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Here's a tool that developers might find useful either as a means of license enforcement or as a means of security with connected applications.
It's a new method that comes built into the Windows Mobile 5 OS called GetDeviceUniqueID(). Its a native method that can be P/Invoked into a .Net app that will retrieve the unique serial number embedded into the CPU of the device that is running.
Here's the link: http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsmobile/...09/510997.aspx
I could see either using this to generate a serial number for your application, and thus locking the license to that device.
But I could also see at a way of having a server application verify the identity of a mobile device that is trying to connect.
What are everybody's thoughts?
I agree that privacy conerns are definitely relevant when using the CPU's serial number for license enforcement. But I think that's something that most developers cover in their privacy agreements between them and their customers.
For example, in my own company I use something called hardware fingerprints to lock a particular license to a particular desktop or laptop. However, that hardware fingerprint (as well as any email addresses, names, phone numbers, credit card numbers, or anything else that can identify a customer) cannot under any circumstances be released by my company to anyone outside of my company.
So from there I think it comes down to a matter of trust between a customer and the developer of a product and the legal requirements of both parties.
However, that hardware fingerprint (as well as any email addresses, names, phone numbers, credit card numbers, or anything else that can identify a customer) cannot under any circumstances be released by my company to anyone outside of my company.
So from there I think it comes down to a matter of trust between a customer and the developer of a product and the legal requirements of both parties.
I don't think it's a question of "cannot" it's more of a "will not" and all it takes is the one bad apple. And unfortunately, there are too many bad apples for me to want to make that leap.
I gotta tell ya...I don't think there is any person, let alone a company, that I would trust with THAT much info. One credit card number is a big enough leap for me to make, and even those are stolen way to regularly for me to want to just trust someone with all of my personal info.
As far as "locking" a license to a single device, I have to say that I'm not really in favor of that either. I just had to change devices, and if I had had to re-purchase all of my software, I'd really be screwed. I'm a big believer in supporting developers and buying software, but if I had to do it each time I changed devices, I wouldn't buy nearly as much software.
cteel2004: as an editor, don't you change pocket pc's enough to notice that its a burden to re-purchase software for each device (if all software would be locked per device ofcourse).
I change about 2-3 models per year, and couldn't/wouldn't purchase any software if this was the case.
ps: the localized language I'm using does with the serial number of the device (not the cpu serial, no that it matters much), and they change a hefty 40-100 USD (depends which version of OS) for it.
So I sometimes don't buy it for devices I don't think I'm gonna stick to for a long-run (over 3-4 months)
cteel2004: as an editor, don't you change pocket pc's enough to notice that its a burden to re-purchase software for each device (if all software would be locked per device ofcourse).
It would definitely be a burden not just as an editor, but as a man who's business relies on mobile devices, and just as a power user. However, it is the right of the end user to be able to transfer a license from one device to the next without paying a fee or purchasing a whole new license. I beleive most if not all end user licenses include that right for the end user. If it doesn't then I think it should as a matter of ethics on the part of the business developing the software.
I've had a number of customers come to me wanting to install their license on a new computer because the old one crashed, or they're simply upgrading. And I gladly give them new registration information for their new machine without any hassel.
I think it ultimately comes down to just a three things:
1. The customer trusting who they are buying software licenses from and knows what their rights are as a customer.
2. The developer coming up with a REASONABLE license enforcement system. Don't do too little license enforcement, but also be honest and dont do overkill. In other words, if your app isn't really going to be in huge demand by the hardcore warez hackers then you may not need to do hardware based licensing. But if you have software that is in high demand and would be a big target for warez hackers then you may want hardware locking. It's a judgement call.
3. The developer ABSOLUTELY HAS to be willing to support their license enforcement to the point that it doesn't get in the way of the average customer who does follow the intellectual property law (within reason of course). This one is the biggest part of running an ethical software company in my mind.
The first version of my software used device hardware code for validation and we always honored device changeover. But it can be a true headache to support it in this manner.
That's why we just issued one registration key for everyone to use (654343)...
Hahaha...
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