Well put, Cyber and Trog. Your talk of the 80's and the history of anti-piracy steps in the software industry reminds me of the "Great Switch to CD-ROM" era ...

I remember before software was available on CD-ROM, software houses were complaining about piracy, and used it as an excuse for why titles were $40-$50 ... they had to "recoup their lost sales."

Well, lo and behold, the almighty CD-ROM came out and for a while (albeit a short while) it effectively destroyed the pirates' ability (and certainly the "casual copier") to copy software (especially lengthy titles), as CD burners were but a distant dream. Did prices drop as a result of the increased security CD-ROMs offered the software publishers? Heck, no!

At least that's the way I remember it ... anyone have a different recollection of that era?

-Tim