Software protection

Can anybody recommend the best way to protect software via a software type of key that is secure - no multiple copies or only one install?

Thanks

[oetje]

Maybe Activelock will help you.

With respect to software, you cannot prevent copying, however, as Oetje mentioned, you can prevent it from running.

Another method of registration is to make a key based on the ASCII values of their name, address etc. then scramble it with equations and store it in the Registry. This is one of the easiest ways to do so.

[Chris]

If the 3rd user have the illegal SoftwareCode and LiberationKey he still can use the soreware right. like what the WinZIP encounter.

How about if the user just buy the Norton Ghost to duplicate the entire HDD, he still manage to use the software without applied any registration key right.

So, I think the best way to protect your software is to use the hardware key "HASP".

[wildcat_2000]

Protection...

use-specific products are already protected by limited interest in the product from the crackers themselves.

Hardware key are very expensive to establish, are these really worthy?

What I personally prefer is not using key generators, but license keys, in which the name and the serial number are encrypted.

If the program is copied, at least the user will never be able to change the registered user's name.

The clue here is to balance protection and true risk of cracking/copying. If copying is your biggest issue, then you can prevent from changing the registered user's name with a license key as I've told. If cracking is your biggest issue, well, here's a whole topic on its own