copy protection

[Max M. Stalnaker]

I work for an accounting software vendor.  I am considering a port to
python.  With our current language, the language uses a license file that
welds the language runtime to the machine it is running on.  It does this by
picking up various numbers from the hardware, for instance, the NIC and the
disk drive, encrypting the numbers so that any one number can change, and
then providing the application environment with a unique key that the
application can use to preserve its own copy protect, welding the
application to the run-time which is welded to the hardware.  A necessary
feature is that some application programs be protected from inspection by
some language feature.

The language used at the present is a compiler interpreter, whatever that
now means.

If I were doing this, I would produce a binary python with these features,
which I believe is allowed by the license.  Aside from the unique
application number, it would optionally encrypt the pyc with a special
language key that is kept secret.  In the present product, there is a
developer supplied key also that together with the special language key make
the source accessible.  I could then get a revenue source from supporting
the binary from companies like the one I work for.  Presumedly, my price
would be less than the present $300+ for a single user for the language.

Our experience is that if we cannot protect our applications from copying,
then there is no point in being in business.  This is unfortunate, but it is
our experience.

Note to avoid confusion.  Mostly, the code we supply to our resellers is in
the clear.  Those portions that are licensing related are protected.

Perhaps I have missed something which makes this scheme unworkable.  I would
appreciate knowing if that is so.

I originally sent this email to the activestate people.  "Trent" responded
with encouragement and the suggestion to send this to this list.

Perhaps, this could be considered for the 3000 release.  Then a particular
vendor could put a couple encryption keys in the source and send out
executables.