Digital Workshop

Good evening friends.

I purchased Opus Creator and would like to design a multimedia presentation and then sell it. Now since I'll end up with an .exe file, is there a way to prevent someone who buys the multimedia to distribute it to others?

Thank you.

Two things...

1. Try posting your query in the Opus Creator section. Limited copy protection is available in Opus 5.5 and 6.0, but only Creator users know if it's also available to them.

2. There have been numerous posts in the past concerning this issue. Type "Copy Protection" into Search and this should provide you with more information.

Hope this helps.

Hi, yes there is a much better way to protect your work. In fact, there are two options:
Option 1: Get "Hexalock". A free program that helps you to lock your presentation so it can be only played from the CD and the CD can't be copied. You just need to find out your local distributors for the CD. This media already have incorporated a "protection code" in it that make them basically fully protected.
Hexalock can be used in unison with your burning software, the only thing is that you have to use their CD's in order to burn the final project.

Option 2: Purchase :SoftwarePassport. This software is THE BEST for copyprotection and for create electronic key for your products.

Option 3: For a small fee, I can do it for you.

I hope this helps
Koala

@ thehawk:
Be sure to go down this path with your eyes open though.
All systems can be overcome, some easier than others. It depends if your after "soft" or "hard" protection and how far your willing to go to get it.
One of the easiest to overcome is SoftwarePassport (aka Armadillo), there are many unpackers around for it. One of the hardest is Code-Lock, however it can be overcome (just not as easy as some of the others).
Also, not all systems will work with Opus.
My suggestion is to do your research and know your level of protection your after upon approach.

Thank you for the help guys. I was thinking of coding a small tool which writes something in the registry and compares it with a database of "keys" whenever the multimedia runs, also sending the IP to make sure the key can't be used from more than 3 different IPs but it seems too much at this point

@ thehawk:
I agree "home grown" is the best because no pre-knowledge exists (for the hackers). It was the path we took as well, not all that different than your current thinking. To our knowledge it hasn't been overcome yet, although we do change a number of params regularly.
Good Luck ...

Thank you Swan, very kind.

Would appreciate if you could expand a little bit on the way you did it, maybe via private message - or I expand mine and then you let me know if it has any glitches

Firstly we used a systems called "CDShield" by "Mindestworx". A French company (prob just one guy) which may not be still operating. Basically it locks one exe file to a CD. We don't lock the Opus pub with this though. For one it isn't compatible with Opus and it slows the process down too much anyway.
So we created a small exe that simply writes to the registry with an encrypted string based upon the current date & time. It then closes itself just before starting the Opus pub.
The first thing the pub does is check the registry entry, allowing for at least a minute or two. Obviously the crypt key should be common between the two.
The big advantage is - the pub files may be copied to the harddrive but won't operate unless the CD is in the drive.
We change the file info method regularly for inconsistency - I think you get my drift.
As far as I'm aware this method hasn't been defeated yet, but then we don't do much stuff that's classed as mainstream either, so maybe noone would want to defeat it. But there ya have it anyway.
Good luck.

G'day mate!
I am intrigued by your comments because I have used these two products for a while and so far none of my work has been hacked.
For a quick multimedia I used Hexalock which does exactly what your CDSHIELD does and even more.
SoftwarePassport just to be Armadillo but now they are two different applications. This software is brilliant and I am surprised for your comments.
Anyway, tried before you buy is the key in anything. Good hunting!
Koala

I thought I might have an interest in this, so I visited their website. I have to say that I found their approach to marketing strange.


Before I can even get info to see if I might possibly be interested in paying for their products, I have to open an account???

I work in reverse. Before I open an account and provide information which in the past has resulted in waves of spam, they have to convince me that they have something I want. They might have the best product in the world but because of these requirements, I'll be looking for an alternative.

Just my strange way of doing business

@ Koala
Hi mate,
I wasn't poking my tongue at you, it was just an observation.
I "Googled" for unpackers/defeaters/crackers/etc for those products and found plenty of references and indeed actual tools.
I guess the point I was trying to make was - the more mainstream the system the easier it is to defeat.
No system is perfect and if your happy with yours that's fine, even better if it remains secure as you say.

Merry Xmas ...

(PS - link to CDShield site: http://www.mindestworx.fr.st)
BTW - no special CD required