Plugins/Companies using serial, a keyfile, or watermark copy protection

[audiojunkie]

I’d like to start a list of companies that use a very specific type of copy protection for their plugins and tools (Instruments, Effects, Hosts, etc). The intent is for a reference for those of us who only buy this type of copy protection. I hope it will be a community effort. Please, if you see no point in this, or have no problems with buying plugins using ILok, Challenge/Response, etc, please keep you comments to yourself and off this thread. I’d like to keep this thread clean and useful. Thank you!

Here’s the criteria for a plugin (or a plugin company) to be listed:

1. The copy protection must use either a serial number, a keyfile or a per user Watermark.
2. The copy protection must not tie itself to anything. For example, there are now developers claiming they only use serial number copy protection, but then the copy protection ties itself to a particular CPU or other hardware. Another example is having just a serial number, but the software has to download required files from the vendor site in order to run. This is just as bad as challenge/response authentication. The software should not restrict you to using only the one computer. If you buy a new computer, you should be able to use it without dealing with the company further.
3. The software should not require any form of calling home to authenticate or to obtain the plugin. In other words, if a company were to go out of business, you should be able to pull a copy of the software and serial number or keyfile off of your backup drive, and authenticate the software. Be wary of companies using a single installer for their entire lineup of products or of installers that have to download components from the vendor site to complete the install.

Please double-check and be sure before posting that the software plugins you list meet the above criteria!

For those considering purchasing software from vendors on this list, we recommend you write the vendor before purchase, and ask the above three questions to confirm the criteria is met. WARNING: Although we are trying to confirm that the above vendors meet the above three criteria items, we do not guarantee accuracy! We cannot be held responsible if a plugin does not actually meet the above listed criteria--this is a community effort. Check before buying!


I’ll start:

EDIT: I have now started appending this original post with those developers that we've determined to support the above criteria. This should make it easier for users to quickly scan everything in one place when seeking a new plugin to buy:

• 112dB
• 2cAudio
• Aberrant DSP
• ACMT Plugins
• Acon Digital
• Admiral Quality
• Apisonic Labs
• ApulSoft
• Auburn Sounds
• Audio Damage
• Audio Realism
• AudioThing
• Audiority / Polychrome DSP
• Blue Cat Audio
• Boz Digital Labs
• Cockos
• Darkpalace Studio
• DDMF
• Devious Machines
• DMG Audio
• DSPPlug
• eaReckon
• Eplex7 DSP
• FabFilter
• FMJ-Software
• https://fors.fm/
• Freak Show Industries
• Fuse Audio Labs
• GForce
• GuDa Audio
• HornetPlugins (demos needs a plugin manager with user and pw, while full versions don't)
• HY-Plugins
• Illformed.com
• imagiro
• Inear Display
• Inphonik
• KarmaFX
• Kazrog
• K-devices
• Kiive Audio
• Kilohearts
• Klanghelm
• Kuassa
• KV331
• LetiMix
• Loomer
• Madrona Labs
• MaizeSoft
• Martinic
• Melda Plugins - Uses a keyfile and an installation manager, but provides a zip of the download data for offline archival/backup use. These are good guys, and an example of how installation managers can be adapted to still protect consumer rights to back up and restore software if a company were to close down.
• MuTools
• Naskt Plugins
• NuSofting
• Pfundstein Audio Plugins
• Phonolyth
• Plogue
• Polyverse Music
• Psychic Modulation
• Reveal Sound
• Shy audio
• Sinevibes
• SirAudio
• Sonic Charge
• Sonic Projects
• SugarBytes
• Superwave
• Surreal Machines
• SynthEdit
• TBProAudio
• Tokyo Dawn Labs
• Tone2
• ToneBoosters
• Tone Projects
• TruePianos / 4Front Technologies
• U-he plugins
• Valhalla Plugins
• Venomode
• Volko Audio
• Voxengo
• Wusik

There has been questions regarding whether these companies really meet the criteria or not. This is a list of vendors that need to be confirmed that they meet the above listed criteria before being added to the official list:

• Cakewalk Dimension Pro - No longer sold; Can be purchased as a 2nd hand sale
• Waldorf
• Denise Audio

[BBFG#]

Nice list. Without derailing, I'd be interested in knowing if any of these are using JUCE, since I see a trend of their parent company slowly implementing required connections in them. (Mostly with managers.) I look for "download once, install as needed" for each version. Definitely watching this thread and will probably give some of these companies another demo.

[Frankie.T]

FabFilter
Safari Pedals
HornetPlugins (demos needs a kind of plugin manager with user and pw, while full versions doesn't)
United Plugins
GForce
Acon Digital
CableGuys
Devious Machines
TBProAudio
Kiive Audio
Klanghelm
SirAudio
SugarBytes
Voxengo
Xfer

[audiojunkie]

GForce calls home and limits your number of authentications. If the company were to go out of business, it wouldn’t authorize.

[dellboy]

Does a blast from the past count?

Cakewalk Dimension Pro. I have just installed it on Linux Mint using Wine and it works great. It uses a serial and registration file. A useful little rompler to use in Linux.

