well i believe you are being pedantic lol
the boared protects the pectel software which is contained on the chip which can be copied the copied chip can only be used on the correct encrypted board so the chip is no use without the board the board is no use without the chip so the chip, board and therefore the pectel software is a combine package further complicated in that there are many different encryptions and different chips only pectel truely know which combinations work together which is why some tuners don't like it as they are not able to and or capable of using this extremely clever software