> I just had a case here where someone was paid to deliver a design to
> us, and decided that he would be better served by delivering a
> prototype with the part numbers filed off and then holding out and
> insisting on charging us more than originally agreed upon to either
> A:> produce units for us or
> B:> turn over the info.
> It took all of ten minutes to find the missing part numbers.

    Interesting that - as an example - arcade machine boards are
reverse-engineered by people with no special electronic tools, just by
analyzing the software. And worse - people with special tools (good logic
analyzers, etc) can reverse engineer not only the circuit of an arcade board
(have anyone here seen one? Big, full of 168-odd pin chips and 4 to 8
layers) but also create a **compatible one**. Note I didn't said copy it bit
by bit. But reverse engineer and indeed MAKE IT BETTER!!! Gosh!

    The best way to enforce IP security, is to have a cheap price and full
info avaiable. It makes you "nice" for the one that buy, and "nice" for the
one who wants to copy. When I get the schematic of the Amiga 2000, I don't
want to copy one for me, but surely I want to understand how things works.
It improve my knowledge on electronics, and maybe bring it back to Commodore
creating something that forces people to buy their product (anyone heard
about the Amiga Video Toaster?).

    This is my **oppinion** and may be right of wrong in your eyes. Your
milegage may vary. Void where prohibited. Batteries not incluided. :o)


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