[AccessD] Copy Protection Needed

That's a possibility.  I'd like to get a few users as enthusiastic about it
as our first guy.  And then approach them. 

Rocky
 

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Stuart McLachlan
Sent: Saturday, April 25, 2009 2:19 PM
To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
Subject: Re: [AccessD] Copy Protection Needed

I see from a quick google that Toys For Tots is a US Marine Reserve
foundation.

"Over its 14 year life span, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation has
supplemented local toy collections with more than 55.5 million toys valued
at more than $284 million; plus has provided promotion and support materials
valued at over $3.2 million"

How about approaching them with a bulk licencing deal -  that way you can
provide a copy to every chapter and not have to worry about copy protection.


-- 
Stuart

On 25 Apr 2009 at 8:59, Rocky Smolin wrote:

> Dear List:
> 
> Susan Harkins and I are working on a project together  It is a relatively
> small application and database for the Toys for Tots organization -
tracking
> parents, children, donors, and volunteers.  We were contacted by the head
of
> a Michigan chapter after he had gotten bids from $2500 to $10,000 for a
> custom database - well out of his budget range.  So we decided to put
> together an application for him, speculating that perhaps other Toys for
> Tots chapters around the country would find the application valuable. He's
> up and running and very happy, has provided us with a nice endorsement,
and
> will post a notice to the TFT bulletin board for us when we get a web page
> up.  Which should be in a couple weeks.  We have priced the product at
$400.
>  
> We think, given the tight budgets and the fact that they're a charitable,
> volunteer organization, that there is a risk that copies of the
application,
> which we have named Toy Track, will get passed around to other chapters
even
> at a relatively low cost of $400. 
>  
> So we would like to find a way to implement some copy protection but don't
> want it to be a burden on either us or the user. Some approaches would be
>  
> 1. have the app 'phone home' to be activated, sending the hard drive
serial
> or somehow tying it to a machine.  Problem here is that the license will
be
> for the chapter - front end would go on each client - so they could
> legitimately run multiple copies of the app. And we'd have the expense of
> creating and maintaining the web site. 
>  
> 2. Date bomb - this would require re-registration from time to time. Like
> #1, it would involve an interactive web site - more effort and expense
that
> we think we want to put into copy protection - or a phone or email
response
> with a 'key' that would extend the license.  Or we send each user a fresh
> copy before their copy expires.  Still doesn't stop them from forwarding
the
> new mde to someone else.
>  
> 3. Run with the CD in the drive.  Nah. Too easy to rip a CD.  Don't think
> we'd get any protection there. Plus we'd have the whole product and
shipping
> hassle, and  software delivered electronically versus on a hard copy
medium
> is free of sales tax in California.
>  
> 4????
>  
> Any ideas will be welcome.  Hopefully the discussion will benefit others
on
> the list who are facing similar problems.
>  
> MTIA,
> 
> Rocky Smolin
> 
> Beach Access Software
> 
> 858-259-4334
> 
> www.e-z-mrp.com <http://www.e-z-mrp.com/> 
> 
> www.bchacc.com <http://www.bchacc.com/> 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> 


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