How do you protect your software???

Olli

Hi there! We are thinking about a way to protect our software for our systems so I just want to know if you protect your software and if so, what do you use and how does it work?? A dongle, software dongle, codes, serials...? I'd be happy to hear what you are doing in that case. Ok, I know, this is not a programming forum but I don't want to see some sourcecode, just in general... ;) Thank you for answers, Olli!

Olli "Ooooooh, they have the internet on computers now!"
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Pete OHanlon

We've looked mainly at serial numbers. Having used Dongles in the past, I really feel that this isn't the way to go. They are unwieldy and can be bypassed by a determined hacker in just the same way that a serial no. system can be.

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Vasudevan Deepak Kumar

Some kind of hard disk based serial combination (hash) and Internet-based activation with your webserver.

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James Brown

don't bother.. software/dongles systems just irritate users and (worst of all) don't work. It is impossible to protect your software from cracking. If someone wants to copy your software they will do it. Just price your software appropriately so that it becomes preferable for your customers to pay the costs of the software and gain the benefits of whatever support you offer... you might try providing a unique build to each customer so that you ever do find illegal copies being distributed at least you can track this back to who you sold it to.

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toxcct

by providing the sources...!

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Sam_c

can't have 100% protection and more often than not trying to protect it causes more problems and less people purchasing your software. it however does stop novice users from using it for free, so a basic serial key would cover that.

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Phil Harding

it comes with a free rotwieller with the licence agreement printed on the insides of it's eyelids :mad:

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hairy_hats

I protect my software by never letting anyone else use it.

james_dixon_2008

watermarking

Johnny

While I agree that dongles are not good, reasonable licensing systems are better than no licensing systems. It's all about perceived value to the customer. If you create something with no restrictions and a suggestion to pay then you'll find very few users actually bother to do so - there is no perceived value. If you create something with reasonable licensing that forces users to pay then you'll find that legitimate users will pay - there is a perceived value. Sure the software will be cracked, but the people using pirated software will never pay anyway, regardless of the cost, so you may as well cater to the people who will pay (as long as you don't annoy them with over-bearing licensing schemes).

Jorgen Sigvardsson

With my life!

Marc Clifton

I write such terrible software that no one will buy it. That way, I don't have to worry about protecting it. :) Marc

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Lost User

Cool, I'll protect my software with your life :-D

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Jorgen Sigvardsson

Patent violation!!! ;P

realJSOP

I protect mine with a gun. Go ahead. Steal it. I dare you.

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Obliterator

I'm just exploring this topic now. One of the companies I work for used to use dongles but are wanting to remove them from the next version (finally!). Dongles are a real pain to support and only inconvenience genuine users. Furthermore like everyone says they're still vulnerable to hackers like anything else. I'm hoping to replace the dongle with a simple key or serial number. I'm also considering using some kind of online activation service as well - but this comes with its own headaches and problems. Not really sure if its worth the hassle. Surprisingly, I struggled to find many off-the-shelf modules that provide such functionality - at least not ones which didn't cost the earth. I honestly thought there would be hundreds of this kind of thing out there! I did find a couple but none which met my need. I think I'm going to end up rolling my own, probably based upon the following articles which I found really useful: http://www.codeproject.com/library/ssdsdk.asp http://www.codeproject.com/install/LicenseKeyGeneration.asp Let me know if you find anything better ready to go.

-- The Obliterator

_Damian S_

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Olli

Thanks for advice. In my case ist the term that we have modular concepts, means that we do have parts of the software which are implemented but maybe not payed at the moment, therefore we're lookin for a way to protect (at least) our knowledge a little bit.

Olli "Ooooooh, they have the internet on computers now!"
Homer Simpson
:beer: + :java: = NULL :=> X|

Olli

which version do you use??? ;)

Olli "Ooooooh, they have the internet on computers now!"
Homer Simpson
:beer: + :java: = NULL :=> X|

Olli

James Brown wrote:

you might try providing a unique build to each customer so that you ever do find illegal copies being distributed at least you can track this back to who you sold it to.

That's one of the best ideas I think, because we don't write kindof 'mass-software'. Thx! olli!

Olli "Ooooooh, they have the internet on computers now!"
Homer Simpson
:beer: + :java: = NULL :=> X|