E S A G

ESAG - Anti-Piracy/Anti-Crack Bulletin
ESAG - Anti-Piracy/Anti-Crack Bulletin

http://www.edepot.com/esagindex.html

ESAG - Anti-Piracy/Anti-Crack Bulletin
ESAG - Anti-Piracy/Anti-Crack Bulletin



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This bulletin outlines the following...

1) Lets you be aware of cracked shareware.

2) Shows you how they do it.

3) How to protect your shareware.

4) How to locate cracked sites with your shareware.

5) How to shut them down.



  Cracked shareware are shareware that has been tampered with

so that the security features are disabled, or the registration

verification is bypassed.  Most crackers (people who produce

cracked shareware) do this by doing the following...

  Create a specific program that when run, overwrites

some bytes in your shareware executable file so that when

your shareware runs the next time, the part where your

shareware is supposed to do the security section is bypassed.

This is easily done by using a disassembler and a binary

file editor.  Most pirates crack shareware by replacing

the address that the machine codes that JSR (jump to subroutine)

or JMP (jump) is supposed to go to.  Or changing the JSR or

JMP machines codes to NOP (No operation) when they are

supposed to jump to the security verication area.

  In order to stop pirates you can put a checksum routine

in your shareware program so that the next time your

program runs, it checks whether the executable has

been modified.  This routine must be hidden somewhere

and not be the first thing that gets called.  Most crackers

check the startup code only (its difficult and time consuming

to trace your whole program!).  In many different sections of

your program go to that routine and exit if the checksum does

not match.

  In order to find crack sites that may have your shareware on them,

visit http://www.dejanews.com and enter your shareware title in

the search input field.  You will find listings on the USENET that

may contain topics on your shareware.  Add the words "crack"

and "password" to the search field, and you may find that

your shareware has already been cracked.  Search for

"crack" and "sites" and may come across sites hosting

cracked shareware.

  To shut down the sites, its very simple.  Do the following...

Visit http://www.edepot.com/irres.html and enter the

domain of the crack site.  You will get phone numbers

or email address where you can call or email to

complain.  (If you don't get that, then you are

out of luck.  You need to do some more investigation)

  Usually the site (or account) is shut down within

a couple of days IF enough people email or

phone them.  Most domain hosters do not want cracked

sites on them, or are not aware they are hosting one.

Simply inform them the complete URL address of

the crack site, and that it contains illegal and pirated

software.  Tell them that you are a shareware author, and

that the site they are hosting is illegal, and that you

will inform proper authorities or take legal action

if the site is not removed.