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Swooping for the coupon hackers
We're all familiar with the idea of people trying to hack the music industry's DRM copy protection on music downloads, but this is new. A California man, John Stottlemire, is being sued by a discount voucher company, which accuses him of trying to circumvent its copy protection (a crime under US law).
The company makes software that allows users to print off their own coupons, each of which has a serial number, so that it can be used only once or twice. Stottlemire appears to have created some software that removes the number, meaning the coupons can be used more than that.
But Stottlemire says all he's doing is deleting a few registry keys from the computer, which - he says - doesn't amount to circumventing copy protection. Watch this space for updates.
Wow, interesting topic and scary - coupon hacking
posted-by Couponomist.com | August 21, 2007 6:01 PM
I don't think it's limited to deleting files or reg keys. It's about hacking the software installer to identify & delete the controls that are part of the program? Commercially offering the printed coupons on his site? Attempting to force a consulting fee (vs employment) from Coupons Inc? Using EDI databases likely not in the public domain to decode coupons? His wife bragging on the site about using coupons fraudulently at Walmart's USCANs?
Google a bit & learn about this guy hacking flightsim programs & then faking his death when there were issues.
Look at the coldfusion technical forum where members were indirectly led to believe he was www.dealideal.com when he offered $50 PayPal for help scripting a login to their user contribution (not EDI) based decoder after being banned from there & returning with different IP addresses.
What is terrible is the Wired & the ABC & other news stories leading people to believe it's just about deleting files & reg keys, & then fearing that?
Did the defendant first have an opportunity to cease & decist?
posted-by dealideal member | August 23, 2007 11:28 PM
hey :-)
its very interesting article.
Good post.
realy gj
thank you ;)
posted-by invizeevory | September 2, 2008 11:24 PM