Fight against Theft of code. Any Ideas?

[coolcurrent4u]

Hello guys,

Been trying to figure out how to protect code from being used in commercial products, but can be used in free products.

Most license like GNU, Apache, Creative commons etc. simply says mainly that you can use the software (code, graphics, exe, source, etc) in personal work but not in commercial work. good one.

How do i know if my software has been used in commercial products. Am mostly concerned about user-controls and classes i write that i want to give out free.


any ideas


thanks

[akhileshbc]

How do i know if my software has been used in commercial products.

I think, you will be able to know about that only after someone had reported it to you or when you find that someone is using it for commercial purposes, by yourself ...!

[Lenggries]

Unless you're dealing with some pretty sophisticated stuff (like graphics where you can imbed detectable, hidden signatures), you can't tell. Even then, if you give out the source code, any kind of detection methods can be disabled. On the other hand, if you create only DLLs or things like ActiveX controls, then you can control things a little more by encoding call to home functionality where they report their usage to a server and then you can monitor the incoming data.

Here's the thing, though... why do you care? If it's so important that commercial apps don't use your code, don't give it out at all. The world does not consist only of college students and Microsoft... there are a lot of other folks out there that blur the line between commercial and non-commercial. If you're going to take a stand, you need to be prepared to deal with a ton of headaches. Unless you're talking about some extraordinarily valuable piece of code, I don't see how it could be worth it.

[Hack]

Moved To General Developer

[coolcurrent4u]

Unless you're dealing with some pretty sophisticated stuff (like graphics where you can imbed detectable, hidden signatures), you can't tell. Even then, if you give out the source code, any kind of detection methods can be disabled. On the other hand, if you create only DLLs or things like ActiveX controls, then you can control things a little more by encoding call to home functionality where they report their usage to a server and then you can monitor the incoming data.

Here's the thing, though... why do you care? If it's so important that commercial apps don't use your code, don't give it out at all. The world does not consist only of college students and Microsoft... there are a lot of other folks out there that blur the line between commercial and non-commercial. If you're going to take a stand, you need to be prepared to deal with a ton of headaches. Unless you're talking about some extraordinarily valuable piece of code, I don't see how it could be worth it.

the thing is that sometimes you spend lots of hours building a "software". You'd like to share with fellow developers, but at least they should appreciate you by giving you some consideration before using in commercial app.

how man of you would like to spend a year for example creating a complex control or dll or code and someone sells it freely

???

[NeedSomeAnswers]

how man of you would like to spend a year for example creating a complex control or dll or code and someone sells it freely

You can never stop people completely, just look at the Piracy of Windows and if Microsoft cant stop that then how are you supposed to stop it for your applications.

What you have to ask yourself is what really is the likelihood ? most software houses would rather legitimately pay for any control they use, the cost of controls is generally not excessive.

[Shaggy Hiker]

What are you worried about? You don't seem to want to profit monitarily from your labors, but would like to get some recognition. Therefore, it seems to me:

1) If you create whole programs and somebody steals them...well, that would suck.
2) However, you are creating components, not whole programs. If somebody else includes them in a commercial app, THEY will make money, but they also added value.

So what is it you really want? Do you object to somebody mainge money off code that includes something you wrote, but for which you asked for no monetary compensation? Is the point of view, "I didn't write this for profit, but if somebody uses it for profit, then I want some of it.", or the view that, "I didn't write this for profit, and NOBODY should profit from its use.", or is it something else?

[coolcurrent4u]

"I didn't write this for profit, but if somebody uses it for profit, then I want some of it."

this is one of the points

the other is if i write a component that is sold, how do i protect it from being used illegally.

When most programs are intalled in your computer, it comes with many components. Developers can use this freely wheni its not suppose to be so


any help here

[akhileshbc]

this is one of the points

the other is if i write a component that is sold, how do i protect it from being used illegally.

When most programs are intalled in your computer, it comes with many components. Developers can use this freely wheni its not suppose to be so


any help here

Then patent your product ...

[Shaggy Hiker]

The only absolute way to prevent code theft is to write such crappy code that no sane person would want it. Everything else can be stolen, and may well be. Loss of goods through theft is an issue that has to be considered for anybody who sells anything. However, it's not an absolute issue. Securing the code so that it absolutely cannot be stolen is certainly cost prohibitive, so you have to decide what level of theft you can tolerate and write accordingly. Patenting and selling the code is probably the easiest solution short of ignoring the problem entirely.

[Nightwalker83]

The only absolute way to prevent code theft is to write such crappy code that no sane person would want it.

Well, that covers most of my code then! It is a pity we can't the digital signature of our DNA and embed it into our programs.

[Lenggries]

It is a pity we can't the digital signature of our DNA and embed it into our programs.

Meh... that'd only lead to identity theft

[coolcurrent4u]

I read sometime ago a thread that was concered about protecting activex control. It didn't bother me then until now.

I want to write a control, that would be installed with my product. but developers can use that control too!!!.

even if i have the program register the control with the license of the program, a developer can find out that license if its stored in the registry and include it in the control.

the thing about protection gets overwhelming.

pls help

[DeanMc]

Here comes the honesty train.......

First off I wouldn't worry about anything of yours being stolen. There is nothing that you write that hasn't been written before, in fact I would wager that anything your write there are 100's of people out there that have done it better and give it away completely free.

Second, your idea (and that of the free software foundation) bugs the hell out of me. It is either free or it is not. We do not live in a utopia that only takes as much as needed and gives as much as it can. We can I not use your free code for profit? Is it because you fear that I will make money you did not? If so why make it free?

Third, all of this time wasting trying to secure code is wasteful, imagine how much time you will waste trying to make yourself believe that your code is secure. Why not focus your energy into either selling or supporting your code base.

Fourth, all of my questions are rhetorical, your code base is either free or not, end of. Until you get to a point where you can sic the lawyers on any person trying to profit from your "free" code base there is nothing you can do, focus your energies elsewhere.

[akhileshbc]

What about adding a registration scheme for the control...??? It will need a valid license key for its working, that will only be obtained from you... And make the license or registration process a free one...!

ie. if an user wants to use your control, he will download it from your site(or anyother site). When he uses it in his project, a License key will be asked by the control(but it is FREE license key). In this way, you can keep track of the users and distributing the Control as FREE...

[coolcurrent4u]

i just want any developer using my control in a commercial app to pay small fee.

[NeedSomeAnswers]

i just want any developer using my control in a commercial app to pay small fee.

You need to make a distinction between what you want to give away and what you want people to pay for.

If you start giving away a control for free to some people, and try and charge other people for the control then that is not going to work.

As soon as there is a free version for your control out there, then how do you stop people using it ???

If you want people to pay for a control you have created then don't give it away.


To be honest i think you are worrying over nothing here, if you can think of a control good enough to be worth paying for then create a web site and offer it for sale, but if you look at controls already available for sale (and there are quite a few) many of them now sell packages of controls and to make any real money i would expect you would need to do the same. (unless you can come up with a really great control)

Also if you want to make money out of a control then you cannot just expect to make it available to download somewhere and then have people go oh yes maybe i should pay this guy for this control.

You need to create a sales channel most likely by a Website (as stated above) which offers your control, displays the controls features, offers a demo and allows customers to make a payment though your website & then download your control.