Hi Taz and welcome aboard!
I don't know where you are from but I bought a recent copy of SH3 in the UK(in Morrisons supermarket for £5) and it doesn't have any protection on it, so there is no CD key to type in and best of all there is NO STARFORCE!!!
Another member here, he may actually be a moderator, called Seth said that he downloaded the game so he had no problems with cd protection either.
Hope this is of some use.
Good hunting Herr Kaleun!
Tango589