More copy protection...

[Drachenkatze]

For PresetMagician, I'm using a public/private key signed XML license file. The license is bound to a user and computer, and verified by the software using it's public key. The user can re-create a certain amount of licenses for other computers. This has the following advantages in my use case:

• Licenses are bound to a specific machine and cannot be shared

• It's easy to see what kind of license it is by opening the file and easy to parse

• It's easy to extend (for example, I use the same license format for trials)

Of course, this also has disadvantages: There are only a few spots in the software where the license is checked. As it's .net, it's pretty easy to disassemble and see what's going on. On the other hand, I am fully aware of that the software is going to be pirated at some point, but I do not intend to mitigate it by developing more advanced checks. On the contrary. I've been young and without money once, too, and I did use pirated software - because I simply could not afford it. So I tackle it from another point of view: In my view, it's better to have a non-paying user who will become a paying user at one point than having no user at all. That's why I made the licenses relatively cheap - for everyone to afford.

But on the other hand, I have to admit that I'm extremely new to the licencing stuff (being a GNU/Linux user/dev for many years) and this is virtually my first non-open source software. I could be very wrong in some aspects, but I wanted to share my method and views.

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<License>
    <Id>7b4e63f5-a715-4273-85b2-b3215a0c0041</Id>
    <Type>Standard</Type>
    <Expiration/>
    <Quantity>1</Quantity>
    <Customer>
        <Name>Example User</Name>
        <Email>example@drachenkatze.org</Email>
    </Customer>
    <LicenseAttributes>
        <Attribute/>
    </LicenseAttributes>
    <ProductFeatures/>
    <Signature>MGQCMDPnDG/49faT79XNgR0SBDYpciOce17QcxuyN+L8ci1ZdmFg8J3sw19ReuUTAYYeXwIwQCb9S7gp1ez/Zbbzho/sYa5y+mw4d5LklUzWHKvdcM1znosV/k/T24kS9Yq9qdU0</Signature>
</License>

[Urs]

Then, you could dominate the hardware market similarly.

Dominating markets means having more employees and becoming a shepherd. I'd be staring at roosters, schedules, charts, contracts and meeting notes all day. I wouldn't have any time to do anything interesting anymore.

My wife and I see our small number of employees a little bit like our placeholder kids. We sometimes need to check that they do their homework and sometimes we need to tell them to clean the dishes or tidy their room. That's about as corporate as I'm prepared to go. Hence, I have no interest in dominating markets, I'm just fine going about things as we do

[AnX]

I'd be staring at roosters...

[Urs]

oopsie

[giantelk]

AUTO-ADMIN: Non-MP3, WAV, OGG, SoundCloud, YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter and Facebook links in this post have been protected automatically. Once the member reaches 5 posts the links will function as normal.

I was thinking about releasing my plugin with no copy protection, same as Audio Damage.
www.audiodamage.com/pages/support (www.audiodamage.com/pages/support)

However I still want to provide a trial version so people don't have to pay upfront just to try it. Then deal with the hastles of returns if they really don't want it.

One idea is a separate trial installer/build that expires after 30 days. But it's a pain for people to download again and re-install the paid version. Just the thought of a separate installer for the trial, and figuring out how to save a file that checks how many days are left makes me want to look into a 3rd party solution. The last thing I want to do is write copy protection, I want to focus on my GUI and DSP code.

So, I'm also looking into www.keyzy.io (www.keyzy.io) and www.paceap.com (www.paceap.com) (I know people seem to hate the Pace driver).

It finding the happy balance, so honest people will be 'reminded' to pay. I don't care so much about professional software pirates and kids with no money, I'll give them the product for free, it's not like they are going to pay for it anyway. I just want to be fair to people that are willing to pay, while making sure they do

[Rockatansky]

So, I'm also looking into www.keyzy.io and www.paceap.com (I know people seem to hate the Pace driver)

