ProtectCD
( VOB )

History

VOB was founded 1990 as a partnership in Dortmund, Germany. The development priority was the development of technologies in the field of information storage. Later on the hardware unit was sold and the company focused on development of the best possible software for optical data storage.

In 1994 VOB incorporated into a "GMBH" and the OEM and VAR business became more and more important. Due to this fact VOB started an own business unit for OEM /VAR customers in Europe and the USA for optimal support.

Product: ProtectCD

ProtectCD is an protection that does not change the protected data but writes a special copy protection information in a different area accessible only by the ProtectCD detection services. Because there is really no change in the data delivered to the manufacturer the system is as compatible as the unprotected CD.

ProtectCD provides the following :

Programs protected with ProtectCD run on every normal PC with the key CD in a CD-ROM compatible drive. The programs can be delivered directly on the CD, by internet or in any other way you want. ProtectCD protected CDs can't be copied by any known CD-Recorder and CD-Copying program because of the additional individual ProtectCD area on the CD. Only registered manufacturing plants are able to create ProtectCD CDs and therefore any pirate CD plants are unable to produce these CDs. ProtectCD does not confuse the user with difficult serial numbers or codes. The user can handle the CD exactly like any other CD (except copying).

How it works?

ProtectCD is available in two different levels. The main differences between the two levels is the ease of applying and the protection they grant. Anyone who is requesting the first time a ProtectCD Project Authorization Code will receive the software for both protection levels. While level II consists of a SDK with lib files which need to be embedded into the program at compile time the level I is an executable wrapper which modifies the file to protect automatically.

The advantage of level I is that no access to the source code is needed and the implementation could be done very fast and easy by using the ProtectCD EXE Wrapper. The disadvantage of this solution is that the protection is only checked once at the start of the program and the reengineering of the code is theoretically easier, although it is still unbroken.

With the level II the reengineering if significant more difficult and the protection can be checked whenever the programmer wants to. The disadvantage of using this level is that the implementation takes far more time and more engineering know-how is needed.

Price

The costs consist of a single payment (US$ 1500) for each project and an additional fee on a piece base. The single payment has to be done directly to VOB whereas the piece fee has to be paid to the manufacturing plant.

Does it work in real life?

CloneCD can handle this protection and make a safe <backup> from your favorite CD.