If you create and
sell your own ebooks or software products, or you resell other products, then
you must know that sooner or later one of two things is going to happen:
- Someone will
purchase your product, download it and then immediately ask for a refund. And
then they still use your product.
- Someone will
purchase your product and then give a copy to a friend.
Either way, we
call this theft of product. While there are
many different tools and systems available to limit product theft, most of these
security schemes are actually very easy to foil. Luckily, there is a new
subscription-based service from Rod Beckwith called Software
Defender. It works very well, is easy to implement, and very
difficult to break.
There are two
parts to the Software
Defender service. An online administrative system where you establish a
secure product for download, and a Windows-based application which wraps around
your application to make it secure. Once wrapped, it can only be unlocked with a
license code available from you. This code can be restricted down to the IP and
MAC layers to prevent your product from being passed around like candy among
friends and thieves.
As a test, we
established a record for our Table
Genie product with the online administrative system. This only took a
few minutes to enter and generate the required product information, download
location, and security restrictions.
Then we ran the
wrapper application to wrap a secure wall around the Table Genie SETUP.EXE file. This
is a wizard-based tool with a series of simple steps to follow. You merely
follow the wizard, and click the Finish button to generate the protected file.
You have the option of adding a skin to the wrapper if you so choose.
Upon completion of
this process, you have a new protected EXE that is tied to a unique license code
you have generated online. Now when someone attempts to install this EXE they
will be prompted to enter the corresponding license code. Once entered, the
application will be installed and run normally. However, should someone attempt
to share that protected EXE with another person, the application will NOT
install even with the same license code. Everything is locked to the individual
PC, and tracked by IP and MAC layer.
We were advised by
Rod to make sure anytime a developer is creating a product for you, and you want
it protected properly through Software
Defender to make sure the application's main EXE is the protected file
and not the SETUP.EXE file typically created by installer packages like VISE.
This insures the highest level of protection possible.
One of the best
things about Software
Defender is that you can create time-bomb trial versions just by
changing the restriction rules. This means you can now offer free trial versions
in a variety of configurations. Once the trial period is over, the application
becomes useless unless purchased and properly registered.
Software
Defender is a great system and very well though out. It is easy to use.
The manual is well written and takes you step by step through the process. I had
never used a system like this before, but I was able to generate a secure
package within 15 minutes. If you create and sell your own products, then you
owe it to yourself to protect your investment and make sure you get paid for
every download of your product. Click here
for more information.
Software Defender
