SlySoft

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SlySoft Inc. is a software company located in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda. Its products consist of software to back up and convert digital media, including CDs, DVDs, HD DVDs, and Blu-ray Discs, as well as copy and back up optical media and render PC-based games playable without the disc.

Products

  • AnyDVD to remove/disable DRM restrictions and user prohibited operations on DVD films, and to fix structure protections and mastering errors
  • AnyDVD HD - to remove DRM, lock-outs, and UOPs on DVD films and additionally High Definition media, specifically Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD
  • CloneCD - to copy optical discs in raw format
  • CloneDVD - to copy non-DRM DVD movies to the hard disk or Single or Dual-Layer DVD blanks (sold also by Elaborate Bytes AG)
  • CloneDVD mobile - to convert DVD files to mobile video players like the iPod or the PlayStation Portable[1]
  • Game Jackal - to create CD profiles so a disc isn't required when starting the game
  • Game Jackal Enterprise - extended version of Game Jackal with additional features such as automatic distribution of game profiles to client machines[2]
  • Virtual CloneDrive is a disk image emulator. It is designed for mounting images created by the SlySoft programs CloneCD (.CCD files) and AnyDVD HD (*.ISO files), it can also mount BIN formats.[3]

AACS and BD+

SlySoft was the first to offer AACS circumvention that worked for any disc available; previous programs only cracked "compatible" discs using a database of known keys.

On 8 November 2007, SlySoft claimed to have completely cracked BD+. However, this turned out to be incorrect, as subsequent versions of BD+ security code have caused SlySoft to re-design its software. On 3 March 2008, SlySoft updated AnyDVD HD allowing the full decryption of BD+,[4] allowing for not only the viewing of the film itself but also playing and copying disks with third-party software. A third iteration of BD+ was released in November 2008, and was announced to be cracked by SlySoft with the release of AnyDVD HD 6.5.0.2 on 29 December 2008.[5] A fourth version of BD+ security code was discovered with the movie Australia on 17 February 2009, thwarting the effectiveness of SlySoft's software.[6][7]

However on 19 March 2009, SlySoft updated AnyDVD HD to version 6.5.3.1 which allowed the decryption of the new version of BD+ used by the movie Australia.[8]

Licensing

On 1 December 2008 SlySoft announced it would for the first time begin charging its customers for updates to its software.[9]

In November 2010, SlySoft initially announced the discontinuation of the lifetime licensing option beginning January 2011. An e-mail[10] announcing the change ahead of time was sent to all registered customers allowing everyone the chance to purchase the lifetime option "while it is still possible;" and the notice was posted to their official forums. In January 2011, all announcements regarding the change were deleted without comment and a new structured licensing plan was put into place; including the lifetime licensing option at the highest priced tier. SlySoft was able to balance the internal cost matter and the licensing strategy in such a way as to allow continuation of the "lifetime" license option. The 'update service' will only allow updates with a valid license and users are warned if they attempt to install an update beyond the license expiry date. If the user cancels the update the current paid-up license will continue to work. If the user continues then a "renewal" is required.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Clone DVD mobile". Slysoft.com. Retrieved 2012-06-21. 
  2. ↑ "Game Jackal Enterprise". Slysoft.com. Retrieved 2012-06-21. 
  3. ↑ "Virtual CloneDrive". Slysoft.com. Retrieved 2012-06-21. 
  4. ↑ 09:46 (2008-03-19). "SlySoft Press Release". Forum.slysoft.com. Retrieved 2012-06-21. 
  5. ↑ 09:46 (2008-12-29). "SlySoft defeats Blu-ray's BD+ DRM scheme again". Forum.slysoft.com. Retrieved 2012-06-21. 
  6. ↑ 09:46. "BD+ discs that may not work properly with AnyDVD HD". Forum.slysoft.com. Retrieved 2012-06-21. 
  7. ↑ "BD+ re-secured, SlySoft beaten". Afterdawn.com. 2008-12-13. Retrieved 2012-06-21. 
  8. ↑ "AnyDVD Version Change Log". Retrieved 2012-06-21. 
  9. ↑ 09:46 (2008-12-01). "Press release: SlySoft announces new update policy". Forum.slysoft.com. Retrieved 2012-06-21. 
  10. ↑ "Original text of the announcement". Mediasmartserver.net. Retrieved 2012-06-21. 

Further reading

  • "Appapalooza", Computer Power User (CPU), October 2009 • Vol.9 Issue 10, Pages 60–70
  • "What's Happening", Computer Power User (CPU), January 2008 • Vol.8 Issue 1, Pages 6–11
  • "What's Happening", Computer Power User (CPU), March 2009 • Vol.9 Issue 3, Pages 9–16
  • "The Bleeding Edge Of Software", Computer Power User (CPU), February 2009 • Vol.9 Issue, 2 Page 72

External links

Virtual drive software
  • Virtual disk image
  • RAM disk
  • Mount
Free software
Proprietary software
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