Best way to protect Add-on Software?

Microsoft's handbook= they originally GAVE AWAY drivers @ trade shows where others were charging for them. This got people to notice them, for the quality of the driver, which gave credibility.Later they priced their software very low to get users hooked. EG: Who remembers OS2 or OS2 Warp, Dr. DOS, IBM DOS?

IF I were in your shoes, I would market the first version @ under $100 and offer a very easy guarantee, plus I would offer a future version discount to anyone that purchases and uses for X months and gives me quality feedback which could be used to improve software (v2.0) or for marketing. My reasons for the pricing;

1...it undercuts the current mkt price and gets you noticed with v1.0...you may steal their customers if yours is truly better

2...someone that would normally try to hack it, probably would anyway, but those that are borderline would justify buying it because of the price

3...more customers would be willing to take a chance at a lower price than a higher one or one that is a continuous cost of business

this was good advice

 

thank you for sharing.. I agree about chinese and Russians hackers.. I like their actually.

However, mine is not a trading software by itself. It isnot a trading platform but it is an add-on that is helpful for traders.

so it isnot standealone software. Also, yes, the supply is very high but i am not sure about the demand. I believe, it has an edge that could be jeoperdized greatly if hackers started their work before i distribute effeciently..

However, it is my first time i be on the other side. So no bad feeling regarding the pirates.

Thanks

 

Thank u very much for your advice. It is very similar to what ihave in my mind. However, i stillnot sure about the advantage of selling over the renting cheep?. Let us compare 100$ one time purchase V0.1 ( which i agree with its logic), and renting it ( under 10-15$ monthly). However, i will try to get a wide marketing plans so i will not only offer one of way of purchase.

eager to hear from you

 

Thank you..

If you were me, which way you will go and why?

Thanks

 

If you develop an addon, it's easier to outsource the "rights management" to whoever developed the charting/trading platform. I would go for option 2 only if one of the following holds:
a) The charting software or broker don't allow option 1 (you may want to allow for some flexibility like checking platform configuration files)
b) You are developing a "crossplatform" addon
c) You belive the addon is more valuable than the charting/trading platform

In most cases extra protection means extra hassle and delays for honest buyers. So, you want to keep these to reasonable minimum.

 

Thank you , highly valuable opinion.

 

Wow, it seems that there is no security in that software. I think all nothing is impossible LOL

 

Pey some1 two leek eh "hacked version" on Piratebay.org et al. that also eenkludes eh trojan uv sum sort... Teech ze freeloadeur eh resson, sorta speek...

 

this is wondeful idea LoL

 

Build hardware. Map some critical sections of your software onto a peripheral device accessed via USB. USB device not present? Software no worky.

It's security by obscurity where obscurity includes "building hardware".

Depending upon your level of paranoia, you can include flash-programmed FPGAs with a "security bit" (example) into your USB peripheral design, to make reverse engineering a couple orders-of-magnitude more difficult.