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The DiscFree technology is an additional capability offered by StarForce, which is aimed at reducing calls to product support and making the end users more loyal to the publisher, as it significantly simplifies work with a protected application on disc.
This technology allows the end user to run protected applications without original media inserted for legitimacy confirmation. Also it allows to make an operational backup of the disc containing the application protected with disc binding. In order for the user to run the application, protected by using the DiscFree technology, not inserting the licensed disc into the drive, user have to switch disc binding to hardware one or activate the created backup using a valid serial number.
The DiscFree technology allows binding the protected software to computer parameters, thus the original licensed disc can be put on shelf to ensure its mechanical safety. In further if user decide to reinstall protected application and run it, and publisher allowed this opportunity, the previously created backup plus valid serial number can be successfully used for this action.
Depending on product distribution policy, the DiscFree technology can be applied on a single or multiple end users’ computers.
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The DiscFree Game 
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Advantages of using the DiscFree technology:
- It significantly reduces the number of customer calls to the publisher’s technical support regarding problems with the copy protection system1.
- It does not require to have the original disc in the drive when running and using the software.
StarForce repeatedly conducted a number of surveys among end users with regards to their discontent in copy protection technologies. The results are as follows:
- 50% of all the users are mostly annoyed with the fact that they have to insert the disc with the game into the drive in order just to start playing the game
- 30% of all the users are worry about mechanical safety of the licensed discs
- It ensures the mechanical safety of the licensed media for its long-term usage.
- It does not utilize drivers2. In case of using a backup copy, the licensed disc is not used during application startup, therefore the necessity to protect this disc from emulation by using drivers is eliminated as well.
- It allows an authorized user to run the protected application simultaneously on two computers, for instance, at home and at work.
- It ensures keeping the requirement of many countries’ law that obliges to provide a legal user with a possibility to create and own a backup of the software purchased3.
The DiscFree technology is included in the FL Disc and FL Universal products, as it is implemented for the disc protection, i.e. for the protected applications being distributed on CD/DVD and CD-R/DVD-R discs.
Hints on using DiscFree technology for publishers:
In order to switch the protected software’s binding from disc to computer, the end user needs to have a unique Serial Number, which is to be provided by the publisher.
Own developer’s or publisher’s unique serial numbers (e.g. serial numbers for online play etc.) may be used for activation. Thus there is no need to deliver StarForce’s unique serial number to user.
The distribution policy of Serial Numbers to be used for backups activation is defined by the publisher. The Serial Numbers can be either distributed along with the software or provided on user’s demand.
When it is possible for the end user to activate DiscFree technology:
- When the disc check fails or when other problems occur while running the protected application by using an optical media (CD/DVD, CD-R/DVD-R). In this case the suggestion to activate the DiscFree technology appears automatically.
- When the user personally wishes to run the licensed product using the disc only once and then “put the disc on shelf”.
Usually, when the end user wants to run a protected application, he has to insert the licensed disc in the optical drive; otherwise, the application will not run. This obviously is the main annoying issue for licensed software users. Besides that, frequent manipulations with the disc or the requirement for it to be in drive permanently, and also periodical disc check leads to rapid mechanical deterioration of the disc as well as of the optical drive, which, in turn, leads to technical problems with running original discs.
In this case a DiscFree can be activated by running the protected application, having pressed and holding the or button.
- When user wish to reinstall and run protected application from previously created backup in order his original disc is broken or missed. In this case user must has at least valid Serial Number to activate technology and run application.
1 According to the statistics, 80% of all copy protection problems occur during identification of the licensed disc in users's optical drive.
2 Utilizing protection drivers is constantly being criticized by the end users, as many of them do not like to have unnecessary drivers on their computers. StarForce protection drivers are used only with disc versions of protection in order to prevent emulation of licensed media.
3 In countries, where software piracy is not that widespread, the end users mostly complain about copy protection systems not allowing authorized users to make use of their legal right to create a backup of legally acquired software.
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