Crack This! Security Enhanced on Newly Patented Anti-Piracy Software

[Winphuk]

Wednesday March 12, 8:05 am ET


SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 12 /PRNewswire/ -- AnchorSoft, a developer of license-protection technology for commercial software products, announced it has vastly increased the security of its AnchorSoft software license control system. The company also announced it was recently awarded U.S. Patent #6,460,140 by the United States Patent Office for "a system which prevents unauthorized use of copyrighted, licensed software products."
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The AnchorSoft system offers software publishers a low-cost method for controlling the distribution of licensed software and preventing unauthorized duplication of their programs beyond the licensed number of end user machines.

AnchorSoft has upgraded the security level of the system by switching from the DES encryption algorithm to RSA public key encryption algorithm. The change was prompted by the discovery of a weakness in the DES encryption/decryption method. This enabled the integrity of the AnchorSoft licensing system to be compromised by at least one Russian-based Web site that specializes in the distribution of pirated licenses for popular Western computer software programs.

"The RSA encryption system has not been cracked. It will provide our customers with the highest possible level of protection against theft and misuse of their software," stated Steven Schoch, Chief Executive Officer of AnchorSoft.

Schoch added he was pleased the U.S. Patent Office has recognized the unique design of the AnchorSoft system. "The patent is an important milestone. It re-assures our customers that they are using top-of-the-line license protection technology."

The patent states that the AnchorSoft licensing system "provides a unique system and method for controlling the distribution of software under a license agreement. By identifying the computer utilized by the licensee and specifically aligning the computer with the software being licensed, the licensor is able to prevent unauthorized duplication of the licensed software."

Commercial license control systems typically rely on hardware such as dongles to control the licensed use of software. The high cost of these systems eliminates their use for sub-$200 software packages. As a result, most software sold at the retail level is subject to unauthorized duplication and piracy. The AnchorSoft system uses an online license validation and registration database that ensures customers don't exceed the number of installations of a product. The AnchorSoft system adds less than one dollar to the cost of a software package, compared to $5 to $25 for other commercial license control systems.

The low cost makes it commercially viable to add license control to software products costing less than $20.00 per copy, explains Steven Schoch, Chief Executive Officer of AnchorSoft and co-inventor of the licensing system. "As losses from software theft mount, publishers are looking for new and effective ways to protect their products. For the first time, they can prevent theft without adding significant cost."

About AnchorSoft (www.AnchorSoft.com)

AnchorSoft, founded in 2000, offers next-generation software license protection services to publishers of consumer, small business, productivity, entertainment and other software. The patented AnchorSoft Licensing System offers a low-cost process for controlling the use of licensed software, while at the same time allowing publishers to increase sales by distributing the unlicensed version of the product as a demo version to potential buyers.
Yahoo News- http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030312/sfw037_1.html



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Source: AnchorSoft

[Krell]

AnchorSoft has upgraded the security level of the system by switching from the DES encryption algorithm to RSA public key encryption algorithm.

What'd I tell ya ! huh huh huh?

[Winphuk]

Do you think it's really uncrackable?

[Winphuk]

I know that hardware dongles have managed to be cracked.

[Krell]

Depends on the key length, and if it's a 2 part key.

How far is someone willing to bust a nut over a $20 piece of software? If the distributor has the private key thats unique for each purchase, then it will making cracking almost impossible.

This isnt some little keygen were talking about here.

[Winphuk]

The difference with this I see is that not only is this software uncrackable, but they also claim it to be uncopyable.
Not something I've seen before.

[Psilaxs]

A unique key for each CD would mean they would have to press seperate glass masters for each disc, which would be VERY costly, i doubt it is anything of the sort.

[Monyak]

As I have said earlier in other threads and posts, 'a safe doesn't sell security rather it sells time - the question is how much time'

If you really wanted to get into the safe, you take out some tools. If that dont work, try dropping it from a hi-rise building and when that doesnt work, try explosives. Something will open it.
Then again, you can always go to a locksmith who understands safes.

Same method applies here. Its only a question of time before its broken. I mean Bill Gates put millions of dollars into his Windows key and the first to break it was a 17 year old who can barely speak english. Now everybody can pick up a generator of their own.

You make a standard in any market or community and you will always have someone who will break those standards.

....And The funny thing is that they call them criminals!

[Winphuk]

They can also chose to use it in ways that violates fair use.
Like making backup copies if you purchase from the web.
What if you buy a new computer?
These guys have a patent so just about everyone will use it.
They will be the Microsoft of software security.

Monyak - I hope your right.

[joemama1]

Originally posted by Winphuk
They can also chose to use it in ways that violates fair use.
Like making backup copies if you purchase from the web.
What if you buy a new computer?
These guys have a patent so just about everyone will use it.
They will be the Microsoft of software security.

Monyak - I hope your right.

They will also be the "microsoft gets its tail sued off" TOO! If they in any way violate fair use, just watch and see how many lawsuits come out!

[Scyth77521]

Originally posted by joemama1
If they in any way violate fair use, just watch and see how many lawsuits come out!

You can't "violate fair use". Fair use removes the legal obstacles to certain kinds of copying. It doesn't mean can't take otherl measures to prevent that copying.

[aqlo]

"fair use" is a practice, not a law. It's being referred to explicitly lately in some proposed laws, but it's still just a practice. No one ever one a suit by pleading "fair use" except in education, and usually even then they don't win an exemption (meaning that they can continue to violate). They just win waiver of prosecution for previous "fair use."

[crackerjacker]

ok I will crack it!
Just to make it clear the encyption scheme sounds nice but it just takes one person to buy the program and then share it with others on p2p programs. So no matter what protection scheme it has it will be shared.

nuff said rtws

[Scyth77521]

Originally posted by aqlo
"fair use" is a practice, not a law. It's being referred to explicitly lately in some proposed laws, but it's still just a practice. No one ever one a suit by pleading "fair use" except in education, and usually even then they don't win an exemption (meaning that they can continue to violate). They just win waiver of prosecution for previous "fair use."

That's not correct. If one really is making fair use of a work, then it's perfectly legal and one can continue to do so even after being sued. Fair use is not infringement (see Title 17, chapter 1, section 107 of the United States Code if you don't believe me).

You're probably thinking of cases where somebody thought they were making fair use of a work but actually weren't. In some such cases, damages will be waived but the individual must still stop the infringing use.

[dr. damn]

In the past, advertising products as "uncrackable" has proven to be a mistake. I predict that this won't be any different.