| Copyright : Copy Protection
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Despite the fact that the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act make it illegal to
copy software, many people continue to do so.
Therefore the companies that develop and sell computer software take other
measures to make it more difficult to copy software. These are known as copy protection measures. Copy protection can be
achieved in many ways such as using unique codes and dongles.
| Method
| Details
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| Unique Code
| When you install some software packages you must enter a unique code into the package
before it will work. Anyone who illegally copies the software will not be able to use the
copy unless they know the appropriate code. Users who purchase the software legally usually have
to register their names and the code for their copy of the package before they can obtain support from the
company that made it. Because each legally sold copy of the
software has a different code it is much easier to find out where an illegal copy of
the software came from.
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| Dongle
| A dongle is a small hardware device which plugs into a computer. To use some
software packages you must plug a dongle, which is provided with the software, into the
computer. Without the dongle the software will not work. If the software is copied
or installed onto more than one computer it will not work as there is only one
dongle.
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GCSE ICT Companion 04 - (C) P Meakin 2004