Column01: License of Koikoi-Komachi seriesHere, the introduction of a general example of the licensing architecture of the computer software, and the reason why Upyolic Soft introduced the mechanism of the license of "Koikoi-Komachi" is being written. The object of the discussion here concentrates on not the software of the game machines such as PS2 and GameBoy but software for the personal computer (Macintosh and PC/AT compatible). (There is no concept of using game machines with the plural at the same time by one license for the character of playing by starting by deflecting media of software. So, only the measure against software piracy of media itself is taken. Therefore, it doesn't discussed here.) Generally speaking, there is some form of the mechanism of the license key of PC software, and is divided as follows.
Most of the shareware seems to have the mechanism of the license in either of method of a) to d). Special method like e) or f) is certainly most effective, but it costs too much for shareware generally. So it seems to be limited to very expensive software for a professional to make contents with high value. Like this, there is some form of the mechanism of the license of PC software. From the view of security of the producer to defend software property and confidence of license system, this is corresponding to a general rule "It becomes difficult to use by raising security. " Recently, to prevent illegal use for the license, the mechanism that the certification like d) is needed is becoming standard in the product of the Adobe corp. and the Macromedia Corp., also activation function of Windows XP of the Microsoft corp., is the same. The method of a) with no mechanism of the license at all is certainly seen in most freeware and a part of shareware. The notification or the charge is paid to the producer only when there is a declaration from the user side. In most cases, it is open to the public based on idea of the producer to let many people to use software freely (Free of charge). This allows many users can enjoy software. It seems that the motive exists variously. For any reason, the concept "Illegal use for software" is not came into existence at all for this form. Therefore, it becomes quite unnecessary of the mechanism to avoid illegal use. b) to d) is commonly used in shareware. In any cases, the producer requests something from the user as a value of the license issue. The reason may be partial or complete collection of cost needed to maintain development environment, or financing of the next software development expense, or as a side business, or just making a little money. The form to issue single license key like b) is widely used with shareware because the producer can limit the use of software with minimum program coding, moreover, there is an advantage that the producer may not do anything after the issue of single license key. The demerit of this form is "Illegal use for software" is done easily because a malicious user who obtains the use permission of a regular license leaks license key to the user with no right. These days, the popularization of Internet Infrastructure helps person who doesn't have morality to leak information easily. Once the license is flowed to any Bulletin bored of internet or using file exchange software, the illegal use of software spreads through the public. Finally, it is likely to fall on the same level of the form a) substantially in the place where the producer doesn't intend it. Also, though it is necessary to buy one license for one person, by the equal split payment group buying, illegal use of software is possible to be done. in case of c), the producer issues the license key corresponding to the name that the user declared. It becomes complex from b) a little in the program coding. Once software is released, it takes time to issue the license key. It becomes the deterrent to register the name, the leaking of license key might be prevented to some extent. Still, when the check on the name is improper, license key data might be leaked with a fictitious name. Though it is an extremely malignant example, a program called generator which can make the license key from the applicant's name is distributed. d) is almost similar to c), but the probability of illegal use become lower than c) because there is a part based on peculiar information. However there is also some demerits: when user's environment changes, it doesn't operate in a new environment, the support is troublesome. We adopt this form in Koikoi Komachi released in 1999. g) is being adopted with game service of the monthly sum account using cellular phones and recent software, and the software doesn't start as long as the use permission is not obtained by connecting the Internet and receiving the certification. In this method, a large scale data base is prepared in the servers end, and "Operation" of keeping to have the certification data, and to update it is needed. When seeing from this aspect, the view of human nature as fundamentally good supports a) or b), the view of human nature as fundamentally depraved supports c), d), e), f). Here, we do not talk about the human nature itself. If all the people are good-natured, the license of software becomes not necessary. Actually, there are malicious man, kiddy that enjoys doing such illegal use like the game. Therefore, the mechanism that a person who is not a licensed user can not use the software might be adopted. We had argument about the license when we developed Koikoi Komachi in 1998. Since we thought it takes time to issue license key as required, b) seemed to good. But our investigation of the actual conditions among the illegal use of license revealed the truth. We found texts with a lot of license keys. Most of these texts are copied based on one common data, so if just one person leaks data, the data will spread all over the Internet. Moreover, "Originally" those sites present serial numbers which is possible to use illegally says "it should be the one person who bought the software to be blamed for keeping it." Also they say "You can use the serial data for backup" to justify their criminal actions. Some of them think they're doing good. If illegal use of license is allowed, we feel compunctions for regular customers who did pay for the software. For example, the difference between using shareware with proper license and using that with picked up or stolen license is just a will. It is a difference to which whether feel bad or not. In other words, good senses. Some people say that illegal use is not bad in nature claiming crabbed or wrested reasons. But when seeing from a different aspect, man is not strong-willed, so it is easy to give way to the temptation to use picked up illegal license freely, not to take the time to pay for the license. And illegal use doesn't come to light to the author. Some people feel it's absurd to pay properly for software. We decided not to use the b) because we think software license as a trust to a honest customer. Of course the way how we make the license key of Koikoi Komachi is confidential. Four years have passed since we released Koikoi Komachi, but it seems that no one could ever use the license illegally. At least we think our trust is defended up to now. When we thought about Koikoi Komachi X for Mac OS X at 2003, also the license system was reviewed. We also investigated if we can use the form of b) or not. If there is not anything to urge illegal use such as serial numbers of Mac OS, we would use the b). But the serial numbers is everywhere. Therefore we decided to use license of form d) in Koikoi Komachi X. Also we decided some policies to reduce the time of back office, that is "One license for one computer, "The license will be never reissued for any reason". Strictly speaking, the problem is that if someone buy the computer newly, not additionally, we cannot process the shift of the license, it contradicts the policy "One license per one". But to realize such a system of license shift, a system with large network certification like g), DRM, is needed. So we decide if someone buy a computer newly, he/she must buy one more license. As the mechanism of the license of software, Koikoi Komachi X is software with
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