Enterprise License Implementation

Question

I developed a piece of n C # software.

And I have already implemented a way for customers to update software with a single license key.

Individual license keys (32 characters) are calculated based on some hardware that are unlikely to change (a lot).

All this works very well.

However, now I want to implement a volume license.

Basically, I want the client to be able to license software on different (unlimited) machines with only one key (therefore, I cannot use hardware checks for this).

What will be the approach for this?

There are some things I can think of:

• Hardcode 1 license key in software that always works
• Create custom enterprise programs on demand with their hard-coded license key (not quite what I would like to do)
• Make some function / algo / something that will check the correctness of the entered license key (and still be able to use different keys for one enterprise and 32 characters).

The latter option would be preferable, I think.

However, I cannot find a way to check whether the license I entered is a valid volume license.

PS

I'm not looking for a way to completely stop piracy of my application, just an easy way to implement a volume license.

Answer 1

In my experience, you should go for a solution that will result in the least amount of friction for your paying customers.

People will pay for your software or not, and as long as you have some kind of mechanism for checking licenses, it really doesn't matter how strong it is. There is not a single piece of software that I can think of for which you cannot find working pirated copies, which pretty much directs all efforts in this direction.

One of the things that bothers me the most is when a pirated copy is better than the paid version. For example, Daemon Tools virtual CD / DVD software is protected by a mechanism that sounds somewhat like yours. It generates a specific key for the machine and software and, as a rule, is a problem from a legal point of view. I have a license for 5 PCs, and if I want to upgrade it, I will have to abandon the licenses of the old version, release a new one and re-register the updated software. Repeat for each installation. I often considered simply using the hacked version, as it provides a much simpler update path, which basically involves installing software.

I understand that you probably looked at all this and perhaps have a different opinion, but your guiding principle should be to make the paid experience beaten up pirated.