Implementing license codes

[Hamish Dean]

Hi.
I''ve written an application and I want to incorporate a license code into
it. I want to do something like this:

1. Included in my software will be an application that when the user runs
it, it returns the serial number of the CPU, or harddrive or something.
2. They send that number to me.
3. Based on that number, i create a license code from that, and send it
to them.
4. They enter the code into a file.
5. When my application executes, it checks the serial number of the CPU,
and checks the license code in the file to see whether they match.
6. If they do match, application continues, if they don't application
termintates.

My question is, how do I do step 1?
And is the entire process 1-6 a good way of doing this? Are there better
ways?


Hamish Dean, PhD
ShapeShifter Technology Ltd
www.shapeshifter.net.nz
+ 64 3 377 3140
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Greg P.]

| Hi.
| I''ve written an application and I want to incorporate a license code into
| it. I want to do something like this:

This can be a royal pain the ass to do yourself. Even if you get it right
the first couple of times, any die-hard nerd will be able to "split" your
program apart (disassemble, hex edit) and change static strings, bools, skip
code, etc. to allow your program to run w/o a license.

I HIGHLY suggest a third party tool, such as AccuLock:
http://www.nixsoftware.com/products/

I once coded what you are trying to do (but simpler) and found it a waste of
time when there are other, more secure methods of dealing with it
| 1. Included in my software will be an application that when the user
runs
<snip>

This is all hardware-specific stuff that is off topic here. I would
recommend you seek a forum at a security site and have them refer you
somewhere. Be careful in spilling your entire details to them (as you did
here), as you have left your website in your signature. This means that if
someone downloads your product and remembers you posting here, they will
know how exact method of license creation and will maybe find some way to
improvise. I suggest using a handle (nickname) when posting to somewhere
with these questions.

Good luck in your quest

Greg P.

 

[Abhijit]

You can use the ActiveX control named ActiveLock. As Greg warns, it's not
fool-proof, but it does exactly what you want to accomplish. Nelson Ferraz
(I may have gotten the spelling incorrect) had done a wonderful job of
developing this control, which was then made an open-source project. Search
on "ActiveLock" on google. good luck

 

[foo]

Hi.
I''ve written an application and I want to incorporate a license code into
it. I want to do something like this:

1. Included in my software will be an application that when the user runs
it, it returns the serial number of the CPU, or harddrive or something.
2. They send that number to me.
3. Based on that number, i create a license code from that, and send it
to them.
4. They enter the code into a file.
5. When my application executes, it checks the serial number of the CPU,
and checks the license code in the file to see whether they match.
6. If they do match, application continues, if they don't application
termintates.

My question is, how do I do step 1?
And is the entire process 1-6 a good way of doing this? Are there better
ways?


Hamish Dean, PhD
ShapeShifter Technology Ltd
www.shapeshifter.net.nz
+ 64 3 377 3140
(e-mail address removed)

I recommend you use a method that gets the MAC Address for an Ethernet Adapter.

Check out the following link:
http://www.axter.com/faq/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=73&FORUM_ID=4&CAT_ID=9

 

[Abhijit]

"Hamish Dean" <[email protected]> wrote in message

I recommend you use a method that gets the MAC Address for an Ethernet Adapter.

Check out the following link:
http://www.axter.com/faq/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=73&FORUM_ID=4&CAT_ID=9

The problem with this method is that there are still a few computers in the
world (especially in the third world countries) that don't have the Ethernet
adapter. If the software is targeted for fairly general public, it's not a
good idea to use the MAC adapter.