Blog Feed: Copy Protection, License Management and Software Piracy Blog

Top 5 Software license management requirements

Published on 2012-04-12 10:06:00

Let's say you're just starting off as a software publisher--maybe you've got a great idea for an improvement in a specific domain where you have experience. You write some code, you test it, now you're ready to start raking in the cash, but wait? How the heck do you manage your licenses? Good question, because it turns out software license management is a non-trivial problem.

Is copy protection software really necessary?

Published on 2012-04-10 17:37:00

Given the backlash against DRM in the music and video world, do ISVs really want to engage in using copy protection software in their products? Isn't it really true that piracy is a form of viral marketing? The reasoning goes something like this: customers steal copies of your software application then become hooked on it. You find out they are stealing your software and ask them to become legitimate users. The sales department thinks this is cool because each site with pirated software becomes [..]

Software security and code integrity

Published on 2012-03-28 15:37:54

Hackers are out there. So you can’t take for granted–now or ever–that it won’t happen to you. Achieving software security is a complex problem; what’s amazing to me is how often the bad guys get in because someone left the door … Continue reading →

Software security and code integrity

Published on 2012-03-28 13:37:00

Hackers are out there.

Software licensing solutions in the cloud

Published on 2012-03-26 12:56:33

With the increasing number of end users taking advantage of SaaS solutions, independent software vendors are faced with new licensing challenges and the need to prevent illegal software copying, as well as the running of a single license on numerous … Continue reading →

Software licensing solutions in the cloud

Published on 2012-03-26 10:56:00

With the increasing number of end users taking advantage of SaaS solutions, independent software vendors are faced with new licensing challenges and the need to prevent illegal software copying, as well as the running of a single license on numerous virtual machines. But there are software licensing solutions for the cloud that can meet these challenges. On the cloud, you can actually achieve highly efficient licensing processes and enhanced protection for your software. You can reduce revenue l [..]

Top 5 factors when picking copy protection software

Published on 2012-03-23 10:09:02

Anytime you add a 3rd party component into your overall product stack you need to be thoughtful before you decide. Copy protection software is no different: it’s something you will rely on to protect your valuable IP and it’s also something … Continue reading →

Top 5 factors when picking copy protection software

Published on 2012-03-23 08:09:00

Anytime you add a 3rd party component into your overall product stack you need to be

Is software copy protection worth the trouble?

Published on 2012-03-22 10:00:19

In a word–yes. In a few more words: It doesn’t have to be a lot of trouble. It doesn’t have to be expensive. The ROI can be enormous. Let’s take these in inverted order. What’s the ROI on effective software … Continue reading →

Is software copy protection worth the trouble?

Published on 2012-03-22 08:00:00

In a word--yes.In a few more words: It doesn't have to be a lot of trouble. It doesn't have to be expensive. The ROI can be enormous. Let's take these in inverted order. What's the ROI on effective software copy protection? Potentially millions of dollars. For a minute, forget about the kid who gets a cracked copy of an app from a

Why media protection and DRM drive customers crazy

Published on 2012-03-21 21:20:00

Concerns about piracy have been around long before there was such a thing as media protection, and pirates were just guys with parrots and eye patches. One thing that’s true about both pirates of the high seas and software-swiping pirates: they both steal stuff that doesn’t belong to them. There are a lot of complaints against DRM. One guess who the most vocal complainers are: people stealing software. And the truth is, they’re right. The media protection brought by DRM is upse [..]

Why media protection and DRM drive customers crazy

Published on 2012-03-21 11:20:34

Concerns about piracy have been around long before there was such a thing as media protection, and pirates were just guys with parrots and eye patches. One thing that’s true about both pirates of the high seas and software-swiping pirates: they both steal … Continue reading →

Is strong authentication the killer app of the future?

Published on 2012-03-19 19:12:49

Banks have been protecting money for years to avoid this: Butch and Sundance had the right idea; they just went about it wrong. You can’t blow the door off a bank vault with a few sticks of dynamite anymore, but … Continue reading →

Is strong authentication the killer app of the future?

Published on 2012-03-19 17:12:00

Banks have been protecting money for years to avoid this: Enough Dynamite Butch and Sundance had the right idea; they just went about it wrong. You can't blow the door off a bank vault with a few sticks of dynamite anymore, but you can apparently get the money out through a less noisy approach. These days money of course is just bits and bytes and needs to be protected like any other bits and bytes. The banks have arguably done a much better job with their vaults and armored cars protecting th [..]

Do you need stronger document protection?

Published on 2012-03-12 14:44:26

With so much emphasis these days on DRM and software anti-piracy measures, it’s easy to lose track of something relatively mundane in comparison: basic document protection. I’m not talking about spreadsheets or presentations, I’m talking about good old fashioned documents … Continue reading →

Do you need stronger document protection?

