If I ever actually release a plugin, you have to tell me your secret.

Hm we get such complaints regularly. May depend on the plugin, some are protected better than others.



We use serials, it doesn't get any easier than that. Even just running a keygen is more work, so there's really no excuse.

Richard

That's commendable. When one buys your software, he can carry easily install and register it, without a fuss, even 200 hundred years from now if need be. How do you know some customers aren't vampires, for instance? And when everything changes and VSTs are gone, and the technology completely changes, they could still use it if they want. Just saying...

I don't know, how it is with your plugins, but one thing really bugging me are plugins, which are not "portable".

Some are, some are not ... some become by using a crack.
I mean, if you reinstall your system, the plugin should still work and just ask for re-authorization.

I'm not saying, this is justifying to use a crack, but it actually is a case, where cracked plugins sometimes are more convenient than the original versions.

Along that line, I've got a few clients that find it more convenient to just use a cracked version instead of installing the legal one... I can't blame them because for example I once spent hours just trying to authorise a few of IK plugins he bought. We just decided... well now you know what we decided. It's not funny at all. Authorisations can be such a pain in the arse it's incredible. And this particular client owns a pile of plugins. He and I cannot afford to lose a *few days* just on authorising plugins when it comes to reinstalling the OS. We both agreed it feels very awkward since he bought them to be put through all that trouble so he would be able to use them. It's really sad. If the authorisations were easier we could finish it in a few hours.

And I shouldn't complain because I'm paid by the hour, btw. But I'm an empathetic person, and I have great clients, too. I'd do anything just to save them money even though it means I'd get less. It's just how I am.

Are authorizations really that much trouble? Does it really take more time to authorize than to search for a crack, download it, run a keygen or whatever for installation?

I guess I must be very lucky in the software I have choosen cause authorizations have generally been fast and easy for me.

It depends. But more or less - yes. Imagine having a client with a 100 plugins that require A/R authorisation like mine has and it all just becomes insane. It feels like almost he was punished for using legal software, really. And me with him. It just takes ages to make the DAW work with all the plugins that he legally purchased. Now if you've got like just a few plugins that require A/R authorisation it might not seem like such a hassle. You can contact the manufacturer by e-mail if needed etc. But if you own like 10 bundles of software that requires A/R then the situation looks a bit different. [Christ on a cross comes to mind even though I'm an atheist ]

That's why I'm all for simple serial numbers. Or one kind of dongle. Using one dongle protection makes it so much easier, but we have a few now, and the drivers can bring down the OS if they clash. It just feels horrible .

Really, a client with 100 plugins bought AT THE SAME TIME?? I've never bought 100 plugins AT THE SAME TIME, I maybe buy some plugins a month, but not more. Where do you work? Are there loads of rich guys who buy everything?

After a fresh system install, I believe that's what he's referring to.

I imagine finding, downloading and installing 100 cracks is just as much work. I don't even know where to look myself, whether a particular crack is reliable etc. It would be some work to sort all that out and keep up to date with it. Then what about bug fixes and updates? What about tech support, keeping track of which installations are legal and which aren't... and so on.

My observation of the admittedly small number of people I know who use cracks (or at least tell me) is that when all factors are considered, they spend more time on it than just being legal in the first place.

Decline no, maturing yes

Thanks for the "thumbs up" Dux!

DuX wrote:


Easy understandable! Software protection is a double-edged sword. It's hard to understand why some developers focus too much on it, spending a lot of time and money, which they could instead use for developing a BETTER product!!

To go back to Dux's argument: Imagine you have a total computer crash and maybe 700 Plug-Ins...all to set up again - a real time consuming and fuzzy work.

OMG...I'm feeling totally sick thinking of a computer crash - I should make a backup, immediately...