Yes, when everyone will be permanently connected to the internet. Online authentication/authorization is a solution.

Btw, thanx slap, for your constructive questions.

(Sorry I am a post behind you, slow at typing) I understand Sage regarding the A and B answer.

A question regarding the copy protection going to zero by allowing a friend to use my disk; I though that the binding to my pc would stop my friends disk from binding it to his one; what have I not understood here m8?

your welcome, thankyou for being so helpfull and understanding with your answers

@Slap:

Once bound, game will not check the disc at all.
And your friend could take the disc and use it as it's an original. That's why there must be real reasons for binding, e.g. real problems.

"Yes, when everyone will be permanently connected to the internet. Online authentication/authorization is a solution"

That sounds like the way forwards for sure, maybe for those that have no online capabilities, mobile phones/phones could somehow do the same/fill the gap?

Slap, people are lazy even to insert the disc into drive. dialing would be worse for them

Rgr that, of course.
Bear with me here , could the person who has been given the no-cd key pass on with disk to another potential user and allow them to copy to there pc and then use the no-cd key? or will that no-cd key just work for that one machine(like XP does)?

I am not a pirate, honest

Maybe a deal could be struck with online servers doing automated checks to see if someone is using a duplicated copy? I recently bought Condor flight sim (glider sim), paid for it and downloaded it online (which was absolutely painless), installed and activated it once(activation code by way of email).

Now I could install it to another PC and it would work, but if I tried to go online with both copies running, the server would pick this up and render useless the aircraft of one of the users (makes glider sink a -4m/s which is cruel to a glider pilot ) and I think the same is for trying to use a LAN.

So that might also be an option for the online side of things, but alas it does nothing to stop offline players...

I was a bit sceptical about buying and downloading software, but I after trying it, I would welcome the chance to do it again. Broadband would also be a must though...
It never ends does it?

@Slap:

The code given is valid for your PC only. Other users wont be able to use it.

SF also has activation model protection. The product is called StarForce ProActive.
Once installed protected application requires activation, which could be automated (online), or manual (web, phone, email). Once activated application runs on your machine only. We have protected products with it already, including games online distribution.