How to protect python code ?

[Skip Montanaro]

    mark> Our customers are unlikely to go after "movl $0x0007, %ax" with a
    mark> hex editor, but are almost certain to mess with code that looks
    mark> like "licenseCount = 5".

This was the first message in which I saw this kind of detail about why you
want to hide the source, though I must admit that I've ignored most of this
thread (it comes up frequently, so long-time readers quickly tire of it).
There's a big difference between, "I don't want my users to shoot them in
the foot", and, "I need to protect our company's intellectual property from
bad guys".  Most people it seems are interested in the IP issue, not the
hole-in-foot issue.  If it's intellectual property protection you're after,
then you *shouldn't* rely on any sort of encryption scheme to protect your
code because all the keys to decrypting the encryption must be buried in the
executable somewhere.  Bad guys will be able to get to your code.

    mark> My frustration with this question is that it seems to offend the
    mark> c.l.p.  readership to such a degress that they collectively decide
    mark> to drown out any meaningful discussion on the matter.

Nope.  It just comes up so often that, like I said, it gets old in a hurry.

Skip