How do you make copy protected CDs?

Question

I am working on making educational CDs. I require medium level copy protection code which may not be easily breakable by "non experts", similar to that in game CDs, so you have to have the CD in the drive while playing and have to enter key while installing it.

Answer 1

Many games use third-party software such as SecuRom for this.

If you do not require that level of protection, you can simply check for the presence of certain files on the CD. That will stop people from running without having the CD, but not from copying the CD itself.

Answer 2

Whatever trick you'll find, someone smart will find away around it.

Decide first for what kind of users you want to protect your software:

• For casual users and kids, it might be enough to check the volume id
• For more advanced users, consider using commercial protection software like SecuRom

You may also consider using a registration via Internet, where you provide your users with a 'license file' in which their username (and maybe some other configuration information) and a checksum is stored, and which should be saved on their PC. Users and especially companies are then less likely to hand out this configuration files to others, as this file simply states "I handed out my license to someone else, so if you want to sue someone, sue me".

Answer 3

I think CD copy protection mechanisms MUST BE STAYED AWAY FROM! They cause your software installations recorded on such CDs to run incorrectly on many devices. What such protection mechanisms do is inserting BAD TRACKS on your CD hoping that the CD copying program will choke on them. However, the driver of the CD drive may choke as well. You're better off with an additional privacy prevention scheme.