Published on 2012-03-12 12:44:00

With so much emphasis these days on DRM and software anti-piracy measures, it's easy to lose track of something relatively mundane in comparison: basic document protection. I'm not talking about spreadsheets or presentations, I'm talking about good old fashioned documents with pages and words. Like reports, manuals, proposals, contracts, and so forth. Although there are a myriad of choices for document creation, I would hazard a guess that 95% of all documents (excluding email) are either a MS W [..]

Partial encryption with IxProtector

Published on 2012-02-24 17:12:00

Did you know you don't have to encrypt your entire executable? Sometimes it makes more sense to just protect one or more functions. Buried in the back of AxProtector, under Advanced Project Types, is a button to just use IxProtector only. Read on for a complete walk-through example on

Partial encryption with IxProtector

Published on 2012-02-24 07:12:05

Did you know you don’t have to encrypt your entire executable? Sometimes it makes more sense to just protect one or more functions. Buried in the back of AxProtector, under Advanced Project Types, is a button to just use IxProtector … Continue reading →

CodeMeter SmartBind, Part 1

Published on 2012-02-17 17:05:00

Machine binding for your software activations is so last year. With SmartBind you can forget about MAC addresses, hard disk serial numbers, and so on. Just let CodeMeter figure it out for you. The payoff? Far fewer unnecessary activations. SmartBind may look like that ol' black magic, but really it's based on high-tech math. Read more about how

CodeMeter SmartBind, Part 1

Published on 2012-02-17 07:05:25

Machine binding for your software activations is so last year. With SmartBind you can forget about MAC addresses, hard disk serial numbers, and so on. Just let CodeMeter figure it out for you. The payoff? Far fewer unnecessary activations. SmartBind … Continue reading →

Myths and Misconceptions

Published on 2012-02-14 14:57:18

A recent item came across my desk questioning some of the statements that have been made in this blog. The individual who raised the questions did so from an obviously deep knowledge of software anti-piracy measures, license management, and dongles, … Continue reading →

Does MegaUpload closure mean the end of software piracy?

Published on 2012-02-01 15:30:30

With the FBI arresting seven managers of Megaupload and shuttering the website–said to be the 13th most popular website in the world at one point–does this mean the beginning the end for software piracy? Not likely, methinks. The timing of … Continue reading →

Full IPv6 now in CodeMeter version 4.40

Published on 2012-01-03 07:53:00

CodeMeter now supports IPv6, IPv4, and three separate communication modes using shared memory. You can enable IPv6 in the registry (Windows) or an .ini file (Mac or Linux) and CodeMeter will automatically pick the most efficient communications protocol.

New Trial Versions Made Simple with CodeMeter Version 4.40

Published on 2011-12-23 10:03:21

Now for a low annual fee you can create as many trial versions of your software with one simple step, all thanks to CodeMeter Version 4.40, just released. These pre-activated versions can be run for up to 90 days on … Continue reading →

CodeMeter 4.40 released

Published on 2011-12-21 10:00:03

We’re happy to report the release of the latest and greatest version yet of CodeMeter: Version 4.40, which was released today, December 21 in honor of the longest night (and shortest day) of the year. Watch this space for details. … Continue reading →

The new CodeMeter compact dongle with cap

Published on 2011-12-06 17:56:36

  Feedback about our smallest CodeMeter dongle, the CmStick/C, has been overwhelmingly positive, but two common feature requests have popped up due to the dongle’s tiny size: some people would like the ability to attach it to something to reduce … Continue reading →

Updating dongle firmware: why should you care?

Published on 2011-09-08 11:31:05

The firmware in a dongle is the limiting factor for good copy protection–if you can crack the dongle all the protection is lost forever. Not just for one application, but for all the applications that use that dongle design. CodeMeter … Continue reading →

If the BSA were right about piracy, we could close all the prisons

Published on 2011-08-01 13:19:57

The BSA apparently thinks that piracy, like poor table manners, is simply a societal problem that can be corrected by changing people’s behaviors. Note that they’ve concluded that litigation alone won’t work. Note also that throwing people in jail for stealing cars … Continue reading →

New releases of CodeMeter, License Central available now

Published on 2011-07-20 12:22:34

Just a quick note for those of you who don’t get our Wibu Bulletin you should know we have released CodeMeter 4.30c, AxProtector 7.11c, and License Central 1.30a. Major reason for the update is support for the upcoming version of … Continue reading →

CodeMeter advantages

Published on 2011-06-29 17:46:55

We just put these up on our website, so I thought I’d list a few of the CodeMeter advantages for software copy protection: Patented driverless design: no device drivers on any OS, including Windows, Mac, and Linux. CodeMeter’s patented de

Copy protection: dongles or activations?

