1 An Analysis into Software Piracy Prevention

Abstract – The issue of software piracy has existed for several decades. Full-time developers dedicate their lives towards creating software in order to make a living. Many insist that software is a form of intellectual property and that the quality of certain products could not continue to be produced if the developers were not adequately compensated. Regardless of the social factors it’s clear that there is a financial motivation involved when developers employ copy-protection schemes. This report analyzes many of the faults with traditional methods and explores the capabilities of online authentication and its power when paired with software diversity. Although no copy-protection technique is completely bullet proof, there is still significant room for practical improvement