The first is online challenge/response, so you won't get much love from people with computers in studios that aren't connected to the Internet (and there are many!) or from people who already purchased challenge/response software that was later abandoned. It's also $50 per month, so you need to be certain that your product actually sells and brings in money. If Keyzy ever go out of business, so will you. At least until you figure out yet another way to authorize your software. The latter is a can of worms and will cause nothing but trouble, it will require users to purchase additional hardware and install additional software (iLok key and iLok software). You will pay dearly (as in real money) and a lot of potential users will just turn up their noses and ignore your product/s completely, just because it's iLok. Unfortunately, it's hard to always please everyone. I would recommend investing the time to work out a serial number mechanism, one that doesn't count activations, doesn't require an Internet connection, doesn't require additional hardware, doesn't require additional software. Maybe it's crackable, most likely it won't take long. But the honest users will usually purchase your software anyway, so giving them a personal serial number and a little treat like maybe their name or a special badge on the user interface, or some extra features, will feel like a reward worth pursuing (and paying for) to them. Those who use cracks would probably not purchase the software anyway, they're just in it to collect and brag, click around a bit, upload their beats to SoundCloud and get a few clicks. There are always black sheep, serious commercial users that use cracks, but I guess that's what lawyers are for.

[ATS]

seems like ilok is a great thing for devs if it doesn't get cracked. Seems to me would stop people from getting it for free?

[Urs]

It's weird when the copy protection company makes more money than the top sellers in the business combined. It means they're turning piracy (and the fear thereof) into a money making machine that probably causes more financial damage to the industry than piracy itself. That is, the price for that kind of copy protection exceeds the losses due to piracy.

[bmrzycki]

seems like ilok is a great thing for devs if it doesn't get cracked. Seems to me would stop people from getting it for free?

It also stops some legitimate customers. I absolutely refuse to purchase products that use 3rd party protection like iLok and PACE.

[Gregorius]

A well tested, easy to implement and easy to switch 3rd party copy protection is way better than some quick self implemented one with flaws. So I have no problem as a customer with PACE or elicenser (to hell with codemeter ).

[FabienTDR]

I would recommend investing the time to work out a serial number mechanism, one that doesn't count activations, doesn't require an Internet connection, doesn't require additional hardware, doesn't require additional software. Maybe it's crackable, most likely it won't take long. But the honest users will usually purchase your software anyway, so giving them a personal serial number and a little treat like maybe their name or a special badge on the user interface, or some extra features, will feel like a reward worth pursuing (and paying for) to them.

+1

We do similar "garden-fencing", and solve the problem via social engineering. At least for us and our specific audience, it works sufficiently well. Great vibes all around, more time for product development. Customer acquisition costs remain super low.

[TB-ProAudio]

I would recommend investing the time to work out a serial number mechanism, one that doesn't count activations, doesn't require an Internet connection, doesn't require additional hardware, doesn't require additional software. Maybe it's crackable, most likely it won't take long. But the honest users will usually purchase your software anyway, so giving them a personal serial number and a little treat like maybe their name or a special badge on the user interface, or some extra features, will feel like a reward worth pursuing (and paying for) to them. Those who use cracks would probably not purchase the software anyway, they're just in it to collect and brag, click around a bit, upload their beats to SoundCloud and get a few clicks. There are always black sheep, serious commercial users that use cracks, but I guess that's what lawyers are for.

+1

[Fender19]

It's weird when the copy protection company makes more money than the top sellers in the business combined. It means they're turning piracy (and the fear thereof) into a money making machine that probably causes more financial damage to the industry than piracy itself. That is, the price for that kind of copy protection exceeds the losses due to piracy.

I've often wondered if this is exactly what the "Antivirus" companies are doing...

[quikquak]

It's weird when the copy protection company makes more money than the top sellers in the business combined. It means they're turning piracy (and the fear thereof) into a money making machine that probably causes more financial damage to the industry than piracy itself. That is, the price for that kind of copy protection exceeds the losses due to piracy.

I've often wondered if this is exactly what the "Antivirus" companies are doing...

LOL. You mean like a Fire service that gets paid for every fire they put out! - It's easy to be suspicious.

[Fender19]

It's weird when the copy protection company makes more money than the top sellers in the business combined. It means they're turning piracy (and the fear thereof) into a money making machine that probably causes more financial damage to the industry than piracy itself. That is, the price for that kind of copy protection exceeds the losses due to piracy.

I've often wondered if this is exactly what the "Antivirus" companies are doing...

LOL. You mean like a Fire service that gets paid for every fire they put out! - It's easy to be suspicious.

Yes - https://www.firerescue1.com/Arson-Inves ... ent-of-it/