I’m totally agree with you on the piracy.
For example, I’ve been using Total Command from the version 4, but only until version 7 that I had my own job and the very first software that I paid for was TC. It’s simply because by using a software, I’ve increased my performance and earned more money. The amount that I paid for the license is much less that what I gained by using it.
As a user, I hate any software with a complicated activation process, especially Windows. Windows activation is always a nightmare for me.
I am a developer, and I always receive requirements from customer to provide the software with the best protection possible, even hardware lock, license dongle, web+phone activation, etc…
That harder the protection, the more interesting it is to crack it. My idea is to always a protection for your software, but with balance:
- You effort to maintain it.
- Additional system requirements caused by the protection.
- Registration easiness.
I completely disagree with enforcing hard protection like SafeDisc, DRM stuff that requires lots of money on develop and maintain the technology, lots of time for user support, lots of trouble for user and major victory for crackers.
In contrast, providing user with no information whether their software is licensed or not is not a good idea. A user who is willing to pay for your software may not always remember that he haven’t paid. A user who still consider evaluating your software may not notice that he had not paid for it.
For those who really don’t want to pay for it, they will never do. No matter how strong the protection is, how complicated the encryption is, your software will be cracked. Even in the best case, they simply doesn’t use your software. But you should know that those who are willing to risk their computer by using a cracked version of software is those who really interested in warez, who love warez, who will provide his friends what is the best software for their needs.
Let say a geek want to use your software:
- The protection is not too hard, still, he doesn’t want to pay for it, so he get a crack and use it without a license. Still, you lose nothing. He then tells his friends that your software is excellent, and you have a strong, live advertisement channel without paying for it.
- the protection is too hard, so he simply doesn’t use your software. You gained nothing. He tells his friends that your software is crap, or at best really nice but the registration process is a pain in the ass and of course, he tell his friends to use another not so nice software but doesn’t kick their ass. You’re having one more anti-fan, who loses nothing to attack you, you’re losing customers and your competitors are having a extra advertisement channel which should have been yours if your protection was not so hard.