- The Activation FAQ
- Online Extra: More Activation FAQs
More Activation FAQs
Here are a few more frequently asked questions about product activation.
Q: Is activation something new?
A: Not really. Antipiracy technology used to be called copy protection and was generally confined to business products. Because it was often problematic for users and added to product support costs, it was eventually abandoned.
Q: Are software companies building their own activation schemes?
A: Some are, but most are licensing technology from Macrovision. Vendors can implement SafeCast in several ways, through a wizard-driven utility that creates a wrapper on an existing application or through an API library to integrate it into the product itself. SafeCast offers a range of protection choices, such as the ability to set enforcement levels on multiple activations or hardware changes. And SafeCast activation can be transferred from machine to machine as a user upgrades.
Q: Who controls the activation serverMacrovision or the software company using its tools?
A: The software vendors. Macrovision includes SafeCast Help Desk and SafeCast Key Server with the package it licenses to software companies. When a user activates a product via the Internet, he automatically accesses the Key Server; if a user activates by telephone, the vendor uses the Help Desk or manually accesses the Key Server. Companies that don't want to host their own key servers can use Macrovision-authorized service providers like Cineticvision, Diggibag, element 5, and GlobalWare Solutions.
Q: If I run multiple products that use Macrovision's SafeCast Digital Rights Management solution, will I encounter compatibility problems?
A: You shouldn't. SafeCast is designed to work with multiple SafeCast-protected products.
Q: If a DRM-protected app installs a newer activation version, will the other activated products still work?
A: Yes, Macrovision says it maintains compatibility with earlier versions of SafeCast.