Software licensing nastiness - the future?

[Homer]

Came across this (new) process running on my W98 box today:

LicCtrl RUNDLL.EXE C:\\WINDOWS\MMFS.DLL,Service

The file "MMFS.DLL" is signed by "ViaTech Inc.", whose website says, amongst other things:



<< ViaTech's patent-pending eLicense System relies on the company's digital packaging applications, which use encryption and other security technologies to create a digital skin for securing any form of digital content distributed over the Internet. ViaTech's patented Adaptive Fingerprint Technology (AFT) establishes a unique identifier for any computer system. Therefore, the digital content is &quot;locked,&quot; making it possible to limit use of the licensed content for a trial period or for purchased durations. The eLicense System controls who gain access, how many times the content can be used and for what period of time the content is available. >>



and



<< Post-installation security (software and content is protected against unauthorized use or copying after it is installed) utilizes ViaTech's patent-pending Adaptive Fingerprint Technology to assure license control specific to the computer where a product is licensed. >>



I don't much like this. I don't know what &quot;content&quot;, or which program, I recently downloaded or installed with this disgusting &quot;feature&quot;, but I expect I am going to find out. The two likely candidates are Copernic2000, a really good search program, highly likely, and PhotoCopier Pro, a nice little program for automating the use of your scanner &amp; printer as a photocopier, less likely.

I'm pissed off. :|

[/rant]

 

[Gatzbar]

Checkout grc.com This site has some interesting info on spyware.

 

[Homer]

I know, but thanks anyway.

This is not spyware, I don't think, rather some sort of sophisticated software &quot;lock&quot; that may stop you from setting up a program on multiple computers with one license. I belong to the &quot;I feel it's fair for me to put it on all my personal computers, as I can only use one at a time&quot; school of licensing thought. Worst is I can't figure out how it would work, given that the reg. number/key is given out blind, not generated by polling for a hardware config. I suppose it might 'phone home' and look for copies with the same reg. number on different hardware, and then sic the software police on me.

 

[Wagner]

You read their press release. That press release is written in order to convince investors to give these guys money. It is not written in order to accurately describe the technology. Accurately describing your technology is not profitable. Therefore, there is no guarantee that the press release describes the technology in any accurate way. I could figure out a new way to make hamburgers, and I could patent it as &quot;Adaptive Fingerprinting Technology&quot; if I so desire. Fancy schmancy names are never a good indication of solid, workable technology. It's probably just so much fluff.

 

[Homer]

Here's hopin' you're right!

 

[SonOfZeuz]

I have,and use copernic2000 Pro and do not have a MMFS.dll file on my comp.