Just bought this game - loved it as a kid! I remember the copy protection being on dark red paper. This isn't in the extras, has the copy protection section been worked on so that you don't need to reference the red paper?

Also how does the hint book work? Do I need the red decoder plastic even on a pdf? :)

ScummVM "ignores" the copy protection on some games, including Zak.

Either they are allowed by the copy right owner or there where official releases which also ignored the copy protection (without changing the game files)
source

Though if you are strict, LucasArts themself patched files in Maniac Mansion release which was bundled with Day ot the Tentacle, while all later games hat just some variable set in the EXEs instead of game files which circumvented copy protection as intended.
In Maniac Mansion the game files were modified, so the door above the stairs would be open.

I don't think the FM Towns version even had the copy protection to begin with.

Of course, but v1 and v2 EGA versions had it. No FM-Towns version would need copy protection, as in that time no CD-R devices existed. Being on CD was enough protection.

I think I have the original copy protection still in my cupboard with the original packaging & newspaper.
It was dark brown paper with black print, difficult to read and impossible to copy.

But hopefully it isn't needed with this version.

I think it's kinda a shame. Looking up the protection was part of the fun, and if you input them wrong, you got a special cutscene where you go to jail and the jailer lectures you about piracy. It was great!

Oh yeah. That was some special fun!

You can start ScummVM with the command line option --copy-protection to reactivate the codes. It seems that you have to start the game direct and not use the ScummVM menu (works for me under Linux, I got jailed in the EGA Version)

If you want to see the jail scene in the FM Towns version:
Open the debugger (Ctrl d)
Type 'script 153 run' without the quotes.
Watch the scene

Thanks! It was glitchy and the jailer was invisible, but most of it worked!

Yeah, the scene lacks both Zak and jailer if you try to trigger it from the lucasfilm-logo sequence (just after starting). If you press ESC to jump to Zak's bedroom, and THEN do the script 153 run, it works fine.

i recognize the thread is really old, but anyhow since someone brought the hintbook up:
The included PDF is a straight scan of the old hintbook so u actually need the redfilter thingie to make sense of the stuff. Actually not very useful as a hintbook but pretty charming that they included it in the extras anywway.