72 lines
3.6 KiB
Plaintext
72 lines
3.6 KiB
Plaintext
Date: Tue, 2 Feb 93 10:56:05 PST
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Reply-To: <surfpunk@osc.versant.com>
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Return-Path: <cocot@osc.versant.com>
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Message-ID: <surfpunk-0044@SURFPUNK.Technical.Journal>
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Mime-Version: 1.0
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Content-Type: text/plain
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From: surfpunk@osc.versant.com (svaqvat ohfvarff bowrpgf hfvat PEP pneqf)
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To: surfpunk@osc.versant.com (SURFPUNK Technical Journal)
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Subject: [surfpunk-0044] HACK: Computer Cheats Take CADSOFT's bait
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Keywords: surfpunk, Cadsoft, pirate copying, Rudolf Hofer
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________________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________________
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Subject: privacy meets piracy
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Date: Mon, 01 Feb 93
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From: an anonymous source
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COMPUTER CHEATS TAKE CADSOFT'S BAIT
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Employees of IBM, Philips, the German federal interior ministry and the
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federal office for the protection of the constitution are among those who
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unwittingly 'turned themselves in' when a German computer software company
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resorted to an undercover strategy to find out who was using illegal copies
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of one of its programs.
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Hundreds of customers accepted Cadsoft's offer of a free demonstration
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program that, unknown to them, searched their computer hard disks for il-
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legal copies. Where the search was successful, a message appeared on the
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monitor screen inviting the customer to print out and return a voucher for a
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free handbook of the latest version of the program. However, instead of a
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handbook the users received a letter from the Bavarian-based software com-
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pany's lawyers.
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Since the demonstration program was distributed last June about 400 people
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have returned the voucher, which contained coded information about the
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type of computer and the version of the illegally copied Cadsoft program
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being used. Cadsoft is now seeking damages of at least DM6,000 (ECU3,06E2)
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each from the illegal users.
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Cadsoft's tactics are justified by manager Rudolf Hofer as a necessary
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defence against pirate copying. The company had experienced a 30% drop
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since 1991 in sales of its successful Eagle design program, which retails
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at DM2,998. In contrast, demand for a DM25 demo version, which Cadsoft
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offered with the handbook of the full version, had jumped, indicating that
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people were acquiring the program from other sources.
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Although Cadsoft devised its plan with the help of lawyers, doubts have been
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raised about the legal acceptability of this type of computer detective work.
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In the case of government offices there is concern about data protection
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and official secrets. The search program may also have had side-effects
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that caused other files to be damaged or lost. Cadsoft is therefore
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preparing itself for what could be a long legal battle with some customers.
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So far it has reached out-of-court agreement with only about a quarter of
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those who incriminated themselves.
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________________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________________
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The SURFPUNK Technical Journal is a dangerous multinational hacker zine
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originating near BARRNET in the fashionable western arm of the northern
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California matrix. Quantum Californians appear in one of two states,
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spin surf or spin punk. Undetected, we are both, or might be neither.
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________________________________________________________________________
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Send postings to <surfpunk@osc.versant.com>, subscription requests
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to <surfpunk-request@osc.versant.com>. MIME encouraged.
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Xanalogical archive access soon. Where privacy meets piracy.
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________________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________________
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