A new technology called SmarteCD has emerged which is a new form of copy protection. This allows users to make copies of CDs but then introduces 'limitations' to the software. For example a game could only play for one level, then there would be a prompt asking the user to buy a legitimate copy of the disk.
The software will install correctly and thus the user will start to use it, and the idea is that they'll start to like and enjoy the game/application. At this point the creators of the new technology, Smarte Solutions, believe users will be more likely to purchase the software as they get a taste of it.
The Smarte Solutions president has told ZDNet UK: "That's the beauty behind it -- if you make a copy of a CD protected with our technology, there's no sign that you haven't been successful. The pirate user all along thinks they made a copy, until they reach the point you decide to stop them. That's the optimal moment to capture that pirate user and turn them into a paying customer." .
As with all copy protection technologies you have to wonder whether a work-around will appear, and talking about this the president continued saying: "The chance for somebody to break it are extremely slim. But even if a hacker figures out how to break it, that hack only works for that one copy.". If this new technology actually lives up to this hype it could potentially make piracy much more difficult but until it starts being used in the real world it's impossible to say whether it will perform as expected.
News source: ZDNet UK
