DDR 400 | Windows Xp Pro |

[oqvist 11]

But if you buy a product you expect to be able to use it right. Imagine that you have bought a product that already uses what you talk about some some already do. I can take Aerosoft for example because I have not needed to activate manually yet so I am not stepping on anybodys toe unnecessarily.Say you got Manhattan? Say you install it and then reformat or for whatever reason has to reinstall it?Then say you upgrade an optical drive or mainboard or something? If they would refuse you to get a new registration key would you think that would be okay?The first time that will happen to you I will assure you you will not think it

[crvm 0]

What a particular developer implemented is his business, if it's too much of a hassle then one should request a refund or make sure not to make the same mistake again by reading reviews and the like to make a smart chioce in purchasing or not. Heck why not talk directly to the developers prior to purchase to releate your concerns? Anyways this is not the issue we are dealing with here. We all know some protection schemes are not the best but some are pretty good like Flight 1's. But even flight 1 suffers from hacking so I believe something better needs to be developed. This costs money and takes time. I am sure most developers do not want to spend as much time with protection as their released product so maybe a cooperation of sorts might seem more plausable. So there are bad protection schemes about but do not let this stop us from trying to figure out some alternatives.... Best Wishes,[h4]Randy J. Smith[/h4]http://www.rawbw.com/~bdoolin/shinault/Animation1.gifCaution! Not a real pilot, but do play one on TV ;-)AMD 64 3200+ | NEC LCD 1980SXi 19" | ASUS KV8 DELUXE | GFORCE 5700 ULTRA @535/1000 | Maxtor 6Y080M0 SATA 80 GIG | 512 DDR 400 | Windows Xp Pro |

[oqvist 11]

Yes but my point is it

[Guest wathomas777]

What really needs to be considered here, is whether or not Flight Sim Addon's publisher's reaction to the piracy problems is in line to the severity of the actual problem.Many commercial addon developers were at one time freeware developers. When their freeware got pirated they took it personally. After all, the only credit they got was the acknowledgement that it was their work. Many developers took this attitude with them when they went "professional" and in many cases, keeping this same attitude has caused more harm than good.Imagine if Sam Walton had really gotten upset at the amount of shoplifting in Wal-Mart, and had a very stringent policy for returns, and for shoplifting, involving no returns at all without receipt even on gift purchases, and pat searches at the exits.Sure, Sam would have eliminated a lot of theft, but at the same time, eliminated a lot of his clientile.The reaction of some of the software publishers in this community is akin to swatting a fly with an atomic bomb. Sure, you might kill the fly, but what about collateral damage?Many publishers have proven that it is possible to make money WITHOUT complex anti-piracy measures that seem to annoy more honest users than catch dishonest abusers.FSGenesis and Pete Dawson are two that come to mind. Justin Tyme of FSGenesis uses NO copy protection, and as a result, his products are some of the most reasonably priced in the field. We rarely see Justin's products end up on warez boards, nor do we see them uploaded to any sites? Why? Because a warez bandit doesn't have anything to gain, since he didn't have to "crack" it, and most of us would redlight any website that had Justin's commercial downloads on it anyway. Pete Dawson issues a registration key, that as long as it doesn't get leaked to the internet by the "user" is good for as many reinstalls as needed. Pete will do a random search at times on google or similar search engine to see if any of his "keys" are published. If so, he invalidates the key. So, the next time an update is released, that "version" will no longer accept the invalidated key.These are examples of businesses, that do not overly tax the honest user to get the dishonest pirate.The Flight One wrapper is OK, but if I have a total dataloss, I'm pretty much hosed (having to wait a certain amount of time before I can reinstall my product, at a bare minimum). And during the time when Ultimate Traffic was going through its many 2004 patches and "updates" I actually had my reinstall key expire because I was getting new version from the wrapper to save on having a hodgepodge of files on a CD. And what if the publisher goes out of business. Say Flight One folds up tomorrow, and I have a dataloss. If my key is now invalid, I have no recourse. Is this fair? Business is Business, and Personal is Personal. If you let your "personal" feelings about piracy interfere with good business sense, you will drive away more customers, than you will regain in ending piracy. I applaud Justin and Pete as two addon developers who understand that it is much easier to make money by doing away with expensive and intrusive anti-theft devices, and passing the savings on to the honest customer, than saddling the honest customer with clumsy and ridiculous "anti-piracy" protection schemes, and then passing on the costs of such schemes to him, thereby forcing him to pay a surcharge on his purchase for the "privilidge". While at the same time reserving the right to deny him use of his software because his key expires, and you the publisher are no longer in business to give him a replacement key.

[oqvist 11]

Well said Will :)Yeah Justin and Pete sure rocks support and everything :DAbout flight1 going bankrupt hopefully they would let you totally unlock the product via a patch or something so that don

[Guest jaapverduijn]

I can't help sniggering about the delightful irony of Tom Allensworth, of all people, posing as the great protector of other peoples' copyrights. I have in my possession the email exchange between Tom and a former forum member, wherein Tom threatens to publish the private (copyrighted) emails of this person.Oh, what a tangled web we weave... (wide grin)!Jaap Verduijn.

[Guest Matt Johnson]

For the record, none of this was Tom's idea.

[Guest danowat]

Jaap, how is that relevent?, we are talking about people stealing software.Dan.