On a slightly related note ... have their been any developments on the Flash 9 / AS3 obfuscation front?
On Jan 12, 2008 5:46 PM, simonjpalmer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Generally speaking the way to enforce your subscription and guarantee > your money is to either charge up-front, disable features, or own the > data, otherwise you only have people's goodwill to stop you being a > free download. Whatever you do is going to p*ss off your users > because they'll want it for nothing. Owning the data is very > fashionable at the moment. > > If you really want to make sure that you get your cash then you charge > them at the point of download. You could build in a time-bomb from > the date of registration and keep a registry of users on your server > with activation keys. When the time bomb goes off the app stops > working and they have to come back and buy a license key. Pop up an > annoying message reminding them that they haven't paid you anything > every few minutes. > > Or, you could force it to handshake with the server to perform some > very valuable function, like print, or save, or perhaps start up, > whether running standalone or in the browser. > > Have you thought of giving it away for free and then extracting your > value by some other means like licensing the data format? Worked for > Macromedia... > > > --- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com <flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com>, "Paul > Andrews" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "George" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <flexcoders@yahoogroups.com <flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com>> > > Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2008 9:06 PM > > Subject: Re: [flexcoders] Application protection > > > > > > > I'm not sure what kind of your application is. I guess it's an > > > application could run both in browsers and AIR standalone (I planned a > > > project myself like this) > > > > Yes, exactly that. > > > > > I would make most of tasks 'call home' for sure. But there could be > > > 'off-line' tasks. When the client get back online it will update > > > (merge/diff) automatically. I will likely to give chance some > > > information to be exported as a format like PDF. If some data > useful for > > > user even offline, let them exported so they can read anywhere, in > a way > > > you have some sort of control, help them instead let them hacking. You > > > cannot protect anything you display to them, whatever sensitive > data is, > > > your clients could 'Print screen'. > > > > The clients are actually providing the data, so print screen is > fine. The > > worst scenario is that the AIR application is hacked so it no longer > needs > > the server and people could use it without the subscription. I'm > fully aware > > that hackers will hack no matter what, I just want it to be harder > for the > > occassional geek/rougue user to bypass the subscription and pass the > > software around. > > > > As far as I know there's no licence protection support in AIR, so I was > > hoping someone might say "I have an AIR app and I'm using product > XYZ for > > licencing". > > > > This is also a sensitive issue so I understand that people may be > reluctant > > to discuss their own arrangements. > > > > Thanks again, > > > > Paul > > > > > > > > George > > > > > > Paul Andrews wrote: > > >> > > >> > > >> Hi Guys, > > >> > > >> I'm considering producing an application that could be sold > commercially > > >> to > > >> small businesses or even some individuals. I won't say what the > > >> application > > >> is ;-) > > >> > > >> As a Flex application much of the logic (it could all be) will be > on the > > >> client. Strictly speaking the server would only be used for > saving data. > > >> The > > >> application could also work nicely as an AIR application. > > >> > > >> Ideally, I don't plan to sell the application, but a service - so it > > >> would > > >> be subscription based. > > >> > > >> No we all know the world is full of pirates and I'd like to know > the best > > >> way to make things at least a bit more tricky for them. As a > subscription > > >> based service, having a logon to a remote server will help since > it will > > >> at > > >> lease make them 'call home'. Is this the only way to protect Flex > > >> applications? > > >> > > >> Presumably the only way to really protect an AIR App is to make > it 'call > > >> home' too? If the calling home feature became disabled, it would > leave > > >> the > > >> AIR app prone to missappropriation. > > >> > > >> Finally, potentially some of the data involved will be sensitive. It > > >> doesn't > > >> have to be sent to the client, but would be good if it was. That > would > > >> then > > >> raise the spectre of data confidentiality on a remote server. > > >> > > >> My usual experience is with corporate intranets or websites where > > >> piracy/security isn't a big issue (at least not my specific problem). > > >> > > >> So any advice on security issues surrounding Flex/Air apps would be > > >> welcome > > >> before I finalise my architecture. > > >> > > >> Paul > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > Flexcoders Mailing List > > > FAQ: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/files/flexcodersFAQ.txt > > > Search Archives: > http://www.mail-archive.com/flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
