2 HN users recommended this explainer2 months2018–2024score 2
Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026
Cited in anti-piracy discussions as a clear explanation of clever retro copy-protection tricks, though one commenter disputes a claim about Leander.
An episode of Coding Secrets by Jon Burton on retro copy protection, in particular physically damaging a disk with a laser so copies fail. It explains how this defeated hackers and pirates.
“I thought the two methods described in this video were both good” (HN, 2018)
I thought the two methods described in this video were both good: [this video] Also, the method described here, even though it didn't result in a financially successful game, was pretty clever (pirating the game meant your game company would be defeated by pirates): [link]
For those who don't know, Burton explains this in depth here: [link] Another one of my favorite ones describes copy protection via intentionally destroyed floppy sectors: [this video]
Favorite among Burton's videos, on copy protection via destroyed floppy sectors.
According to Jon Burton, something like this was actually done for the Amiga game Leander, although not with the intent to damage hardware: [this video]
Jon Burton's account of Leander's disk-damaging protection.
I can give you an example of someone claiming there were holes in the disk, Jon Burton, but they're a goddamn liar : [this video] I have the original release of Leander. There are no holes in the disks. The code on the disk doesn't write anything besides hiscores. There is a protection routine exactly where he says there is, however what it does is check for a long track . It waits for the index pin, reads lots of data from the track, then looks to find two sync marks in the data it read, and they're at least a certain distance away from each other. No lasers, no holes, no writing. Standard long track protection. Here's the whole routine: [link] Here's a page that more accurately describes floppy disk protection methods (and also explains what a long track is): [link]
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