# Mark D. Winkel — Patents explained on PatentBrief

Mark D. Winkel has 1 landmark patent explained in plain English on PatentBrief.

- [How Computers Use Hardware to Stop Software Piracy and Cracking](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/4558176/computer-systems-to-inhibit-unauthorized-copying-unauthorized-usage-and-automated-cracking-of-protected-software) — granted 1985
  A 1982 hardware-based security system that prevents software from being copied or cracked by destroying sensitive data if the computer detects unauthorized access or execution.

**Full profile:** https://patentbrief.org/inventor/mark-d-winkel

---

_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Plain-English explanations of US patents._