easiest way 2 prevent software stealing , besides the Dongle


I mean the dongle is good , but is expensive for a person ..... I'm not a company , my budget is not that big .....

is there a way to convert a normal flash memory to a dongle ......(but i don't think so , because the dongle is writeable for once , a read only after that , but the flash memory is read/write always )


is there other solutions ???
thanks in advanve

The solution in your case would be using software protection. There are commercial protection systems that provide an SDK, so you can include it in your application. Those usually are based on different algorithms that generate unique product keys to verify the ownership of the application.

However, you can always write your own algorithm - for example the application won't work unless activated by a key file from the developer. Or you can generate product keys based on the user's name.

Also, you should understand that every lock will once be broken and you can see that on the software market, therefore you need to constantly make the protection stronger.

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Thank you for helping us helping you.

Thanks for your answer ….
I thought about that before (and I still missing something) ….

I'm not asking you to give the algorithm, what I want is a SCENARIO.
Some of scenarios in my head (it doesn't work)
I make the application un-enabled till it get some (Key) from the developer (Me) … , but can I trust the user so that he/she doesn't make a copy of the app and the key I sold him/her and sell them …..????????

please if you have a SCENARIO , would you just give me a little tip at least about it ..

thanks in advance


This post has been edited by vbnetskywalker: 14 Apr, 2009 - 03:56 PM

As this topic covers a broad topic, rather than a VB.NET-specific approach, moved to Software Development.

what you could do is have an online database of keys that are required for activation and use a key name pair to activate products so you record the name of your customer and generate them an key and email it to them to activate teh software they enter their name (as it appears on the receipt) and the key. Then that key becomes invalid. Then if they reformat or something you could make them ask for a new key or something. really depends on how you want to do it.

Don't make a user call you for more activations. Gamers/end users hate that.

Thanks Mr Core for moving this topic here .... this is where it belongs ....
sorry for missing the right place to post

--------------------



still the same idea .....
What if the user asked for new activation key pretending that he/she wants to reformat or buy a new pc or ....etc ....
And in the fact : all he/she wants to do is just to get another key to sell it




sorry ....... I still missing something ......... SCENARIO is not clear to me yet
sorry if it's me ...... but I didn't get it yet

any one can help ????

thanks in advance

If you make software worth stealing, someone will bypass your security measures and steal it. Once it's on file sharing networks anyone can get it. If your software isn't worth stealing, you're wasting your time.

Large corporations with valuable proprietary software invest a huge amount of money on DRM. The techniques they use hurt the honest user (e.g. restricting installations, requiring the presence of a CD, requiring a connection to the internet) while people using the cracked version get it for free AND get a better user experience.

I have nothing against making a profit from your code but please consider the people who pay you for it. The thieves will get it anyway.

I agree with what cfoley said. I think you should try to do some simple copy protection, but only enough to discourage very casual copying. Don't annoy the end-user or you will pay (see Spore's Amazon rating for an example of this).

Personally if i set this up i would have it be via email when they request a new key. There are many things you could do based on how protective you want to be. You could say that initially they get a serial number issued to them and then after that they can request a new one after a month. If they request another as soon as the month is up (or within whatever adjustment period you put in), elevate it to two months before they can request another one and so on. After 3 or 4 it really would take a very long time before they could request a new one. You could also have some sort of key overuse policy. If the key gets a lot of people trying to register it, it probably has been posted somewhere and you block it, look up the persons email that you sold the product to and email a new legitimate key. Or you could do the key update in the software. It all depends on you basically and what you wanna do. Like everyone else has said, if someone REALLY doesn't want to pay for it and REALLY wants it, they're going to figure out a way to get it w/o paying.

If your stuff is going to make you money then the best way of protecting it IMO is copyright and licences. Restrict what they can and can't do with the software.

Now, don't get me wrong. It's not going to stop anyone pirating your stuff or putting it on bit torrent. (You might as well give up stopping that. Even large powerful organisations can't stop that.)

What it will do is stop people selling your software, and if they do you can send your lawyer after them.

Agreed, but also be sure not to make the restrictions a nuisance for the users.

In the computer gaming world, there is a widespread tendency to use anti-copying schemes which require you to have the install CD/DVD in the drive when playing (or at least when launching) the game. This has led to an almost-as-widespread tendency for customers to say "screw this, what's in my drive is none of their business!" and buy the game legally, then immediately download a cracked version. From there, it's a small step to "forgetting" to buy it first, plus this makes the cracked version much easier to find for those who never would have paid for the game in the first place.

If you're asking your users to pay you for a version of your software which has less functionality than a pirated version would have, then you're doing it wrong and can expect something similar to happen with your code. You get customers to pay you by adding value, not by taking it away.

IMO -- open source the bad boy and make it free. Ok maybe that is going too far:

#1 price your software reasonably -- the more unreasonable your cost the more it will be pirated (which usually just causes the price to become MORE unreasonable).

#2 Realize now that there is NOTHING you can do to stop people from using and copying your program illegally. Even programs that use fancy encryption and require specialized hardware -- get broken and used none-the-less. Whats more, those programs are doomed since they end up only applying to a small group when they obviously have a larger appeal. Plus by being so specialized they discourage new users.

#3 Don't antagonize your potential users by making them jump though hoops. People have become pretty used to the standard copy protection (required to have the install CD, enter a license key etc.) -- so don't try to go beyond that.

Whats the point of going insane over "software protection" when locks only keep honest people out. Given that, you can put in a little "license key" input box or "register" etc. to keep the "honest people" from giving a copy to others...

The only way to keep people form breaking you copy protection is to be irrelevant enough that no one cares.

BTW: the more you are pirated the more people like it... I never payed for a copy of Castle Wolfenstein - I am not sure if anyone did, but point a) it was the FIRST game I ever played on a PC and really set the standard for me, b ) I love those guys who programmed it, c) I bought Doom. My point is, being pirated is not necessarily a BAD thing. Just make it painless for people who want to pay to pay.

thanks every one for sharing me the idea........


I'm really sorry I was away the past couple of days . .... (busy)

I didn't read what every one has said (it became a long article to me lol) .... I hope I find some good ideas that helps my needs ...........
I'll read it and come back soon...

thanks again