OT: locking software to one specific machine?

[Richard Gaskin]

Peter Alcibiades wrote:
> Completely OT question.  Do any of you do this?  The method is that the
> machine on first run produces a machine ID, and you then issue a license
> key which is tied to that ID.  The software can only be run on that
> specific machine.

I don't bother, instead just using the more common method of 
machine-independent reg codes.  Like I tell my customers, "We don't 
punish you for your good fortune of owning more than one computer." :)

In the modern world many people own more than one computer, and by 
choosing to have per-person licenses rather than per-machine licenses we 
keep our support costs down by not having to deal with angry people when 
they upgrade their computer or change their NIC.

I'm sure this allows a certain amount of piracy among our customers, but 
the cost-benefit ratio of both methods favors flexibility for the 
customer with our products.

In certain markets this may not always hold true.  For example, games 
and music software are the two most pirated categories (which is 
especially ironic for music, given that musicians make their living from 
intellectual property).

So like any security consideration, you'll have to consider the relative 
ROI for your product.

But it may be helpful to keep in mind that security is overhead, while 
features are investment.  So here, using minimal security lets us focus 
on adding features which encourage sales among honest people, the only 
people who ever pay for software anyway.

All software can be hacked, most within three days of release. Game 
companies who spend millions on security do so with the hope of 
postponing the inevitable cr at ck by just 60 days.  Fortunately, few 
honest people take on the risk of downloading cr at cked copies from random 
sites in the PRC or Russia (home to some 90% of cr at ck sites), many of 
which are loaded with keyloggers and other zombieware.

--
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World
  Rev training and consulting: http://www.fourthworld.com
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