Poll: What kind of copy protection do you prefer?

[Numanoid]

After reading another thread I didn't realize that C/R is as dreaded as PACE.

So what copy protection do users prefer?

[Aloysius]

If the people from Novation can come around to the studio (ie bedroom) at a reasonable hour and activate the software on one machine.

[Numanoid]

I once had a problem with my Waves licenses having disappeared after an upgrade.

Contacted their support, who wanted to know when it was convenient for them to remotly access my computer to fix the stuff. Not what I prefer

[Daags]

After reading another thread I didn't realize that C/R is as dreaded as PACE.

So what copy protection do users prefer?

more dreaded than pace/elicenser/dongle in my case.
much more dreaded.

the worst.

imo & ime.

ymmv.


I chose 'serial' as my favourite, but am just as happy with 'keyfile' but I can only choose one...so...serial it is.

[khanyz]

C/R is the worst (insert any of too many companies who have shut down servers here) and is closely followed by Dongles. Although iLok is the only dongle I've had issues with, and I also have eLicencer (Cubase), CodeMeter (Samplitude) and WIBU (Independence) ones, as well as a dedicated License Flash Drive. They are handy for switching machines but far too expensive to replace.

Serial is usually too simplistic, which is open to abuse so the best for me is Keyfile. This is basically a complex serial which contains user and product info so can protect the dev from abuse and be simple for the customer.

[Numanoid]

C/R is the worst (insert any of too many companies who have shut down servers here) and is closely followed by Dongles.

I've yet to have problems with C/R in that a server has gone missing. Don't devs put out a notice about before pulling the plug?

Forget a dongle in the pocket, and one machine wash later, your license is gone. I mean if the dongle gets damaged, you have basically lost the licenses, isn't that so?

[khanyz]

^
Even if they do (and they don't always), you can't reinstall on different hardware/OS when the server goes down.

I still use some Kjaerhus Plugins but can't use others because they can't be auth'd.

[Aloysius]

If we must have copy protection, then having different types is probably sensible. I've had my waves Plugins go down a couple of times but was able to carry on with alternative software from other companies because they use a different system.

I voted for iLok because it hasn't been any trouble to me. It's also very conveinient if you change your computer or do other major things and need to reinstall literally hundreds of different plugins. It's a real pain in the ass reinstalling hundreds of plugins with different protection schemes. I know. I've done it. It took me weeks.

[Numanoid]

What kind of major devs are using C/R protection?

I seem to remember that IK Multimedia used that when I installed Sample Tank a couple of years back, but maybe they have changed that now?

[xenophobic]

I choose serial numbers as the best.
companies who have gotten money from me ,and have given me limitations on activation's no longer get my money, and some don't even tell u about the activation limitation (focusrite,ik multimedia)so it's actually rent ware i'm not a rich person with multiple pc's i only have one so i can't always run to another computer when my one laptop gets infected by virus's i have to reinstall the windows or change the hard drive, and the internet is not readily available for everyone believe it or not so i'm thankful to the developers out there who actually understand that you can't stop piracy so focus on those who pay focusrite told me we have limitations to keep the kids from pirating our software i was like what idiot thought limitations on activation s would stop pirating so i check google search and they have been pirated it didn't work the only thing that happened is i end up begging to get the software i paid for activated while Timmy just runs a cracked installer and he's ready to go stop with the rent ware nonsense i give u money u give me product done that's how its supposed to be not i give you money and you give me headache.

[Hink]

C/R is the worst (insert any of too many companies who have shut down servers here) and is closely followed by Dongles.

I've yet to have problems with C/R in that a server has gone missing. Don't devs put out a notice about before pulling the plug?

Forget a dongle in the pocket, and one machine wash later, your license is gone. I mean if the dongle gets damaged, you have basically lost the licenses, isn't that so?

all my dongles now sleep in my software lock box because I dont need them anymore...no offense but this kind of complaint always irks me a tad. My answer is and always will be "then dont forget it in your pants".

Not trying to sound like a jerk, but hopefully you're not likely to forget your cell phone in your pants and wash that once and everything is gone too. I have never forgot my keys and the clicker that gets me into my car in my pants, nor have they ever been washed...some things we have to take extra care of and if you dont...own it dude...it's on you. If you cant take the extra care, dont buy a product with a dongle but dont put that on the company that uses it

[aciddose]

Having both serial and key file as separate options is a bit dumb.

They're the same thing!

A serial is usually limited to a short bit of data which has been ciphered in some way. For example with 16 characters in the serial of [A-Z, a-z, 0-9, -, +] 64 possible characters, this means you have a "base 64" number system.

So each character in the serial can store 0 - 63, which is 6 bits. So you have 16 * 6 = 96 bits of data that can be encoded.

A key file simply takes this and makes it a lot longer. For example secure keys are usually 1024 bits, 4096 bits or so on. At the same rate, this means the serial would be (for 4096 bit key) 683 characters long. This isn't exactly easy to type in

So the key is stored as a file instead of printed out although in most cases we're just dealing with a text file, and if you ever wanted to sit down and type 683 characters there is no reason you couldn't do so.

You only get a couple more bits per character using ordinary 8-bit encoding (as in all data files) and you'd still need 512 characters (bytes) in that case.

A good protection usually includes a hell of a lot more data than a single secure key. Your key files are probably going to be in most cases between 4k and 16k with all the extra data (signatures, etc) in them.

So, the two are exactly the same thing with a minor variation: the key file you don't actually need to type in and is slightly more difficult to back up as you won't be simply printing it out. In the case of an ASCII encoded key however you can still print it out, so there is absolutely no difference other than the usual length.

[Daags]

pedantic much ?

[aciddose]

I'm a programmer, not some fruity "arteest".

Code: Select all

enum
{
 yellow = 0,
 green = 1,
 red = 2,
 stop = 3,
 off = 4,
 zero = 5,
 maybe = 6,
};

When we see this, it gives us nightmares. Complaining about it is not at all pedantic.

[Scotty]

The developers systems from XLNaudio, NI, Arturia and Plug-In Alliance are my preference. Each allow you to register or deregister a computer with a simple activation and manage your own usage. Big thumbs up!