A technique to prevent illicit copying of a copy-protected CD or DVD into a computer-readable storage device such as a hard disk drive. When an authentic copy-protected CD or DVD is inserted into a CD or DVD drive and the content of the copy-protected CD or DVD is installed onto a hard disk drive that is linked to the CD/DVD drive, the central processing unit (CPU) associated with the CE/DVD drive and the hard disk drive executes installer instructions residing on the CD/DVD to create a license file in the hard disk drive. For security reasons, the contents of the CD/DVD (e.g. the executable file of the application program, for instance) is encrypted. When the content of the CD/DVD is copied onto the hard disk drive, it remains encrypted. The license file initially acts as a timer in order to monitor a predetermined time interval whether it has been programmed into the license file. If the user attempts to launch the encrypted copied application or other content residing in the hard disk drive at any time part of the execution of the predetermined initially, the license file readily supplies the code or key code to enable a filter to decrypt the encrypted installed application or content, thereby allowing the application or other content to launch. At the expiration of the predetermined time interval the license file withholds the code or key therefore not allowing the installed application to be decrypted and successfully launched. Instead, in one embodiment, the needed decryption code or key is supplied from a remote central depository, for instance, supplied via the Internet or e-mail or telephone or facsimile in exchange, for instance, for a payment or a password.