Read the text. Divide it into logical parts. What is the purpose of each part?
With the on-going advancements in data storage and e-commerce capabilities, software piracy is pushing the losses in software developers’ revenue to an all-time high. Happily, recent progress in the development of software piracy protection now enables only end-users who legitimately purchase the software to install it, on their computers.
One such software package has been developed by New Wave Software Inc., located in Morrisville, Pa. Called Software Piracy Intervention (SPI), the package can be used to protect any application, document, database, graphic, audio, or archive file and can be operated on different platforms.
Because of the software’s modular structure different levels of piracy protection are allowed. The lowest level involves Installer Maker, a module that lets developers tailor their security preferences to their needs. With this module, they can enclose the many types of files in their server into a single self-contained protected file. At the same time, the user is able to retrieve a code that unlocks the software for use.
In a higher level, the user must call the developer to obtain the unlock code. And in a third, yet higher level—still in Installer Maker—the user must register the software on-line. The highest level of security is available through Lock Point, a module that can limit access to the software running on a network.
Using the Installer Maker module, the Software developers first security option is to determine by which means the security code will be checked. It can be confirmed through the end-user either over the Internet or by phone. If the code is confirmed by telephone, the developer may use the Password Algorithm Decoder—another module—to produce an unlocking code for the end-user. Without the decoder, the user may be powerless to operate the software.
Likewise, if the developer chooses to confirm the security code over the Internet, SPI will connect the user to SPI’s security server, which automatically records the user’s Internet protocol (IP) address information. If the software was indeed pirated, that IP address could be used to prosecute the thief.
In its higher security levels, Installer Maker allows the software developer to include an on-line registration form, which the installer of the software must complete for the product to be successfully installed. The software developer may also set general-purpose registers to limit such functions as the amount of printing of a software product.
Another Installer Maker feature enables the software developer to create a software product in a demonstration mode. This mode can be set to have the product expire in a number of days, or on a particular date, or after a certain number of uses. Demonstration software can be easily upgraded to a fully functional product simply by having the software developer send the user a small data file that makes the software fully available for routine use.
The extra security measures afforded by the Lock Point module include the locking of the software product to the first computer on which it was successfully installed. It can also limit the access to the software over a network. (To have a tighter control over the use of the software by other computers on a network, the developers can sell additional Installer Makers to each prospective end-user.)
Comprehension check
1. Write a brief summary of each part.
2. Do the translation of the most difficult sentences of the text.
Make up your own vocabulary on this text.
Use the words you have chosen from this article.
Discuss the future possible trends in software piracy protection.
UNIT 5
CUTTING THE COST OF OPTICAL COMPONENTS
Vocabbox
noun collocations
§ fiber-based and free-space optics
§ communications backbones
§ unit-to-unit uniformity
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