1 2403583 Anti piracy CD
The description
Problem background
A major problem that large software companies face is having a single copy of their software duplicated and sold on, illegally, to others who would have potentially bought the software legally. This costs software companies millions each year.
Many different "anti-piracy" techniques have been implemented, but the copier has eventually broken each down and the problem is back again.
Initial Claim My invention involves a simple addition to the manufacturing of compact disks (CD's) and a small software program that will solve this problem and eliminate total piracy in the short term and the vast majority in the long term.
The idea is similar to the one implemented on mini discs (MD's) today and simply involves a computers individual ID code being "burned" to the CD. This will limit the CD to being used on only that PC containing the specific code.
How it works When copied, a piece of software on the CD will cause a copy of the computers ID to be copied across to the copied CD. If a person then attempts to copy the copied CD on another computer the ID of the original computer would be sent across and both copies will only work with the original PC. This will restrict the copied CD to only work on that computer, allowing backup of files to still take place as CD writers were initially designed to do.
If the original CD is ever placed in a CD drive, an included piece of software would scan that computers hardware components in the aim to find a CD writer. If one is not found the CD will be allowed to work as normal. However if a CD writer is found the software will request that the CD be placed in the CD writer drive so that a copy of that unique computer code can be copied across to the CD. The software will lock out the main program sold on the CD until this stage is completed. The software will perform this task every time a CD without a unique computer number is inserted. This will not affect any CD's prior to this invention and involves no major change to a computers software or hardware. This stage can be added to the beginning to any install wizard for the computer program after a licence agreement is already made so if it is declined then the CD can be returned. (See Fig. 1.0) Most the work will be accomplished by the software and will only require an ordinary software wizard, which a user of basic knowledge could use. The software required would take up very little space on the CD allowing the normal manufactured software to be included on the CD.
However the CD's actual design will have to be modified for this part of the idea to work. Each CDis coated at manufacture to protect it from dust damage and minor scratches. This is done after the software is written to the CD, as after it has been coated it is no longer possible to write to the CD.As this idea requires the CD being written to the coating of the CD has to be modified so it doesn't cover the entire CD but leave enough free, uncoated space, to burn the computer code to it. This would not compromise the CD's protection in any major way, as only a very small area of the CD would have to be left un-coated. This would be simply added to the manufacturing stages of making the CD by simply cutting a smaller amount of coating to cover the CD.
Fig. 1.0 shows a flow diagram on how the software would work