How about the concept of the interface as the dongle.

I'm sure the technology is available for a chip to be in the interface to contain the user data, then when connected, the software should be able to read the necessary information off the chip, then a password could be asked for.

No need to connect to the internet, apart from initial registration, where the password would initially be set up.

Doesnt Pro Tools / Avid already do this?

Yes they do, but I believe they are the only ones.

Dude, you just described Pro Tools, the world's most ubiquitous DAW.

- c

Like have iLok built in to an interface not like how Digi does it with specific hardware. But any interface can contain your own software licenses. Ilok or someone else and all hardware manufacturers would be working together on this.

yes digidesign does this but i think its brilliant...because then the crackers can get the program all they want but they wouldn't be able to really use it so it would not be something they would want to crack....which i think is a good way to keep piracy down a bit.

i think he means that interfaces in general could be a dongle, they could have something like ilok technology built into them, and can only work with properly authorized versions of software?

narco

Line 6 does this as an option or Ilok, I appreciate the choice.

The big issue is being tied to a specific interface that may not have the features/quality you require, which you're then forced to have using up space on the bus for no good reason. Better to have a normal dongle or much better than that to have a license server as is more commonly in use in other niche software markets.

M-Audio Torq uses this. Its a pain in the ass!

Well, only Pro Tools LE really uses the 'interface as dongle.'

HD & M-Powered both require the hardware AND an iLok license... so there's "double protection" going on, I suppose.

Well If more companies start doing this you may begin to see an increase in theft. Unless they put some kind of networking chip in the unit that would tell them where the unit is being used so they can trace it! But who knows!

I think he meant that ilok/syncrosoft should be embedded in the interface so we won't need dongles anymore.
It is a great idea,if only every single card uses this technology.
Also I may b wrong but i don't think Syncrosoft has not been cracked ever.why not have a universal dongle for every product (with free backup/transfer option) ?

Metric Halo also does this with their plugins. I think it's great.

tutt No no no... iLok has never been cracked. Syncrosoft has been.

i'd research that if i was you mate, why do you think waves are trying to bring loadsa people to court?

Here is the thing that I don't get about wanting this...

Lets say you own a bunch of plugs that another studio does not. You bring your usb key the size of a pack of certs (that IS what is in my pocket), to the studio and you have the plugs that you use accessible at another site (maybe need to install them).

So you are proposing that it would be easier to unhook your fireface 800 and bring it?

Not sure what is "broken" with the current scenario as far as the actual concept goes. There are issues with actually getting auth to work sometimes, but the concept of a very small and portable device for security is pretty smart.

Ilok as a protection doesn't really work. Only the latest Syncrosoft has not been cracked i.e Cubase 4 and 5. Ilok has been cracked :(

I don't think it's iLok itself that's been cracked (how would this even work?), it's the software that's protected by iLok that has. That's the problem - you can have the most robust copy-protection dongle in existence, but as long as people can fool the software it's trying to protect into working, then this issue will be present.

So this is why dongle manufacturers can claim that their systems are "uncrackable" - because I guess technically they are...

The UAD cards haven't been cracked either.....

We offer a toolkit for software publishers the varying degrees of technology use to offer license management as well as prevent tampering and hacking. In the end the publishers decide what trade offs they can make in their market and what experience they want for their customers.

There are many applications protected by the iLok that have never been cracked in any way. Like others in this market, we learn and battle crack attempts all the time - improving our technology.

I will point out that many of the publishers that use iLok have found it to be a valuable licensing platform, one that has kept them in business and able to support their customers. Their revenue has allowed them to create new products for customers and grow their business. This includes lower end products and discounts. If that isn't a win-win for publishers and customers, I don't know what is.

I am not claiming our solution is perfect (the iLok or software) but it can be used in many ways. We work hard to add user benefits and to make the tools as affordable as possible for software publishers.