Stopping Piracy!

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  • JohnBradshaw
    Member
    • Aug 2001
    • 56

    Stopping Piracy!

    Hey

    I have an idea, probably already suggested, why not include in the installation of your vB a unique 'code' that references you to your installation and can only be used once.

    So what happens is everytime you buy a copy of the software a unique ID is created, it already is I think, then when you go and install the vB you have to put in your code on the install page. It then attaches to a central database or 'something' and asks if this code is valid. If it is it then lets the software be installed. Also, and most importantly, once the code has been used once it is invalidated, stopping its use again.

    Also you could set the vB to try the 'database' every so often to check if the license is still valid. And set it so that if it finds simultaneous connections from 2 different sites it would alert the privacy guys.

    Or you could make the vB check the database on every single usage checking to see if it is a valid license.

    I know these are fairly complicated and would require a huge amount of bandwith, but it would be worth it! It might even lower the price!!
  • Kaizen
    Senior Member
    • Aug 2001
    • 1884

    #2
    Re: Stopping Piracy!

    A good idea up and till the last two paragraphs....:

    Originally posted by JohnBradshaw

    Or you could make the vB check the database on every single usage checking to see if it is a valid license.

    I know these are fairly complicated and would require a huge amount of bandwith, but it would be worth it! It might even lower the price!!
    Lower the price: vbulletin having to buy another server/more equipment to handle this.

    Scenario : vbulletin servers go down, every vbulletin forum in the world become unusuable.

    A good idea without the two last paragraphs.
    Email: [email protected]
    Site: Under Construction

    Comment

    • Chen
      Senior Member
      • Jun 2001
      • 8388

      #3
      Pirates could just add the .sql dump of the database right after the installation

      OR

      Just remove the check from install.php.
      It's a lost easier to remove when you know where to look. And in this case, only one file to skim thru.
      Chen Avinadav
      Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.

      גם אני מאוכזב מסיקור תחרות לתור מוטור של NRG הרשת ע"י מעריב

      Comment

      • Kaizen
        Senior Member
        • Aug 2001
        • 1884

        #4
        Originally posted by FireFly
        Pirates could just add the .sql dump of the database right after the installation

        OR

        Just remove the check from install.php.
        It's a lost easier to remove when you know where to look. And in this case, only one file to skim thru.
        So its a bad idea then ?

        Email: [email protected]
        Site: Under Construction

        Comment

        • WizyWyg
          Senior Member
          • Jul 2001
          • 1309
          • 2.3.0

          #5
          Its a "good" idea, but a "bad" one

          how does one reinstall? If its creates a unique id all the time ,then when a server crashes, or one has to move servers (it happens), how can someone reinstall the software?
          There are only 10 types of people in the world: Those who understand binary, and those who don't

          Comment

          • JohnBradshaw
            Member
            • Aug 2001
            • 56

            #6
            Ok fair point, but...

            Take a PGP signature it is a unique code dependent on the contents you are signing, change even a space and it becomes invalid, how about getting the software to check for a certain code that relates to the content within in the vB, or the file sizes

            Comment

            • JohnBradshaw
              Member
              • Aug 2001
              • 56

              #7
              I guess with a reinstall you use a link within the members page to re-enable your installation. And when this is checked with the vB server it makes sure it is still installed on the same website and directory.

              Also the lowering costs was a joke!

              Comment

              • freehtml
                Senior Member
                • Apr 2001
                • 360
                • 4.1.x

                #8
                Well it becames like Win XP whereby you need to supply an activation code to install the OS everytime.............
                iHu6.com (BETA) - www.ihu6.com

                Comment

                • M Elliot
                  Member
                  • Sep 2001
                  • 40

                  #9
                  the easiest thing to do to stop piracy would be to make it free, it's hard to pirate somethign that's free.

                  there is no definite solution, someone will inevitably fix it so that there's a work around.

                  the only real solution that's feasable is to track usage of a board, which means you'd need to hard code into the board certain things that were hard to find, and they'd have to be truly in the catacombs all over and mix all together killing the board if they don't run. And these things would add up to sending something on the vB server every other week and getting a return signal to check against a valid licence number and domain referrer for that given site. To do this is virtually impossible, and hacking through it would be an insane job. But then again it might just stop people getting free copies of a $160 product.

                  Comment

                  • JamesUS
                    Senior Member
                    • Aug 2000
                    • 4622

                    #10
                    Originally posted by M Elliot
                    the easiest thing to do to stop piracy would be to make it free, it's hard to pirate somethign that's free.
                    Like that's going to happen


                    I have a few ideas as to how we could prevent pirates from installing it...I did something similar with my own product. It uses a system similar to what was suggested above, where someone has to enter their license info in the install script, and it can't easily be bypassed (even if someone edits the php code).

                    Comment

                    • JamesUS
                      Senior Member
                      • Aug 2000
                      • 4622

                      #11
                      The script is in my signature - ignore the crappy design as a new one is going up next week. The whole site is about to be relaunched...I know various areas are broken at the moment

                      There is no bypass, I assure you. It works like this:

                      Customer downloads the zip, uploads the files and runs the install script.
                      Enters their license information when prompted.
                      Script communicates with my server to verify it.
                      If valid, my server sends down the SQL schema for creating the tables.
                      If valid, the script receiving the schema creates the tables, if not throws up an error.

                      You can bypass it, but then you won't have any tables in your SQL database, so the program won't work Yes I know pirates could get hold of a db dump and pass it around, but this is a lot better than nothing.


                      Disclaimer: This has absolutely nothing to do with vBulletin whatsoever. This is what I use for my product, and it will most likely not be implemented here at vB.

                      Comment

                      • Chen
                        Senior Member
                        • Jun 2001
                        • 8388

                        #12
                        Originally posted by JamesUS
                        The script is in my signature - ignore the crappy design as a new one is going up next week. The whole site is about to be relaunched...I know various areas are broken at the moment
                        IIRC you said that already about a month ago.

                        Oh, and that's a pretty clever idea.
                        Chen Avinadav
                        Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.

                        גם אני מאוכזב מסיקור תחרות לתור מוטור של NRG הרשת ע"י מעריב

                        Comment

                        • JamesUS
                          Senior Member
                          • Aug 2000
                          • 4622

                          #13
                          That's true, though if that does start to happen I will make it even better and let it send some of the PHP files across as well (some of the more essential ones like functions.php).

                          Comment

                          • nuno
                            Senior Member
                            • Apr 2001
                            • 4346
                            • 3.8.x

                            #14
                            dang
                            i cant see any changes at vBULL's forums

                            Originally posted by John
                            Presently, we will be limiting access to certain features on the forums here to customers only, so make sure that you are not caught unawares!
                            when will this happen?
                            You're my Prince of Peace
                            And I will live my life for You

                            Comment

                            • JamesUS
                              Senior Member
                              • Aug 2000
                              • 4622

                              #15
                              Soon

                              Comment

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