iLok?

[fmr]

Ode to an iLok by Aloysius 2016

I feel iree when I see my baby blinking at me from a USB.
Her blinking is her way of winking and saying that she's thinking of me.

[Lotuzia]

Iirc you can always choose the Soft Ilok alternative/solution nowadays. 2 installs on 2 different computers, no hardware dongle needed etc. Very similar to C/R protection schemes used by Native Instruments etc imho.

I use the dongle version for myself. Works better for those who work in different places.

[.jon]

Very similar to C/R protection schemes used by Native Instruments etc imho.

In your opinion perhaps, but not in reality.

[sjm]

Problem with soft iLok is: computer dies, you rebuy license.

Computers die.

So I ain't gonna use it.



Now I may be wrong, but when I looked into the software version, it seemed to be that if the PC the license is registered to is out of commission, the license is gone forever. You only seem able to unregister a license on the machine it is licensed to, which obviously won't be possible after it has died. So it's essentially a 2-shot license.

[tehlord]

I'm not going to purchase something that might stop working out of teh blue (it already did once) and I'm left helpless with that.

This happens to software all the time, irrespective of whether it uses dongles or not.

In an ideal world I'd prefer not to use one simply because is does use a USB slot and is an additional expense, but saying that I have two E-license and one iLok dongle in a hub that's plugged into my PC and I've never had a problem in 8 years, not once.

It's slightly more complicated if you want to use the same software on two machines because you have to either swap the dongles over or swap the hub over (which is what I do when I swap from PC to Macbook).

[Lotuzia]

Very similar to C/R protection schemes used by Native Instruments etc imho.

In your opinion perhaps, but not in reality.

Well, first, tbh the only instruments I bought that I can't use/install anymore were c/r protected

Then, it seems to me that c/r protected software share a certain numbers of parameters : They are system and hardware dependant if I'm not mistaken. So, if the company servers are down for a reason or another ( temporary or permanent/bankrupcy cause), you're simply stuck with an unusable instrument. For a limited time. Or forever. maybe there are some variations on this global schematic, but this is how I understand, and experienced, things. None of this happened to me with eLicencer and Ilok, wich run ok and pseudo-transparent on my many systems for a lot of years now. This is only my experience though.

[ImNotDedYet]

Iirc you can always choose the Soft Ilok alternative/solution nowadays. 2 installs on 2 different computers, no hardware dongle needed etc. Very similar to C/R protection schemes used by Native Instruments etc imho.

I use the dongle version for myself. Works better for those who work in different places.

Many companies offer soft iLok protection, but there are still some that require the hardware. Slate and I believe ubik/slyfi.

I've had the iLok dongle for a couple years now and no issues with it. A few years ago though iLok screwed up royally and a lot of people had a big hassle on their hands getting their licenses working.

[DJ Warmonger]

I'm not going to purchase something that might stop working out of teh blue (it already did once) and I'm left helpless with that.

This happens to software all the time, irrespective of whether it uses dongles or not.

This can happen to the actual software I use or the iLok I don't have use for, independently. Actually so far only iLok itself has failed and not my VSTs. If there wasn't iLok, all would be good.

[.jon]

Then, it seems to me that c/r protected software share a certain numbers of parameters : They are system and hardware dependant if I'm not mistaken. So, if the company servers are down for a reason or another ( temporary or permanent/bankrupcy cause), you're simply stuck with an unusable instrument. For a limited time. Or forever. maybe there are some variations on this global schematic, but this is how I understand, and experienced, things. None of this happened to me with eLicencer and Ilok, wich run ok and pseudo-transparent on my many systems for a lot of years now. This is only my experience though.

No, non-ilok plugins don't require any company servers to be online anywhere, or even an internet connection active.

[Dasheesh]

It's ransom ware. A "pay to play" system. It also takes over your system and renders you a slave to the technology. They entice you in and then they have you, there's no escape. There is a very vocal and powerful support for it among studio guys that have the money to pay the ransom though for a couple of reasons that are beneficial to them, selfish reasons.

1: They have already bought in and feel a necessity to make others buy in to play too.

2: They are connected with the developers and get inside access to development and kit that makes them feel special, and in some cases gets them paid

3: It separates them from the "common" folks.

They will tell you that it's some kind of protection against the crack heads, but unfortunately all the Ilok stuff is cracked and available, so not a valid argument.

