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CopySafe
upgraded to support Microsoft's lack of support for plugins.
With each new
release of a Microsoft browser version there is always another
gaping hole exposed in the security of online images and web
page content. In releasing Internet Explorer 6, Microsoft have
completely dropped support for plugins in favor of their own developments. Until
IE6 every browser made has supported plugins as a standard feature.
Not only have
ArtistScope and their users been put out, but ActiveX technology has been found to cause an unreasonable
increase in component size. Whereas the Copysafe plugin, by
far the most efficient capture protection plugin weighing in
at only 32K, it is now bloated to more than 30 times that size.
Although plugin
size has no noticeable effect on performance once downloaded
and installed, it does hamper the receptiveness of plugin use
as most site operators wish their visitors as little effort as
possible. New site visitors downloading the plugin for the
first time found that the CopySafe plugin, including installer
was only about 100k (6-800k for other protective systems), but
now that that download size has increased to almost 1 Mb just
to cater for IE6, surfing protected content is no longer as
seamless as what it should be.
The fate of copy
protection in the hands of Microsoft?
Windows is the
most widely used platform and its manipulation is under the
absolute control of a company who have already been proven to
be relentless in their plight to imitate and plagiarize any
technology available. The misconception that copy protection
is a goldmine investment has already been seen by many new
insurgents into the arena, who after having burning out their
investors' funds have only ended in ruin.
With an eye on the
entertainment industry and the volume of music and video
sales, Microsoft have also been developing in the copy
protection market. Needless to say that rumors have it that
they have already been sued for breaching patents. If it is
their intention to provide a browser that will ultimately
support their own copy protection software, there will always
be users for CopySafe.
Why CopySafe?
Because as with the security of anything, the less people know
about its workings, the more secure it will remain. Microsoft
cannot protect their own products which are freely
distributable by anyone who has a registered copy, which in
turn can be further redistributed, whereas the CopySafe
program cannot be used by anyone unless for the
intended client. What this essentially means is that without
the software to study by hackers and the masses, its obscurity
is security in itself.
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