# Code enabled VASSAL modules?

**URL:** <https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/code-enabled-vassal-modules/3792>\
**Category:** Module Design\
**Created:** [March 29, 2011, 3:47pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/code-enabled-vassal-modules/3792 "2011-03-29T15:47:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mroyer](https://forum.vassalengine.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@mroyer](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/mroyer)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 3:47pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/code-enabled-vassal-modules/3792/1 "2011-03-29T15:47:17Z")

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Is there any feature in VASSAL that can allow game companies to protect their copyrights?

I’m thinking something along the lines of a “code enabled” game module where a user would need to contact the copyright holder (i.e., typically a game company) to receive a code that enables the module for use? The code would, of course, need to be personalized to the user somehow, perhaps by hashing with his computer’s MAC address.

If something like this existed, it would allow companies to control distribution (and charge if they saw fit) which ultimately could lessen anxiety about having their games developed in electronic form on VASSAL.

-Mark R.

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**Author:** ![uckelman](https://forum.vassalengine.org/user_avatar/forum.vassalengine.org/uckelman/32/10020_2.png) [@uckelman](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/uckelman)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/code-enabled-vassal-modules/3792/2 "2011-03-30T20:02:12Z")

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Thus spake mroyer:

> I’m thinking something along the lines of a “code enabled” game module  
> where a user would need to contact the copyright holder (i.e., typically  
> a game company) to receive a code that enables the module for use? The  
> code would, of course, need to be personalized to the user somehow,  
> perhaps by hashing with his computer’s MAC address.

How would this work for people with serveral computers, who get a new  
computer or new NIC, or who have one machine (e.g., virtually all  
laptops) which has more than one NIC in it?

> If something like this existed, it would allow companies to control  
> distribution (and charge if they saw fit) which ultimately could lessen  
> anxiety about having their games developed in electronic form on VASSAL.

Can you come up with something which couldn’t be defeated in less than  
an hour by someone with the source code? I’ve thought a bit about this,  
and haven’t been able to, myself.

–  
J.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mroyer](https://forum.vassalengine.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@mroyer](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/mroyer)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/code-enabled-vassal-modules/3792/3 "2011-03-30T21:02:45Z")

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> [@uckelman](#):
>
> How would this work for people with serveral computers, who get a new  
> computer or new NIC, or who have one machine (e.g., virtually all  
> laptops) which has more than one NIC in it?

I imagine this would simply be a policy of whomever holds the copyrights to a module. They could require a purchase (or whatever) for each computer or they could give a user up to X licenses (sort of like what Windows 7 is doing - when you buy home edition you get 3 licenses). I don’t think VASSAL can solve that question; but VASSAL can enable module copyright holders to set their own policy that they are comfortable with.

> [@uckelman](#):
>
> Can you come up with something which couldn’t be defeated in less than  
> an hour by someone with the source code? I’ve thought a bit about this,  
> and haven’t been able to, myself.

Right - no security system is unbreakable. In my view, were this sort of VASSAL feature available, it would merely be a hurdle to prevent most users from infringing on the rights of the copyright holders. In fact, it would act as much to channel honest users to willingly pay for the module as it would to prevent dishonest ones from stealing it.

We’re not protecting national secrets after all; just trying to make game companies feel that they have some sort of nominal protection regarding letting their materials be copied electronically and give them a method to get some remuneration for having done so.

-Mark R.