Zugg Software :: View topic

Newbie Joined: 04 Feb 2004 Posts: 3

Ok...I don't want to restart the whole elicense discussion. I just have a quick question that will probably (hopefully) have a quick answer. Sorry in advance if this is answered multiple times in some FAQ or readme file, etc....I'm just too tired and flu-stricken to keep looking.
Anyway, on to my question:

About six months ago, I downloaded ZMud and used the free trial. At the time, I really couldn't afford to purchase a license, so I just continued to use my old freebie version. Since then, I've reformatted my hard drive a couple of times, switched versions of/reinstalled Windows, etc. etc. Tonight, I decided to purchase the latest version of ZMud and, after downloading it, was surprised that elicense still recognized that I had an expired trial.

How is this possible? Basically, I'm just wondering what method elicense uses to recognize and keep track of individual machines (i.e. do they somehow read a CPU's serial number, for example?). Is this method common/do many other companies do the same thing? Does this method pose any possible security risks?

Sorry if this question sounds stupid.
Starmint
"Mimosa" --->achaea.com/port 23

Newbie Joined: 04 Feb 2004 Posts: 3

Forgot to add...I've also changed my ISP three times during the past 6 months. Don't know if that matters or not.

Starmint

GURU Joined: 24 Sep 2000 Posts: 1237 Location: USA

I don't know how elicense does it. I really don't think they want us knowing, either. After all, if you know how a lock works, you can start picking it successfully. Smile

Other companies do it, or have done it. Microsoft's Windows Activation (fiasco) was the same kind of system, perhaps with tighter restraints. It's a popular licensing system with software authors because it's apparantly not trivial to crack (elicense, anyway), evidenced by the lack of working cracks out there.

As far as security risks, there's not really anything that's known to be too offensive. Zugg's not watching what muds you play (neither is elicense). Nobody cares if you give the computer away, have a huge porn collection, or try to run down wayward kitty cats on the open road.

One old argument that seemed to steam peoples' pants is that Zugg technically maintains the power to turn off your license to zMUD. This is to address the potential situation where you register it, pay for it, demand a refund (and get it, because Zugg has a satisfaction guarantee), and then keep using zMUD for free. Seems perfectly reasonable to me that he be able to make sure you're not stealing from him *shrug*.

By the way, don't take my hypothetical personally. I say 'you', I mean 'anyone/someone' etc.

If you've still got serious concerns about it, email Zugg. He's nice (so's his wife, who might answer your email). They'll answer your questions as best as possible, perhaps with info I don't have.

Wizard Joined: 14 Oct 2000 Posts: 1368

quote:
Originally posted by starmint

Ok...I don't want to restart the whole elicense discussion. I just have a quick question that will probably (hopefully) have a quick answer. Sorry in advance if this is answered multiple times in some FAQ or readme file, etc....I'm just too tired and flu-stricken to keep looking.
Anyway, on to my question:

About six months ago, I downloaded ZMud and used the free trial. At the time, I really couldn't afford to purchase a license, so I just continued to use my old freebie version. Since then, I've reformatted my hard drive a couple of times, switched versions of/reinstalled Windows, etc. etc. Tonight, I decided to purchase the latest version of ZMud and, after downloading it, was surprised that elicense still recognized that I had an expired trial.

How is this possible? Basically, I'm just wondering what method elicense uses to recognize and keep track of individual machines (i.e. do they somehow read a CPU's serial number, for example?). Is this method common/do many other companies do the same thing? Does this method pose any possible security risks?

Sorry if this question sounds stupid.
Starmint
"Mimosa" --->achaea.com/port 23

For a company to be able to survive these days copy protections are needed. When it comes to Zuggsoft it is much different when buying a software as they give out free upgrades. That paradigm is something I wanted to support so I bought zMUD and I think it is one of the best products I have bought in a long time. I have used it quite heavilly too for the past few years.

There are many ways to make a copy protection recognize if it has been running on a computer. The companies are very frustrated to the fact that their applications are "stolen" and thus at times have used very odd methods. It wasn't too long ago I read about a copy protection that actually wrote to the Bios to store information. Similarly one could probably write some data on the harddrive that isn't accessible to get a similar effect.

If you are worried about your privacy for the fact they might send out CPU Ids then think about this. What we have today is nothing compared to what will come. Look around yourself and you'll notice that a lot of people make copies of programs/games instead of buying them. Perhaps you too make copies? It is so common today that it has almost become an accepted norm. It is even likely the lawyers/judges that are officially against it has some illegal software.

Obviously this cant continue and the software industry will answer this. Some say it'll be palladium that is the answer. To survive the industry has to fight and the question isn't if they will do it or not. Something will happen and when it does happen sending out a CPU ID is probably going to be close to nil compared to it.

I dislike copy protections. I have seen some that ruin games as they don't work properly. Still the sad fact is that they probably are needed. Together with greed and need more advanced copy protections will emerge.