What is the basic idea?
CD-Cops encrypts the main executable of your CD-ROM so that it can be run only when the original CD-ROM is found in the local CD-ROM drive.

What kind of CDs can CDCops protect?
CD-COPS can be applied on silver CD-ROMs only. It cannot protect CDRs. The supported formats are: normal CD-ROMs, hybrid CDs and mixed mode CDs. It cannot be used to protect Audio-CDs, or Video-CDs. The CD must have a data size of more than 512 MB and should contain at least one executable program that you wish to becopy protected.

What executables can I protect using CD-COPS?
Almost all 16-bit and 32-bit native PC-based EXE applications can be protected. The applications must be free of any other third party envelope utilities for compression or encryption.

Is there something special in this idea that I should get excited about?
Yes, otherwise, MediaSoft wouldn't propose it to you...! All copy protection systems need to find a key on the CD-ROM to help them distinguish between original and unauthorized CD-ROMs. The CD-ROMs that have the correct key are original and those with a wrong key are aborted as unauthorized copies. Normally, this key is a special signature that the CD factory applies on the glass-master during an extra stage of the mastering procedure. This means that a special mastering procedure is required, while not all mastering factories can provide it to you, and further more, the result does not comply with the Phillips yellow book ;. CD-COPS on the other hand, INVENTED a way to form this key out of production parameters already present on every CD-ROM. This key is the same for all CD-ROMs pressed out of the same glass-master. The production parameters cannot be controlled by the mastering procedure and as a result the key differs between different productions. When you copy or even re-master the original CD-ROM, the production parameters are different, so the key is also different, resulting to a non-workable and useless new CD-ROM.

Can CloneCD, Nero or other robust CD copy utilities copy CD-COPS protected discs?
There are many CD copy utilities that try (and many times succeed) to read and replicate the special signature that the copy protection systems put on the original CD-ROMs. Most copy protection systems suffer from these utilities and try to enhance the technology used to create their signature. These utilities cannot be a threat for CD-COPS protected discs, since these CD-ROMs do not contain any signature as described above. Every unauthorized copy of a CD-COPS original CD-ROM has BY DESIGN a different key. Therefore, it cannot run. And what about the compatibility level?
Discs protected by CD-COPS are totally compliant to the yellow book standards, resulting to the high compatibility level of the system. Even in cases where protected discs should run in strange CD-ROM drives, there is a rescue option that you can provide to your customers to resolve the mismatch of his drive.

How does it protect Hybrid CDs?
You can protect the PC-part of your hybrid CDs. The MAC  part will remain unaffected. This technique is used by our customers that have hybrid titles. 
It gives you a protection level much higher than 50% as you might think. First, the MAC market is much smaller than the PC market, resulting to a lower percentage piracy. Second, if someone makes a copy of your Hybrid CD, he cannot sell it as a whole product because the PC part is useless.

What are the differences to DVD-COPS?
DVD-COPS operates the same way as CD-COPS. Implementation and production stages are the same. This is accomplished because of the initial design of the system.

How fast can I implement it?
Good news for you if you are the programmer that will implement it. MediaSoft gives you a wizard that will automatically protect the finished EXE and create a protected EXE and two other protection files that must be stored in the same folder with the protected EXE.

How do I test it?
You can create a CDR with the protected files and test it in your lab using the developer's access code. This is a temporal code that you can create for the specific CD-R, using a certain CD-COPS utility provided by MediaSoft.

Can I define when to call the protection?
If you use the automated wizard, the checking of the CD, by default is done every time the protected executable starts. If you wish to place the CD-check calls in other locations within the application, you can also do it, but you should get in contact with us to get further instructions.

Does the system supports updates of my application?
Yes, following the initial production of your discs, you can create updates of the executable, lock them using the CD-COPS Wizard and distribute them freely from your web site. Only authorized customers that already have the original disc can run these updated EXEs.

Can I have a combination of copy protection and expiry date?
Yes, you can. In the same compact protection system, you can ask for the additional feature of time expiry at a certain date.

Can I protect my PDF (Adobe Acrobat) files?
Yes, you can. With the use of the CD-Cops Crypto you can now encrypt PDF files. No browser modifications are necessary. Customers with original CDs can browse your PDF files using the standard free Acrobat Reader available on the internet. You carry out the PDF encryption on your own computer using a standard utility contained in the Crypto package. The Acrobat Reader (the viewer of the PDF files) is monitored while running, and the data files are decrypted on the fly in memory by the CD Cops Crypto driver. If the CD that contains the PDF files is not authorized by the CD-Cops Crypto driver, then the decryption fails.

Can I protect data files?
Yes, you can use COPS-Crypto, which encrypts the data files before storing them on the CD-ROM. When the program asks for those data files, a small utility will decrypt them on the fly. This utility requires the presence of the original CD-ROM in a local CD-ROM drive, in order to authorize the decryption process.

What are the Browser requirements for Crypto?
We often call Browser the specific program that is able to display the data files and possibly allow operations on them. The Browser must prohibit the unwanted operations, like Cut/Paste, Copy/Paste, Save, Save as, Export, etc. These operations would allow the user to save and give away an unprotected version of the decrypted data files.

What is the level of support MediaSoft can provide?
We are very proud that MediaSoft can provide a truly excellent level of service - maybe among the best you can find. Regarding CD-COPS, MediaSoft can implement the protection for you and further more, create customized solutions to meet your specific needs.

Ok, the system seems to be what I wanted. Who do I contact?
For all sorts of technical matters you may contact Mr. Michael Ioannides
For pricing & ordering you may contact Mr. Kostas Kesopoulos