This is somewhat dated, but I found it a
very interesting read when I was considering how to write a licensing service
for my Java code. It’s somewhat depressing:
http://www.cigital.com/hostile-applets/maginot.html
From: Scott
Hofmann [mailto:shofmann@xxxxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, August 11, 2006 7:06
AM
To: users@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [cinjug-users] Product
Keys
I'm involved in a software product
being developed in Java and wondered if anyone here has had any
experience with product keys and registrations? I'm hearing from the
developer that to do registration:
"From my research online, it
looks like the only truly secure way is to have a license server. The
software would then connect to the license server to ensure that it is
legitimate. However, this seems like an expensive solution as it requires
*much* more development work in addition to having another server to
maintain."
Sooo... I'm trying to identify ways
others are doing their product keys or have heard of doing them. We really do
not need a truly secure key. The product will sell for under $50. What we need
we think is just a simple solution that help to:
- Keep people honest and not feeling
to free about passing along copies to other.
- Being able to provide support to
those who truly purchased the product.
- Most likely we would not trouble
ourselves with those people who are dishonest and feel the need to find loop
hole in software product keys in order to use it anyway.
Any advice or thoughts on this topic
would be helpful.