Anti-Piracy Scheme

Tech Tip: Click here to run a free scan for Windows Errors and optimize PC performance

I wrote an app that, in order to detect piracy, on startup the app goes
to my FTP site to download and upload some text files for comparison
with the users Hard Drive serial number. Can someone look at my scheme
to determine if it will work?

My Scheme...

1. User purchases software and is assigned a password IE... 999999

2. I send the password to the users email and I upload 999999.txt to my
FTP. The txt file contains the users email address.

3. First time startup, the app asks for the email address and password,
stores it in Password.ini on the users drive for future use.

4. This time and everytime thereafter, the app checks for the
999999.txt file on the FTP, downloads it, opens it to compare the email
address and password to the Password.ini file.

5. Once the app determines that the user and password are valid, it
gets the Harddrive serial number (IE 1111111111) and concatenates it
with the password IE... 9999991111111111.txt

6. The app searches the FTP for this file. If the file is not there, it
uploads it with the word "Lisensed" in the file.

7. If the file is already there it downloads it, opens it, and checks
for the word "Unlicensed", or "Licensed" in the file.

8. If "Unlicensed" they cannot run, if "Licensed" they can.

9. In this scenario, when I monitor my FTP site, if I see this...
9999991111111111.txt and
9999992222222222.txt and
9999993333333333.txt and
9999994444444444.txt...

Then I know that the user I assigned 999999 to, is either running my
app on multiple machines (I am OK with this), or that he/she is giving
their password out to their friends. If the latter is true, I can open
each 999999###########.txt file on the FTP and change "Lisenced" to
"Unlisenced" and save the file.

This will stop the pirater from running my app on their computer.

The possible holes are...
A. If no internet connection they can pirate all they want.... OK,
better than nothing.

B. In order to do this, I needed to hardcode in the app. the user and
password of an FTP folder I set up on my website. I am concerned that
someone will be able to monitor their Ethernet port to examine the
outgoing packets and will be able to figure out the user and password
of the FTP directory. Then they can screw up or delete the files in my
FTP directory.
Is this possible? Is there any way to prevent this?

Thanks,

Frank

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Anti-Piracy Scheme
    ... ID's with the same password on my FTP. ... You could use an automated send mail or data connection mechanism to send ... CPU-ID to lock that registration key. ... the app would run fine as it would ...
    (microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion)
  • Re: Anti-Piracy Scheme
    ... ID's with the same password on my FTP. ... You could use an automated send mail or data connection mechanism to send ... CPU-ID to lock that registration key. ... the app would run fine as it would ...
    (microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion)
  • Re: Anti-Piracy Scheme
    ... You could use an automated send mail or data connection mechanism to send ... CPU-ID to lock that registration key. ... to my FTP site to download and upload some text files for comparison ... First time startup, the app asks for the email address and password, ...
    (microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion)
  • Re: Anti-Piracy Scheme
    ... to my FTP site to download and upload some text files for comparison ... I send the password to the users email and I upload 999999.txt to my ... First time startup, the app asks for the email address and password, ... If the file is already there it downloads it, opens it, and checks ...
    (microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion)
  • Re: Anti-Piracy Scheme
    ... When you are offline, the app would run fine as it would ... params blocked the connection. ... to my FTP site to download and upload some text files for comparison ... First time startup, the app asks for the email address and password, ...
    (microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion)