Announcement: New laser show software available: Procedural dynamic frames, Much More

[michelrietveld]

installed from cd
put dongle in usb
start lasershowsoftware
doesn't seem to work, asks for license, sent pm to drlava

waiting....

Michel

[kl79]

all is in order...(if you have sent the computer license code)

[jooopy]

Thanks Andrew order in!

[Stoney3K]

if you need someone to test on a .NET let me know

I am still confused about how you are tying the software... if I tie it to the computer am I screwed if the machine gets hosed? how are you tying it to the PC?? if I select dongle it seems like it wants a SN, does that mean I have to have it already? or are you selling dongles?

It can tie the security various ways, I have a dongle, before that I used the processor serial number. If your output device has a built in serial, that can be done as well. I had a machine croak, Dr Lava quickly switched me to another laptop. This is why I switched to the USB dongle, its small and unobtrusive.

Don't forget there is no way that a technical copy protection can be water-tight. If you use the 'tied to the computer' method, I can install the software into a virtual machine, make a snapshot and make unlimited, identical working copies of that.

USB dongles are prone to eavesdropping and reverse engineering. DAC serial numbers can be modified in firmware or through an emulation driver. A lot of professional companies with an order of magnitude larger budget (e.g. Steinberg, Adobe, Autodesk) have tried all methods for decades, and since there are millions of pirated copies of these software packages in circulation, I guess it proves that hardware or software copy protection -just-does-not-work-.

[drlava]

Stoney, no one's claiming that all anti-piracy measures are 100% secure, so I don't quite understand what you are trying to achieve with these posts.

Yes, all technical measures can be broken one way or another, and it has happened to every laser software company out there already. As has been said, the point is to keep honest people honest, and dishonest people working long enough that their time would be much better spent doing something else.

Anyway, thanks for bumping the thread

[buffo]

Copy protection measures are like locks: they keep honest people honest. In that vein, copy protection works for the vast majority of people. Yes, you'll never be able to stop a determined (and thus presumably dishonest) thief. But that was never the goal in the first place.

All Andrew is trying to do is prevent the wanton, reckless piracy of his software. Since he's literally a one-man show, he has a lot at stake here. He's put a lot of work into LSX, and without at least some kind of basic copy protection, he'd be facing the prospect of not making any money at all on the project. Sure, some people will find a way to crack it. But most people won't, and that's what matters.

So long as the copy protection method isn't overly burdensome for the user, I don't have a problem with it. My Pangolin gear has copy protection built-in, and it doesn't bother me at all. Likewise, my Mamba Black software also has copy protection, and I'm fine with that.

From what Andrew has said about his version of copy control, it doesn't see to be burdensome in the least. In fact, I've been beta-testing it for several weeks now without any issues whatsoever.

Also, doesn't Gary Harper have some kind of basic licensing system in place for Spaghetti as well?

Adam

[Lazerjock]

Also, doesn't Gary Harper have some kind of basic licensing system in place for Spaghetti as well?

Adam

Yes, he does. I don't have any problem with it.

Chris

[Solarfire]

I finally got my LSX-Pro version today, after being hung up in customs for 3 weeks, with a RIYA-Lite DAC and activation locked to the RIYA serial. Installed the software and started RealTime to be prompted in the field “Your software license” Unlicensed, I will now close. I was under the impression that the RIYA-DACs serial serves as a license/dongle for the software thus the computer with the DAC attached is the licensed computer. If this is going to tie use to one PC then I need a solution that allows development on my home PC and show presentation on my laptop or netbook, if neccesarry via a regular USB Dongle.

[kl79]

Sure, Dr Lava will generate a licence key and after, it will be ok..
BUT ! Lava, isn't it possible to just allow the program via the dongle ? this license file is boring..I'm about to format my computer..if you are on holidays, I'm cooked..no laser during your holiday ...I really think the file is not a good idea.


I have to contact you for some bugs too...give me time to write them and pm you.

Mickael

[drlava]

Hi Frank,
The RIYA does act as a dongle, you just send me the codes that it generates on first run (as we've now done).

Mickael, the code doesn't change when you reformat, so the same activation file will work, no problems or need to contact me. If you're doing a very important event, (like with any hardware) you should consider taking a backup laptop that's already been set up in case your first one has a hard drive failure or something. But this is just optional, and up to you, not really a factor of the software that's on it.