View source for List of copy protected software titles on cassette

[[Category:Programming]]
Uses of the 'Locked' bit of the [[Acorn cassette format]] aside, this page lists titles that either cannot be copied using <code>*LOAD</code> and <code>*SAVE</code> (given sufficient memory) or that depend on highly accurate hardware-level behaviour.  It is intended as a compatibility checklist for emulator developers.

8N1, 8N2, 8O1 etc. refer to asynchronous frame protocols -- the number of data, parity and stop bits to each byte.   O and E respectively refer to odd and even parity, as understood by major UARTs.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Copy protected software titles on cassette
! Title
! Publisher
! Author
! Platform
! Description
! VLSI SERPROC compatible
|-
| ''3D Grand Prix''
| Software Invasion
| Mick O'Neill & Dave Mendes
| BBC B
| Block numbers of GP5 and GP6 increase in steps of 255.
| Yes
|-
| ''Alien 8''
| Ultimate Play The Game
| [[Kevin Edwards]](?)
| BBC B
| Custom loader + evil VIA decoding
| Yes
|-
| ''Android Attack''
| Computer Concepts
| Paul Hiscock
| BBC B
| Filename <code>A1</code> has random numbers of spaces added in each block.  The file is saved in ordinary looking Acorn blocks, alternating between 8N1 and 8E1.  Inter-block gaps are in the pattern of [[OPENOUT|sequential]] recordings, but in place of carrier breaks are 'security cycles' comprising audible lengths of low tone.  They may be significant to the copy protection, or just artefacts of a 'repeater' copying a stop-start recorded master tape.
| Yes
|-
| ''Arkanoid''
| Imagine
| Peter Johnson & Jason Sobell (copy protection)
| BBC B
| The name of the largest file changes at every block.  Its block numbers start from &0100.
| Yes
|-
| ''BASICODE 2''
| The Chip Shop (BBC Radio 4)
| ir. P.G.M. Maathuis
| BBC A/B
| Not copy protection ''per se'', but the programs themselves were transmitted in a continuous 8N2 stream.  The 1984 ''Chip Shop'' issue of the loader and saver programs, with a few small changes, will work with the [[Serial ULA|Serial Processor]].<ref>In file <code>bc/load</code> line 1590, <code>LDX #3</code> must be changed to <code>LDX #8</code> to select the 19200 baud receive rate, as found in OS 1.20.</ref>
| Yes*
|-
| ''BoulderDash''
| Tynesoft
| Andrew Bennett<ref>Stairway to Hell Forums [http://www.stairwaytohell.com/sthforums/viewtopic.php?p=9592#9592 post by Peter Wood], 10th September 2007.</ref><ref>Andrew Bennett, [http://www.elmerproductions.com/sp/peterb/BBC-Electron.html "BoulderDash for BBC Electron"].</ref>
| BBC B
| VIA timer based decryption.<ref name="bmml-carr">BBC Micro Mailing List [http://mdfs.net/Archive/BBCMicro/2003/04/28/130443.htm post by Bill Carr], 28th April 2003.</ref>
| ?
|-
| ''Caveman Capers''
| Icon
| Jason Sobell ''et al.''
| BBC B
| Loader checks for two streams totalling 53 standard bytes before the final file.
| No
|-
| ''Citadel''
| Superior
| Michael Jakobsen & Lars Østerballe
| BBC B
| Filename changes upper & lower case
| Yes
|-
| ''Doctor Who and the Mines of Terror''
| Micropower
| [[Gary Partis]]
| BBC B
| The game was supplied as a cassette and accompanying paged ROM.  The cassette "has bytes alone with bits of pilot tone before the next byte." Clusters of low and high tone also appear.  There are "some non-standard format blocks as well."<ref name="sth-ross-2004">Stairway to Hell Forums [http://www.stairwaytohell.com/sthforums/viewtopic.php?p=1087#p1087 post by Fraser Ross], 1st February 2004.</ref>
| ?
|-
| ''Eagle's Wing''
| Software Invasion
| Boris Obinskofh
| BBC B
| The name of the largest file contains a control character that changes at every block.
| Yes
|-
| ''Elite''
| Acornsoft
| Braben & Bell
| BBC B
| Non-standard blocks, interrupt routines and obfuscated code.<ref>[http://mdfs.net/Archive/BBCMicro/2003/04/28/183715.htm Reply] to Rich Talbot-Watkins by [[John Kortink]], 28th April 2003.</ref>
| Yes
|-
| ''Estra''
| Firebird
| A.J.Field
| BBC B
| Loads a custom stream that swings between 8E1 and 8O1.
| Yes
|-
| ''Facemaker''
| Applied Systems Knowledge (ASK)
| Gloria Callaway
| BBC B
