Simon - 2005-10-25 9:06 AM
Can I lock an image to a SIMpad? Yes, using FABDATA info, but can you all reset or rewrite your FABDATA? Yes it is possible, hard but possible, even without a JTAG interface. Can I lock an image to your flash chip serial numbers, yes, but then I´m sure some clever spark knows how to reprogram that information too at flash chip level (I don´t by the way but imagine JTAG would make it possible). Even if I could do all those things, then I´m sure another clever person could binary edit the image to remove those checks in the first place... After a while you kind of get an idea where the software license holder is coming from.
I know this hurts my "business", actually a hobby, but I don't want to be hauled up infront of a judge any more than any of you do.
Best regards
Simon
Hi Simon,
I completely empathise with your dilema on distribution methods. If you enable a lock-in strategy such as the one you mentioned and somehow some clever person circumvented these measures and allowed unauthorised usage of it, would MS or Siemens sue you for it? Is that the implication that makes it an unattractive approach?
If each image is a unique ROM that is locked to a SIMpad, then it is the onus of ROM image owners to ensure that their ROM is secured. Consider a parallel case of software protection for uBook. They issue a file
(registration key
) to registered users that allows them to "unlock" the uBook app for usage without nag-screens. They also include in the Terms that if any such registration-key file is found to be distributed, they would disable it and subsequent versions of uBook would not work with it. This effectively makes it a high risk venture for any users to share their registration key file. The downside to this strategy is that users who have their system breached and registration key file stolen suffer from the "punishment" that was meant for rogue users. However, this is the same as when someone looses their keypouch or wallet and have their house burglarised or their credit cards misused. Granted, existing financial systems have built around and provides certain limited protection against such unfortunate events, there is still a certain amount of penalty that comes in with it.
So maybe the question might be, "Will you sue some users for distributing their ROM or will they be sued even if their ROM were stolen?" What about MS and Siemens? Sure, there will be lots of legal implications but as with every attempts to secure distribution of a prized entity, there will always be all the legal
(and possibly moral
) implications.
If MS distributes WindowsXP through boxes in retail shops and enforces legal usage through Activation, then maybe there should be some way to work out a scheme for distributing the ROM for Siemens SIMpad devices. What about a similar activation system where users "Activate" their installation through the internet? Since there is already the unique FABDATA info, unique user info and unique ROM image, why not implement a Activation scheme?
Having said all these, you deserve the right to weigh the costs of it all and make the final call. But in case you need a poll on how such a scheme would be taken by a SL4 user, consider it a YES from me.