Re: Business models

[Steve Baker <sjbaker1@airmail.net>]

Esben Haabendal Soerensen wrote:
> 
> dulsi@identicalsoftware.com (Dennis Payne) writes:
> 
> > > How about a scheme with the license key being a small non-secret
> > > key-id paired with a secret and sufficiently large cryptographic key.
> >
> > The only problem with that is that you must send them the file with
> > the large cryptographic key when they purchase the game (or insert it
> > in when they download the game).  This prevents a cdrom
> > distribution.
> 
> That depends on how large "sufficiently large" is.  As the the data
> communicated over the channel secured with the license key is not
> really critical (a one-time session key), the important aspect of the
> key would be that it should be hard to guess a passwd.  If you use a
> 128 bit key and have a very good random number generator, it should be
> virtually impossible to guess a random passwd.  A 128 bit key can be
> encoded nicely in 19 7-bit ascii characters, which could be printed on
> cover label.  I (still) believe my scheme is feasible.
> 
> > I'm assuming burning cdrom individually isn't really feasible.
> 
> I don't believe so either.

But printing a random 6 word nonsense sentance on the front of the manual
using 'scratch-card-lottery-ticket' technology ought to work.

Lottery tickets are uniquely printed and they can't possibly cost more
than a few cents each to manufacture.

----------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------------
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