[BBFG#]

Does a blast from the past count?

Cakewalk Dimension Pro. I have just installed it on Linux Mint using Wine and it works great. It uses a serial and registration file. A useful little rompler to use in Linux.

Mine requires a connection to Roland to complete.

[Frankie.T]

GForce calls home and limits your number of authentications. If the company were to go out of business, it wouldn’t authorize.

Are you sure? I tried installing and activating without internet connection and it worked.

Any evidence on what you're saying? I'm asking because i'm interested to be sure about that, like you i try to avoid whatever kind of calling home plugins

[dellboy]

Does a blast from the past count?

Cakewalk Dimension Pro. I have just installed it on Linux Mint using Wine and it works great. It uses a serial and registration file. A useful little rompler to use in Linux.

Mine requires a connection to Roland to complete.

I just logged into my Cakewalk account and I bought it in May 31st 2013. Maybe mine is post Roland and has a different licence?

[jamcat]

Audiority / Polychrome DSP
Fuse Audio Labs
Martinic
Waldorf

[audiojunkie]

GForce calls home and limits your number of authentications. If the company were to go out of business, it wouldn’t authorize.

Are you sure? I tried installing and activating without internet connection and it worked.

Any evidence on what you're saying? I'm asking because i'm interested to be sure about that, like you i try to avoid whatever kind of calling home plugins

Yes, I wish it weren’t true, but the FAQ and help and support sections clearly mention that the software limits you to two installations. That wouldn’t be possible without some form of checking. Otherwise, if you had the software installed on three systems, how would it know whether you are breaking the service agreement and block you, or if you lefally purchased 2 legal license copies. It HAS to call home to check. Otherwise it wouldn’t be able to act as a gatekeeper and limit your number of installations.

[audiojunkie]

Audiority / Polychrome DSP
Fuse Audio Labs
Martinic
Waldorf

Unfortunately, Waldorf software monitors and limits the number of installs. To do this, the software must call home and confirm licensing information. Otherwise, how would it be able to act as a gatekeeper and limit your number of installs. If you bought two copies so that you could have the software on six machines, it would have to be able to check the number of legal licenses you have. If the company were out of business, the software would not allow you to use the software. This gatekeeping functionality is part if the problem.

[audiojunkie]

Does a blast from the past count?

Cakewalk Dimension Pro. I have just installed it on Linux Mint using Wine and it works great. It uses a serial and registration file. A useful little rompler to use in Linux.

I guess it could count if someone were selling their license. The general idea here is that people can use this thread as a resource to aid their purchasing decisions.

[Frankie.T]

GForce calls home and limits your number of authentications. If the company were to go out of business, it wouldn’t authorize.

Are you sure? I tried installing and activating without internet connection and it worked.

Any evidence on what you're saying? I'm asking because i'm interested to be sure about that, like you i try to avoid whatever kind of calling home plugins

Yes, I wish it weren’t true, but the FAQ and help and support sections clearly mention that the software limits you to two installations. That wouldn’t be possible without some form of checking. Otherwise, if you had the software installed on three systems, how would it know whether you are breaking the service agreement and block you, or if you lefally purchased 2 legal license copies. It HAS to call home to check. Otherwise it wouldn’t be able to act as a gatekeeper and limit your number of installations.

I see, thank you for your reply.

It could be just a kind of friendly agreement though, but tbh everything could be true at this point, so i'm just gonna mail them to have an answer, cause this topic is something i care of, and it's my favorite synth maker, so i wanna have a certainty.
Thanks for popping this discussion up.

edit: got the confirmation, their plugins don't call home

[ThomasLehmann]

very good topic here. I'm also trying to stop letting myself become so dependent. You also have to be careful with pseudo-installers that only pretend to be independent and then at some point need the Internet connection to the manufacturer again for some reason. I think with PSP audio it was once the case that the installers only worked for a few weeks and then expired so that you had to access a new installer via your internet account.

[audiojunkie]

GForce calls home and limits your number of authentications. If the company were to go out of business, it wouldn’t authorize.

Are you sure? I tried installing and activating without internet connection and it worked.

Any evidence on what you're saying? I'm asking because i'm interested to be sure about that, like you i try to avoid whatever kind of calling home plugins

Yes, I wish it weren’t true, but the FAQ and help and support sections clearly mention that the software limits you to two installations. That wouldn’t be possible without some form of checking. Otherwise, if you had the software installed on three systems, how would it know whether you are breaking the service agreement and block you, or if you lefally purchased 2 legal license copies. It HAS to call home to check. Otherwise it wouldn’t be able to act as a gatekeeper and limit your number of installations.

I see, thank you for your reply.

It could be just a kind of friendly agreement though, but tbh everything could be true at this point, so i'm just gonna mail them to have an answer, cause this topic is something i care of, and it's my favorite synth maker, so i wanna have a certainty.
Thanks for popping this discussion up.

edit: got the confirmation, their plugins don't call home

You can't imagine how happy I would be if I were wrong. Please let us know what they tell you.