Todd Peterson <elab@NETINS.NET> wrote:
> but I have come to realize that software is THE MOST VALUABLE part of a
> design.  And THAT's why not too many people want to help you take it -
> that's how many of us make a living.

Peter Cousens <peter@cousens.her.forthnet.gr> replied:

> I have 30 years of electronics experience and one year in programming
> I repair industrial machines. For me software that's code protected
> is not the most valuable part,in my job it's the most worthless part.
> One example : (private email if you want lots more)
> I bought four cellular telephones from Brick Lane Market (London)
> Type FKI Burndept BE 2088 (  Old 200Mhz system )
> Burndept have ceased trading
> The radio side if it could work on its own would be worth
> ~ 100 US , with the inaccessable (to me) software they are worth
> only 20 US. Thats four radios -80 US each = 320 US less because
> of the inaccessable software

See!  You've proven Todd's point that the code-protected software *IS* the
most valuable part.  Without the software the telephones are nearly worthless,
having essentially only scrap value.

I'm not going to state my opinion at this time as to the merits of code
protection, or efforts to defeat it, because it has generated much flamage
on this list in the past.

However, Todd is wrong about one thing.  Many of the people who know how to
defeat the protection are in fact quite eager to help you out.  For a price.
But they're much less likely to give away their secrets.

Cheers,
Eric