| Loader checks for a stream of 11 standard bytes at two points.
| No
|-
| ''Fortress''
| Pace Microsystems
| Mat Newman
| BBC B
| Final part is a data stream that switches from 8N2 to standard format (8N1) and back to 8N2.
| No
|-
| ''Hareraiser Prelude''
| Haresoft
| ?
| BBC B
| "To scupper the pirates, the tapes include information that the average computer owner will not be able to reproduce.  Should copies be taken, the user will not be aware that all the data is not present.  As a secondary precaution, each tape has its own registration card which the purchaser must complete."<ref name="tmu-hareraiser">''[[The Micro User]]'', August 1984, p.24</ref>  "The cassettes are specially coded so there is no possibility of duplication and each one must correspond to a special code from the originator."<ref name="aandb-hareraiser">''[[A and B Computing|A & B Computing]]'', October 1984, p.13</ref> Given the circumstances surrounding Haresoft however, the claims are questionable.  ''Kleen'' found no protected data in ''Hareraiser Prelude''.
| ?
|-
| ''Hyper Sports''
| Imagine
| ?
| BBC B
| VIA timer based decryption.<ref name="bmml-carr"/>
| ?
|-
| ''Impact!''
| Audiogenic
| Gary Partis
| BBC B
| Saves frame set files made up of custom 8O1 blocks.  Program is only locked.
| Yes
|-
| ''Impossible Mission''
| U.S.Gold
| Peter Johnson & Kevin Edwards (copy protection)
| BBC B
| VIA timer based decryption.
| Yes
|-
| ''Knight Lore''
| Ultimate Play The Game
| Kevin Edwards<ref>[http://www.stairwaytohell.com/authors/kedwards/PRO-KEdwards.html Excerpt] from ''A&B Computing'', February 1988.  Argus Press.</ref>
| BBC B
| Custom loader + evil VIA decoding
| Yes
|-
| ''Lunar Jetman''
| Ultimate Play The Game
| ?
| ?
| "bewilderingly complicated protection"<ref name="richtw-lunarjet">Stairway To Hell Forums [http://www.stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?p=29392#p29392 post by Rich Talbot-Watkins], 6 October 2010</ref>
| ?
|-
| ''Manic Miner''
| Software Projects
| D.J.Coathupe
| BBC B
| In most files the block number starts from &FF00.
| Yes
|-
| ''Nightshade''
| Ultimate Play The Game
| Kevin Edwards
| BBC B
| Non-standard stream; Multiple-stage decryption using [[VIA]] timers after loading.  Subject of a [http://www.stairwaytohell.com/sthforums/viewtopic.php?t=696 huge thread on STH] on making 6502 and VIA emulation good enough to decrypt it.
| Yes
|-
| ''Orbit Zero''
| Graphic Research
| ?
| BBC B
| "uses non-standard data blocks" <ref name="arcadian-orbitzero">Stairway To Hell Forums [http://www.stairwaytohell.com/sthforums/viewtopic.php?p=18592#p18592 post by Arcadian], 10 August 2009</ref>
| ?
|-
| ''Poker''
| Ducksoft
| Tom Pinone
| BBC B
| Does <code>[[VDU 23]]</code> commands when <code>[[LIST]]</code>ed to screw up the display, halt DRAM refresh and erase memory.
| Yes
|-
| ''Revs''
| Acornsoft
| Geoff Crammond
| BBC B
| Loads a continuous 25 KB standard stream, displayed as though loading a file named 'Revs02'.
| Yes
|-
| ''Skirmish''
| Go-Dax Software
| Delos D Harriman
| BBC B
| Custom loader with display synchronised to tape.  Loads a 25 KB stream that switches from 8O1 to 8N1.
| Yes
|-
| ''Stairway To Hell''
| Software Invasion
| ?
| BBC B
| Names of some files change in length at every block.  Zeroed load and exec addresses after first block.  Block numbers increase by 255 each time.<ref>BBC Micro Mailing List [http://mdfs.net/Archive/BBCMicro/2000/07/31/212726.htm post by Shaileen Shah], 31st July 2000.</ref>
| Yes
|-
| ''Starquake''
| Bubble Bus
| Kenton Price, Stephen Crow & Gary Partis (copy protection)
| BBC B
| Uses an encrypted custom loader that takes control of the hardware and reads in 101-byte blocks of 8O1 data.  <ref>[http://mdfs.net/Archive//BBCMicro/2003/04/28/155420.htm Reply] to Bill Carr by Rich Talbot-Watkins, 28th April 2003.</ref>
| Yes
|-
| ''Superman: The Man Of Steel''
| Tynesoft
| ?
| BBC/Electron
| "no one can crack the customised tape loader"<ref>''[http://www.acornelectron.co.uk/c-dvd.html The DVD]'', Dave Edwards, Acorn Electron World.</ref>
| ?
|}

== References ==

<references/>

-- [[User:Beardo|beardo]] 16:43, 7 October 2010 (UTC)