While many software and game developers are experimenting with copy protected discs to counteract piracy, Symantec took Microsoft's approach by using product activation. When a user installs any of Norton's latest 2004 series products, it ties the product ID along with a unique code hashed from the PC configuration. These are then stored centrally with Symantec when the product is activated. Should this hash value change such as by changing the CPU for example, the product will deactivate and require activation again. Each product ID license can only be activated up to five times. Symantec chose this ant-piracy approach as
over 3.6 million illegal copies of their products are sold each year.
A few customers who had a certain PC configuration experienced a problem with the latest Norton software as their product became deactivated after each system reboot. After five reboots which makes up five product activations, their product would cease to function. It took Symantec some time before they could manage to repeat that problem on their end and they are now working on a solution.
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A few consumers have complained to Symantec that the U.S. and British versions of a package that includes Norton Antivirus 2004, Norton Internet Security 2004, Norton Antispam 2004 and Norton SystemWorks 2004 mistakenly asks for a product activation code every time a PC is rebooted. Eventually, the software informs the consumers that they have reached the activation limit and the software will cease to function. "As of last night, our engineers were able to reproduce the problem on one type of machine," said Del Smith, senior product manager for Symantec. "This really has been a top priority for our product activation development team." Smith said the problem has not been easy to locate and asked the consumers to go to the company's site and run the Symantec Automated Support Assistant to submit data on their particular PC. He also recommended that customers who encounter the problem not restart their computers. "For customers that have hit the limit, they should contact a support representative," Smith said. A toll-free number should be displayed when a customer reaches the product activation limit, he added. Symantec is the latest software maker to experience problems with product activation, a controversial antipiracy technique in which a software maker ties a copy of a program to a specific PC. Symantec estimates that at least 3.6 million bogus copies of its programs are sold annually, causing headaches both for the company and for unsuspecting buyers, who find out too late that the software isn't doing its job. Microsoft was the first major software maker to broadly use product activation, introducing it in the Windows XP operating system and deflecting concerns that the technology would balk at simple changes in a PC's hardware. |
Symantec and Microsoft are not the only companies to use product activation. DivX and several game and financial software companies have taken this approach also. TurboTax's most recent version which is tax preparation software also makes changes to the hard drive during activation which is very difficult to undo later.
Product activation is generally a better approach than physical copy-protection. While product activation does not restrict the consumer's ability to make a backup of their CD or product, it does limit where the consumer may use that product. This is fine with operating systems and utilities but not with games as consumers would not be able to play their games else where or at a friend's house. Physical copy-protection seems to prove popular with game companies as customers can play their games where ever they like, but it is very difficult for them to make a backup copy.
Discuss about copy protection systems and schemes on our copy protection discussion forum.
Source: ZDNet Security News
