Digital downloads done right?

Hi,

Given all the recent threads about copy protection and digital
downloads, this weekend I took a close look at how one publisher
decided to do it. Specifically, I bought and downloaded GalCiv 2 from
Stardock. Let me add that I don't think any of this applies to the
store-bought version of the game.

Since I'd already dealt with the company a couple of years ago to
buy the original GalCiv, I reactivated my old account using my e-mail
address as the ID. After entering the info to purchase the game, I
downloaded their download manager, Stardock Central. Here you get what
seems to be the only real copy protection for the game, the download
manager has to have a valid account name to connect to their website.
Pretty simple and straight-forward but what struck me was that
Stardock seems to bend over backward as far as what you can do after
you download the game the first time.

The company actually gives you permission to install the software on
multiple computers as long as you're the only person using the
software.

If you want to install it on a PC w/o an internet connection, they
give you an archive function to help in moving the files over.

If you're worried about their download manager calling home to check
for updates every time you start the game, you can disable it and just
download the major patches from the web site. You just miss out on the
incremental updates in between.

If you're worried about loosing the files due to a HD crash, you can
just log on to their web site and download everything again. It
actually gave me the option to download and reinstall the original
GalCiv that I bought 4(?) years ago.

Overall, from a user's perspective this is the friendliest way of
handling digital downloads that I've ever run across.

Rgd, Frank