Re: Protecting Software w/ Software License Keys...
Re: Protecting Software w/ Software License Keys...
- Subject: Re: Protecting Software w/ Software License Keys...
- From: "Erik J. Barzeski" <email@hidden>
- Date: Sun, 16 Jun 2002 09:21:34 -0400
On 6/16/02 3:24am, Thomas Deniau <email@hidden> wrote:
>
Le 16/06/02 1:24, Erik J. Barzeski disait :
>
>
> But also like I said: if people want to crack your app, they will. Period.
>
> I've never seen a fail-safe registration code system. They can't be done,
>
> simply because if you can create a code, you can reverse engineer a code.
>
>
You can keep a list of somehow hashed or encrypted (MD5 for example)
>
registration codes in your sourcecode (a table of encrypted codes).
Sure, but that goes against what I've seen: if a person types in a cracked
code, they're a pirate, and they'll just look to find another code. They're
not one of those honest people.
The goal of any licensing thingy should be to get the honest people to pay.
The crackers and hackers never will, and worrying about them - or putting in
the time to "block" their serials - is a waste of your time.*
* in some cases, if there are only one or two serial #s, it's probably still
worth your time to worry about it... But even then you've gotta be visiting
macserialjunkie.com quite often or something to find them.
>
And if one purchased code leaks, you simply remove it from the list in the
>
next version. Or, if your app uses the Net, check it against a list on the
>
Net (and quit immediately if you can't connect to the mother server, because
>
people can use a firewall to block your request).
That raises:
A) security issues (in the minds of real customers)
B) practical issues - what if someone's not connected to the 'net but is a
registered user?
MS gets blasted for its "another computer has this same code on this
network"! thing, and their CD key stuff failing... I don't think it's
advisable to _rely_ on the Internet for your registration. Am I connected
all the time? Yeah... Would I be pissed if some software I wanted to use to
create an image while flying on a plane couldn't even be launched? You
betcha.
David posted more on this so I'll keep my reply here short. I was just now
tempted to say "but this is off-topic so I'll stop" but I don't think it is.
Obj-C (Cocoa) allows for a slightly different means of hacking (witness,
say, Windowshade or Unsanity's other haxies).
>
Jeff LaMarche <email@hidden> wrote:
>
Hmmm.. you don't like Apache? What about Darwin? GCC? Tomcat? XFree86?
>
TheGimp?
Sliiiightly different business model. A company - or people - who sell
services. You're not going to be able to sell services for your cool
replacement to Stickies (or whatever).
>
NewsWatcher? Hell, without NewsWatcher, most of the classic Mac NNTP news
Again slightly different, I think: forced to be freeware because the code
the author used as his basis specified that it should be freeware. I'm still
of the opinion that the Thoth guy is violating his license by charging for
his app, seeing as how it came from YA-Newswatcher (I think... It's been
months since I've looked, so if I'm wrong just forget this point
altogether).
>
If you can't do better sitting around in your underwear without a real job,
>
then you don't deserve to make a living at it.
Hmmm, that's exactly what I do. I've got a real job, and my clients are 20
hours away (by car, some of them anyway). I sit around all day and some days
work 0 hours, some days work 12. Some times - other than when I take my dog
outside - in my boxers (still haven't adjusted to the Florida heat) if I
want.
I'd hardly think that I don't have a "real job."
I've got three pieces of freeware out there, one shareware stupid little
iChem app, and soon a "commercial" (shareware toeing the line) type app.
I've also help a lot of other people write some pieces of things, and of
course I consider Cocoa Dev Central "freeware" too, even though I've had
offers from people to send a small gratuity payment.
At any rate, and to paraphrase a popular slogan, "freeware happens." As
developers of competing shareware or commercial ware, it sucks. As
developers on the same platform, it's pretty cool. As consumers, it's great!
To me, it really depends on what hat I'm wearing that minute.
--
Kindest regards,
Erik J. Barzeski
Life is like a box of chocolates - Sometimes you run across a nut.
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