Published on 2011-06-02 10:43:47

Ok, let’s assume you’re tired of having your software ripped off and need some copy protection. Now what? You could roll your own copy protection. On the surface it seems simple, but, as they say, the devil is in the … Continue read

Copy protection dongle myths redux

Published on 2011-05-09 19:08:15

Myth #1: Dongles are a problem for users because of driver issues. Reality: Wibu-Systems has a patent on a driverless dongle. Doh! No driver, no hassle. How do we do it? We look exactly like a flash drive to windows, … Continue reading →

Announcing CodeMeter 4.30

Published on 2011-04-28 17:57:06

This week we released CodeMeter® 4.30 and AxProtector 7.11 on all platforms to improve your software protection, include Win 32 and 64, Mac OS, Linux, and more. There is a ton of new stuff in these two components, so I … Continue reading ͛

Wait to the last minute, then panic

Published on 2011-04-11 12:05:13

This post questions why developers can’t estimate time. Nice discussion. In the over 30 years I’ve been working on software projects, I’ve see few ship on schedule. Unless the “schedule” is the one set 5 minutes before t

How to pick a software protection system

Published on 2011-04-07 11:00:49

Recently I was asked by a developer about picking a license management /software protection system for .NET. Microsoft’s popular platform for app development, .NET, is easy to reverse engineer unless you use strong security. Our solution has b

Confusion aboundeth.

Published on 2011-04-05 11:01:44

Here’s a post full of mis-information and virtual drivel about preventing software piracy. One contention is that dongles are only used by ISVs to audit channel sales. Let’s be perfectly clear about all this: that is just dumb. Dongles st

Wibu-Systems announces secure URL tracking tool.

Published on 2011-04-01 04:01:56

April 1, 2011: Wibu-Systems USA today announced the immediate availability of their new Securely Compiled-Hasp Managed URL Tracking System (SCHMUTS). The system, which is initially available on Windows (Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7, both

Software? What Software?

Published on 2011-03-31 16:18:15

Recently came across a blog about protecting “software” from piracy. In this case the author is talking exclusively about PDFs, video, and audio/music files. It’s a subtle shill for a product that offers a level of protection for th

How does copy protection work?

Published on 2011-03-22 11:56:25

We all know software piracy is a Bad Thing.  But how can you prevent it? The answer isn’t quite as simple as you would expect. The easy way, of course, is to rely on CodeMeter to protect your software absolutely. … Continue reading ͛

A unique solution for license management

Published on 2011-03-17 17:16:57

We’ve recently added a feature to CodeMeter that can be a real money-saver for you if you sell software maintenance contracts. Let me explain. A lot of software companies that sell to the enterprise (mid to large customers) use maintenance R

What is software piracy?

Published on 2011-03-07 16:50:44

Software piracy can take a number of forms, intentional and unintentional. What normally comes to mind with you hear “software piracy” in context are hackers or crackers (more about that in a minute) doing something illegal. But it can al

Why lock software?

Published on 2010-12-21 15:29:00

I keep my car locked and use a key to unlock it. The same key allows it to start and run. It probably wouldn't last long parked downtown if it didn't need a key to drive it away.My house has a key; so does my mailbox. People lock their cars, boa

Not your Daddy's dongle

Published on 2010-12-14 13:00:00

I hear a lot of confusion and mis-information out in the market about dongles these days. A lot of this is based on people's experiences in the 1980s with early dongles.Here are some common myths about dongles and the actual facts:1. Dongles are unre

New CmStick/C pics

Published on 2010-12-06 16:22:00

We're all pretty excited about the new compact CmStick. Here's a couple of images from the CADCAM system:You can get an idea of how small this is by comparing the black part to the USB plug. The protruding part is less than 1/4 inch (6mm). If you're

Chinese fail to crack CodeMeter

Published on 2010-12-06 14:53:00

A lot of software publishers I've talked to are afraid to ship their software to China for fear of illegal copying. Recently we tested our anti-piracy tools by hosting our first ever Chinese-only cracking contest. If the Chinese are so great at crack

Protecting Embedded Software

Published on 2010-10-27 18:57:00

More and more industrial equipment contains embedded software or contains a complete PC dedicated to a specific task. A recent study by the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) showed that 56 percent of German manufacturers had been affected by i

What is Copy Protection ?

Published on 2010-09-15 11:57:00

And should Software Developers use copy protection to prevent software piracy?The aim of copy protection is to thwart unlawful use of software programs. Any methods applied to do that can be classified as software copy protection. To stop the dupli