Licensing fees

[Stephane Potvin-2]

Good day,

Thank you again for all your answers and suggestions.

To the risk of being a pain in the neck, please allow me a couple  
more questions.

>> I was thinking of putting a time limit in the software. For  
>> example, at the end of a one year contract with the client, the  
>> current
>> version  would simply lock out. The end user could download the  
>> newest version from the client's website. In the event a contract has
>> not been renewed with the client, the end used could purchase a  
>> license from my website.
> Nooooo! If your client knows you are planning to do that they will  
> never proceed. The best you can do is make sure that you capture  
> their details via
> a registration of some sort and then you can contact them to try  
> and sell them upgrades and tech support.

Not even if the client knows about the time limit? I was thinking of  
making that part of the agreement.
My concern is that once the software is loose on the internet, I  
loose all ability to ever make a penny from it.
What happens if next year the client says, thank you, no more. There  
are still copies floating around that can be distributed anywhere,  
anytime.
How do I ever regain control of my software? If not with a time  
limitation?

Thank you for taking the time to write back.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Stephane
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[Pat Bensky-2]

On 22/8/08 05:36, "Stephane Potvin" <stephane.potvin@...> wrote:

> Good day,
>
> Thank you again for all your answers and suggestions.
>
> To the risk of being a pain in the neck, please allow me a couple
> more questions.
>
>
>>> I was thinking of putting a time limit in the software. For
>>> example, at the end of a one year contract with the client, the
>>> current
>>> version  would simply lock out. The end user could download the
>>> newest version from the client's website. In the event a contract has
>>> not been renewed with the client, the end used could purchase a
>>> license from my website.
>> Nooooo! If your client knows you are planning to do that they will
>> never proceed. The best you can do is make sure that you capture
>> their details via
>> a registration of some sort and then you can contact them to try
>> and sell them upgrades and tech support.
>
> Not even if the client knows about the time limit? I was thinking of
> making that part of the agreement.

I doubt that they would agree to it.

> My concern is that once the software is loose on the internet, I
> loose all ability to ever make a penny from it.
That's the price you will pay for making this kind of deal.

> What happens if next year the client says, thank you, no more. There
> are still copies floating around that can be distributed anywhere,
> anytime.
Again, back to the online registration system. If that happens then you
simply do not allow anybody new to register the software unless they pay for
it. The registration system does not allow them to use it if they haven't
paid for it.

> How do I ever regain control of my software? If not with a time
> limitation?
See above re. An online registration system. We implemented this and it is
very effective. It prevents piracy and it enables us to offer a very
flexible licensing model.

Pat
 

>
> Thank you for taking the time to write back.
>
> Your help is greatly appreciated.
>
> Stephane
> **********************************************************************
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>
> 4th Dimension Internet Users Group (4D iNUG)
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--------------------------------------------------
CatBase: The Database Publishing Solution
CatBase Software Ltd.
T: [phone]
W: http://www.catbase.com
skype: pat.bensky
--------------------------------------------------



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[Wesley Rosner]

I am jumping into this late in the game, but will second the idea of a  
registration system.  We have a piece of software protected in this  
way and it's very effective.  I have been paid many times because the  
end-user couldn't continue using the software without some acceptance  
on my part that they do so.  My system may be especially well suited  
to this as their use of the software relates to the use for a sporting  
event.  All the reports are tied to the information about that event  
and the "new" event can't be created in the database without an "OK"  
from my registration system.  They have a username and password to  
request new licenses with from within the software.  That request goes  
through a SOAP request to my registration server.  If the customer is  
in bad standing then their request is rejected, and if they are in  
good standing it is accepted.  My customers use the software for up to  
dozens of events a year, so I have many opportunities to ensure that i  
am getting paid and they can continue using the software.

I would be happy to share on a technical sense how I built my system,  
but I suspect that is not so important.  Would it be possible for you  
to license it for a year at a time and at the end of the year they get  
warnings it will stop working in X days.  They could put in payment  
info right into the  system and via soap you could collect and  
reauthorize their use for another year?

-Wes

On Aug 22, 2008, at 12:36 AM, Stephane Potvin wrote:

> Good day,
>
> Thank you again for all your answers and suggestions.
>
> To the risk of being a pain in the neck, please allow me a couple  
> more questions.
>
>
>>> I was thinking of putting a time limit in the software. For  
>>> example, at the end of a one year contract with the client, the  
>>> current
>>> version  would simply lock out. The end user could download the  
>>> newest version from the client's website. In the event a contract  
>>> has
>>> not been renewed with the client, the end used could purchase a  
>>> license from my website.
>> Nooooo! If your client knows you are planning to do that they will  
>> never proceed. The best you can do is make sure that you capture  
>> their details via
>> a registration of some sort and then you can contact them to try  
>> and sell them upgrades and tech support.
>
> Not even if the client knows about the time limit? I was thinking of  
> making that part of the agreement.
> My concern is that once the software is loose on the internet, I  
> loose all ability to ever make a penny from it.
> What happens if next year the client says, thank you, no more. There  
> are still copies floating around that can be distributed anywhere,  
> anytime.
> How do I ever regain control of my software? If not with a time  
> limitation?
>
> Thank you for taking the time to write back.
>
> Your help is greatly appreciated.
>
> Stephane
> **********************************************************************
> 4D Server v11 SQL has arrived!
> Buy it NOW at http://store.4ddepot.com
>
> 4th Dimension Internet Users Group (4D iNUG)
> FAQ:    http://www.4d.com/support/faqnug.html
> Unsub:  mailto:4D_Biz-Unsubscribe@...
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