Copyright issues, Reverse Engineering, Software Protection

[fxp]

Hi everyone,

I have learnt so much here and I could do with some advise from all of you.

Recently I have developed a software using MS Access and I am in the process of getting Copyrights, Trademark rights for my software.

The software is to be distributed via the internet for personal use. However, I have been having serious concerns about people trying to reverse engineer the code and selling it under another name.

The last thing I would want is someone else making money off pawning this. Not only does it bring bad credibility but can really dent the business end for me.

Can anyone please suggest any way that I can block anybody from reverse engineering the code.
Also how can I make my program user specific and tamper proof??

Thanks and appreciate your help.

 

[WindSailor]

First map out what exactly you want... what level of protection, hardware locking, transferable rights, support Access and .Net etc.

Then do an internet search for software protection and research the chosen companies profile, support plans and opinions of users etc if you plan to buy the protection.

And take your time.

Some people write their own protection, (there are posts here regarding protection) and some buy protection software, hardware etc. to fit their needs.

Software protection stems from the very basic to very extensive to the point that Microsofts protection scheme is a thing of the past (Microsoft could tighten their protection, but I think they are after market share and then things will get tight). All that seperates the two end points is... money. From $50 to 5 figures. And if you want to keep current with some of the more extensive ones, they require a yearly upgrade fee in addition to the initial cost.

Unfortunately not a lot of software protection venders support Access, although the general support is increasing.

I don't know of any protection that isn't crack-able at some level.
In fact some people will show you how to crack your code and then supply a deterent (protection software etc.) for you for a fee.

You will find that a lot of good programmers simply sell their software to other developers / programmers. Who wants to re-create the wheel?

 

[Keith Nichols]

Convert to .mde

HI,

Would converting the database to an .mde be sufficient? AsI understand it, this creates a version of the database that runs but cannot be dismantled to see what is inside. I'm sure that experts could unraval this but mere mortals would be stumped.

How secure do you want it to be?

regards,

Keith.

 

[WindSailor]

.mde would help. Although making your application an .mde isn't going to stop other users from using your application for their purposes... thats like a copy and paste application. Unless you make other modifications for protection.

 

[Pat Hartman]

I have seen ads for programs that will disassemble an .mde and generate VBA code so an .mde isn't all that safe any more.

 

[fxp]

Hi guys,

Sorry to be replying after so long. Been trying to get all the work done and reach the deadline.

Thanks for your reply. I guess if anything is programmed, it can be hacked too, so I will take the necessary precautions and hope for the best.

While most of you have given reply for how to prevent the reverse engineering, can any of you guys suggest how can I make it user specific. That is one program for one person only. The last thing I want is that the programme is simply copied and posted via email.

Thanks again guys.

 

[WindSailor]

There are posts here (I believe they are still here, the site was hacked a while back) about using the registry for some level of protection. Your program simply looks for a registry key.

Others use some form of 'hardware' locking via software, where you can lock your program to the users computer by hardware devices that it uses. This is similar or exactly like the protection Microsoft has used in the past. And some venders include the ability to transfer your license to other computers if they buy new ones etc. and some also support the enterprise level, monitoring total number of computers using your program on a network etc.

To take it a step further, there are 'dongles' which are encrypted hardware devices that attach to your clients computer via USB etc. to allow your program to run. Some have both.

In .Net, there are programs that will insert gibberish into your code, so if someone has the abillity to decompile it they still have to decipher the code, and others that can add encryption (and layer encryption) to the process. I think you can see there are almost an infinite amount of things you can do if you are seriously thinking about protecting your program.

And of course... no one will ever tell you what they are using...