Is it possible to protect python source code by compiling it to .pyc or .pyo?

[Chris Angelico]

On Fri, Jan 17, 2014 at 11:58 AM, Sam <lightaiyee at gmail.com> wrote:
> I would like to protect my python source code. It need not be foolproof as long as it adds inconvenience to pirates.
>
> Is it possible to protect python source code by compiling it to .pyc or .pyo? Does .pyo offer better protection?
>

The only difference between pyo and pyc is that the former is with
optimization done. And neither of them offers any real security.

Even if you compiled it down to machine code, you wouldn't do much to
deter pirates. All you'd do is make it so they have to take your code
as a whole instead of piece-meal.

Fighting against piracy using technology is pretty much guaranteed to
be a losing battle. How much time and effort can you put in, versus
the whole rest of the world? And how much harassment will you permit
on your legitimate users in order to slow down a few who want to rip
you off? I've seen some programs - usually games - that put lots and
lots of checks in (checksumming the program periodically and crashing
if it's wrong, "calling home" and making sure the cryptographic hash
of the binary matches what's on the server, etc, etc)... and they
still get cracked within the first day. And then legitimate purchasers
like me have to deal with the stupidities (single-player games calling
home??), to the extent that it's actually more convenient to buy the
game and then install a cracked version from a torrent, than to
install the version you bought. And there's one particular game where
I've done exactly that. It's just way too much fiddliness to try to
make the legit version work.

Distribute your code with a copyright notice, accept that a few people
will rip you off, and have done with it.

ChrisA