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

https://www.shapeshifter.net.nz

+ 64 3 377 3140
hamish@shapeshi fter.net.nz

[Greg P.]

Re: Implementing license codes

"Hamish Dean" <h.dean@xtra.co .nz> wrote in message
news:V8R2b.1281 22$JA5.3007821@ news.xtra.co.nz ...
| 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]

Re: Implementing license codes

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


"Greg P." <no@spam.sam> wrote in message
news:6VR2b.4978 $3E.109@newsrea d3.news.pas.ear thlink.net...[color=blue]
> "Hamish Dean" <h.dean@xtra.co .nz> wrote in message
> news:V8R2b.1281 22$JA5.3007821@ news.xtra.co.nz ...
> | Hi.
> | I''ve written an application and I want to incorporate a license code[/color]
into[color=blue]
> | 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,[/color]
skip[color=blue]
> 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[/color]
of[color=blue]
> 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.
>
>[/color]

[foo]

Re: Implementing license codes

"Hamish Dean" <h.dean@xtra.co .nz> wrote in message news:<V8R2b.128 122$JA5.3007821 @news.xtra.co.n z>...[color=blue]
> 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
> hamish@shapeshi fter.net.nz[/color]

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]

Re: Implementing license codes


"foo" <maisonave@axte r.com> wrote in message
news:c11783b0.0 308261930.50d13 a45@posting.goo gle.com...[color=blue]
> "Hamish Dean" <h.dean@xtra.co .nz> wrote in message[/color]
news:<V8R2b.128 122$JA5.3007821 @news.xtra.co.n z>...[color=blue][color=green]
> > Hi.
> > I''ve written an application and I want to incorporate a license code[/color][/color]
into[color=blue][color=green]
> > it. I want to do something like this:
> >
> > 1. Included in my software will be an application that when the user[/color][/color]
runs[color=blue][color=green]
> > 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[/color][/color]
it[color=blue][color=green]
> > to them.
> > 4. They enter the code into a file.
> > 5. When my application executes, it checks the serial number of the[/color][/color]
CPU,[color=blue][color=green]
> > 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
> > hamish@shapeshi fter.net.nz[/color]
>
> I recommend you use a method that gets the MAC Address for an Ethernet[/color]
Adapter.[color=blue]
>
> Check out the following link:
> http://www.axter.com/faq/topic.asp?T..._ID=4&CAT_ID=9[/color]

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.