[jdoo]

Respectfully, I disagree with the last post. Had to use iLok with UVI software I was using last year. Not a big hassle. Transactions (and there were a dozen or more) went smooth. I was miffed, that I had to pay transfer fees to iLok, when I was selling off my software, though. What I was even more miffed about - is that there is a counter-culture of idiots, ripping off developers by hacking their software, and giving it away. Were it not for the thieves, (and let's be honest - they are thieves) - there wouldn't be a need for software or hardware to protect the folks who have invested their time and energy into developing for us. Without protection in investments, the developers lose money.. and may move onto other things, abandoning innovation. So ... imo - protect the developers... boo to the ding-dongs who are ripping them off (and making things like iLok a necessity). If you want to be upset at anyone -- point fingers at the ones stealing from developers.

/off my soapbox

[Deisss]

No, non-ilok plugins don't require any company servers to be online anywhere, or even an internet connection active.

With the ilok USB key it does work without internet active once you register the first activation.

Still the first activation needs a proper internet connection. But once it's on the key, you don't need internet anymore...

It's ransom ware (...)

While I don't like iLok in general, most of what you wrote here is untrue.

No need to say also you're not forced of anything, so it's not "a ransom ware".

Face it, you like a software, you buy it, that's all, instead of bullshitting things like this. And if you hate that much iLok, use your voice -and your money- to buy software that don't use dongle protection, that will lead the market to drop iLok support. Better than supporting piracy.

[BERFAB]

I've been with various and sundry plugins that use iLok for about a dozen years now. In that time, some companies have stayed with it, some have moved off it, and some that didn't have it before have joined for their new releases.

I have a fixed studio PC that never goes anywhere, so, assuming the technology works, I don't have the hassles that a touring musician might. The technology has not always worked, however. An older version of Windows had a bit of a problem with Pace. When I upgraded, the problem went away. Then there was the switch to iLok 2 which, though not a king's ransom was still an expense that we all could have done without. There was also the infamous iLok fail awhile ago. Fortunately, I was unaffected as far as I know.

Generally speaking, on a day to day existence, I barely know that the iLok is there. However, whenever I need to install a new plug with iLok, for some reason, they keep changing up their registration protocol. So I have to re-learn the process and then hold my breath while I try to authorize.

Also, I never know what to do with my products that are on my iLok but no longer require an iLok. I usually leave them alone, but I worry about what might happen if the iLok itself gets destroyed.

I also run Cubase and some other Steinberg plugs that use yet another type of dongle security. Different security, but the same rules apply. If the dongle gets destroyed for some reason, I'm completely out of luck and will probably need to buy new licenses for everything. Now, while I generally agree with jdoo and others that see the necessity to the devs for this type of security, it is disconcerting to think that an honest customer (for decades) would be penalized so harshly if something were to happen to those dongles.

All that said, some of the best stuff that I own is dongled, iLoked or otherwise similarly protected. It's great stuff and I love using it. I would never deny myself access to it just because of the iLok. In fact, I never even consider it before purchasing.

Cheers
-B

[Dasheesh]

If you want to get honest and have a real frank discussion about this problem I'm not sure it wouldn't violate all rules of this forum. While I DO agree Ilok came about because of the thieves, the honest truth is you will NOT stop the thieves or crack heads enabling them. The crack heads will crack ANYTHING. That goes for the stuff they deem "worthy" of cracking, but that doesn't happen often. The crack heads love soft targets, easy targets. They will tell you they have some kind of moral agenda or cause; but, they will crack the fair companies, the cheap companies, the free companies, and the truth is they are getting recognition and they are getting paid for clicks at this point to do it. The trick is to make it hard for them. Make it difficult, WITHOUT harming and discouraging legitimate users more than the crackheads.

There is a better way. There are companies that do things better. The problem is there are people who depend on other people buying in to Ilok now. What needs to happen is Ilok need to evolve. When you buy a product, it should be stored on the developers server (you could even make it a centralized server that all developers go to). Then when you purchase you are given your login and you have to go to the server and login to download your UNIQUE product that has been embedded with YOUR license. The first time you open up the product it validates the computer it's on. but ONLY the first time. When you move to a new computer it validates the new computer with YOUR unique license. Tie the product to the license. What you want to do is make it traceable, so that if something gets out into the wild it is easily traced back to a source and can be invalidated and rendered unusable quickly.

[Rappo Clappo]

Knock knock... it's iLok!