Re: MI: New product - how to control licensing ?

[Warren Vick, Europa Technologies Ltd.]

Hello Gearoid,

> We have a MapInfo-based product which we wish to release commercially.
> What is the best way to handle licensing of this ?  e.g. by generating a
> product license number which is based on the MapInfo serial number, without
> which the product will not operate.  Also how have people developed 30-day
> evaluation versions or evaluation versions limited in the number of map
> features they can handle ?

My suggestion would be to become a MapInfo partner - if you're not already. This way 
you will be 
able to sell a complete solution and of course make some money selling MI Pro. This is 
the sort of 
thing Northwood do with, perhaps the most popular MI add-on, Vertical Mapper.

I would go for your own serial number system as you have no control over what MapInfo 
system 
will be now or in the future. At the moment, at least with the International English 
MI Pro, you can 
enter anything for a serial number and it doesn't complain.

Evaluation period editions can be simple or complex in their operation. Checking the 
current date 
and comparing it with a date when the program was first run is quite easy. However 
people still try 
rolling back the system clock after the evaluation period has expired. You could put 
something 
(perhaps a hidden file or obscure registry entry) to note that the expiry has occurred 
no matter 
what the date is. Then again, you have to allow for people trying the next version of 
your product 
without being prejudiced to the fact they have tried it before.

There are methods of getting unique information from the installation machine (e.g 
disk ID) and 
perhaps using this with customer information to generate a key code. You could then 
give a 
complimentary key which unlocks the functionality of your program. If you program is 
small and 
simple enough to disseminate over the web, evaluation versions can be unlocked to 
become full 
versions after payment (by credit card or whatever) is made.

Good luck with your product, unless of course it competes with one of ours. ;-)

Regards,
Warren Vick
Europa Technologies Ltd, U.K.
www.europa-tech.com
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