Hardware Copy Protection

Current Hardware Technology

This is a method of controlling applications that stores the End User license on a piece of external hardware plugged into a PC or Server, usually via a serial, parallel or USB port. Modern versions use the USB port as this allows for a much smaller, faster and more portable type of license key.

There are many benefits to separating the license from the PC, not least in making it a lot less likely to get damaged, lost or removed from the PCs HDD. This has the advantage that all the main issues with Software Copy Protection are eradicated.

This type of simple ‘license key’ metaphor also helps when introducing licensing to the End User for the first time. Simply plug in the license key and the app works, remove the key and the app no longer works – simple and easy to understand. This massively reduces back end customer support costs.

The main costs associated with hardware copy protection are up front

Unlike Software Copy protection, the back end support costs for hardware protection tend to be lower. However, the main downside is the cost of the hardware itself. This is mitigated by the ease of use and much reduced technical support overhead but for low cost applications using hardware becomes unviable.

So, choosing hardware copy protection needs to be a function of the cost of your application, the features you require, the cost of support and customer service and the benefits to the end user of having a simple key to control their app.

The average cost of dongles is $30

The average cost of proprietary hardware dongles is $30 per unit unless purchased in very large volumes. This forces developers to buy and stock inventory if they wish to reduce costs.

Hardware does have some downsides – such as theft, driver support and lack of reliability being the main issues highlighted by developers. As the dongle uses a proprietary chip at its core it requires special drivers that need updating with versions of operating systems and also some have moving parts that make the dongle have a finite life span.

Also, as dongles tend to protect higher value software - theft of the small USB dongle can also be an issue.

There is a better value solution

With the PRO-Tector™ hardware solution, these hardware dongles can be “self-built” by the developer. This dramatically reduces the traditional costs of the hardware - which historically has been the only real draw back of a Hardware Copy Protection Solution. This reduction, along with the added convenience to the developer of being in charge of the implementation process, can be as much as 30%. On top of this – there is an even richer set of features than was typically available before.

For these features, we can take a closer look at the PRO-Tector Flash™ solution in the next section.

PRO-Tector Flash™