Link Data recently celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary - in good shape, the year 2007 ended with our largest profit ever (€ 230,000). Started in a storefront in 1982, we made our first copy protection for a Jet computer running a late version of CP/M. In 1984, we made the first Cop's CopyLock key-disk system employing a revolutionary encryption technique. Later on Machine-installation was added.

Up through the 80s and 90s, we followed the evolution of operating systems from CP/M to DOS to Windows 3.1 and on to Win95 and NT. Then came WinCops - a diskette-based Windows protection. And major customers like Microsoft and Lotus were added to our reference list.

In the mid-90s, we merged with another Danish company which in turn was bought up by an international giant. Somehow, this uneasy marriage never worked out. Copy protection is a strange niche - abiding by its own rules. As the saying goes, "You don't have to be crazy to be in this business, but it helps". At any rate, we bought ourselves back and were on our own again.

In late 1996, CD-Cops was released and fast became our best-selling product. CD-Cops quickly moved from 16-bit to 32-bit - supporting all PC platforms and known throughout the world as one of the safest and most reliable systems available.

Link's two founders, Hans Pedersen and Roger Mester still form the core of the company. Fresh blod was added in 2004 with our third partner, Rico Elm. Being a dedicated protection engineer with a broad overview of the new technologies, Rico is taking over responsibility for many of LINK's ongoing development projects.

Employees have come and gone - some have started successful companies of their own; others passed quietly into oblivion. Quote from the CV of an ex-employee: "I worked for Link Data Security for 7 years, and learned what research and development really means. Recommended. The only thing better than working there is to be your own boss ;-)."

We feel a bit like Jobs and Wozniak, or maybe it's Hewlett and Packard, though we never got quite that big. Still, we started with nothing and built a vigorous company with business connections in nearly every corner of the globe.

We would like to thank everyone who's made our life interesting and worthwhile - customers both past and present, and let's not forget those dedicated young hackers who give us gray hairs and keep us on our toes.

We're looking forward to the challenge and excitement of the next twenty-five years. And to creating a protection that always works on every machine, is totally uncrackable and costs next to nothing. Maybe we'll start believing in Santa Claus, too.