Secretly tracking number of uses

Amiga5k · Post by **Amiga5k** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 3:32 am

On the original topic of hiding the number of uses, how about requiring the user to connect to your website, where this info is kept behind a firewall. Nah, way too inconvenient (unless you just have them do it when they initially install - registration required, but free, etc).

Or, hide the number in some graphics. If it is done right, it wouldn't change the picture much and would be difficult - but not impossible - to detect. (A hacker would probably disassemble your program and find out what it's doing anyways...).

Russell

Post by **Dare2** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 3:39 am

Would it be true to say that just about everything can be circumvented by uninstalling and re-installing by a savvy user?

Amiga5k · Post by **Amiga5k** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 6:36 pm

Probably, but using one of the above methods the user would have to 'get permission' to re-install it again from the producer's website, which could record the user's domain ID, etc. I'm sure this would be considered inconvenient by many, but if you're really eager to keep piracy to a minimum...

(Of course, if the software is hacked to remove this online check, then the point would be moot

)

There is a way to tie it to the individual ID of your processor....but we won't go there...

Russell