When airport security became so obnoxious that it's now the #1 complaint of travelers, the TSA came up with a solution. Let them run a background check on you, prove you're a good guy, and you can get an ID card that speeds the process. Great for frequent flyers.
 
When lines at the US-Canada border crossings similarly became aggravating, both countries collaborated on a program that lets people who cross frequently get a fast pass that reduces their border headaches.
 
The software industry could learn from this with a Trusted User program. You'd identify yourself completely, agree not to sell or share your purchases (and they'd agree not to sell your personal information). Then, when you subsequently buy a product from that company you get a (perhaps watermarked) DLL with no security protections - no license file, no registry keys, no dongle, no need to connect to a server to authorize. You make your own backup of the file(s) and you're guaranteed to never have of the kinds of problems described in the original post.
 
The first vendor to implement such a scheme would have a competitive edge, and encourage repeat business and customer loyalty. 
 

XP. 'Nuff Said.

bitflipper
When airport security became so obnoxious that it's now the #1 complaint of travelers, the TSA came up with a solution. Let them run a background check on you, prove you're a good guy, and you can get an ID card that speeds the process. Great for frequent flyers.
 
When lines at the US-Canada border crossings similarly became aggravating, both countries collaborated on a program that lets people who cross frequently get a fast pass that reduces their border headaches.
 
The software industry could learn from this with a Trusted User program. You'd identify yourself completely, agree not to sell or share your purchases (and they'd agree not to sell your personal information). Then, when you subsequently buy a product from that company you get a (perhaps watermarked) DLL with no security protections - no license file, no registry keys, no dongle, no need to connect to a server to authorize. You make your own backup of the file(s) and you're guaranteed to never have of the kinds of problems described in the original post.
 
The first vendor to implement such a scheme would have a competitive edge, and encourage repeat business and customer loyalty. 
 

Sounds like a Great idea, but, Several software dev's still believe they can prevent/reduce piracy by using these silly ass licensing schemes that just cause pain for the Customers. Hopefully/Eventually they will find they are losing their Customer base because of this. 
 
I have noticed a trend for certain vendor/dev's to advertise 'iLok not required' only to find out you still have to DL some sort of licensing mgr. to your machine that causes just as many problems.
 
I try to never buy into a system like this but I am also seeing a trend of the licensing info not being available until after you have made your purchase. This very thing just happened to me with the upgrade to Revalver 4 and I ended up having to purchase 2 (two) copies of the upgrade in order to use it. It now requires that you tie the license to some USB device on your machine(s).

bitflipper
When airport security became so obnoxious that it's now the #1 complaint of travelers, the TSA came up with a solution. Let them run a background check on you, prove you're a good guy, and you can get an ID card that speeds the process. Great for frequent flyers.
 
When lines at the US-Canada border crossings similarly became aggravating, both countries collaborated on a program that lets people who cross frequently get a fast pass that reduces their border headaches.
 
The software industry could learn from this with a Trusted User program. You'd identify yourself completely, agree not to sell or share your purchases (and they'd agree not to sell your personal information). Then, when you subsequently buy a product from that company you get a (perhaps watermarked) DLL with no security protections - no license file, no registry keys, no dongle, no need to connect to a server to authorize. You make your own backup of the file(s) and you're guaranteed to never have of the kinds of problems described in the original post.
 
The first vendor to implement such a scheme would have a competitive edge, and encourage repeat business and customer loyalty. 
 

I think this sounds good in theory, but that cynical part of me feels that it assumes the goal of these consumer hindering measures have the sole goal of reducing piracy. I believe ( I obviously cannot prove this) at least part of the goal with things like iLok is revenue. I would be curious what the markup is vs what iLok chargs for the license. I doubt any of these schemes affect pirates a fraction of the amount that they affect paying customers. I know this is anecdotal and not a scientific study, but among people I know, those who use pirated versions don't seem the slightest bit affected by these measures. I can't think of a widely used product not cracked and easily available.

Guys,
 
More trivia thoughts on this, warez cracks and the like, after which I almost promise to shut up over the issue (until my next crash blubbering in rage...). Labor Day and a couple beers...
 
Carl mentioned that this was "bad karma". I blew this off because I was only protecting what I had legitimately paid for after multiple disasters. Some crashes in my past were taken care of in a couple days by fast and good company support, but the damage could not be undone for the burnout happening at the absolute worst possible time. They don't factor this in with the purchase price.
 
My significant other is way more refined and aware than I can ever be. She reminded that me posting warez even as a moral fallback on a public forum is the bad karma of it all. Anyone delving to the darkside because it is available, or crashing because of virus is a negative weight in my account going forward.
 
My problem is the way I see the world, navigating thru life trying to balance moral and legal. In the US, we still have many despicable state laws still on the books that relegate blacks and women to animal status with as many rights. Other laws exist that made sense in the 1800's but a joke to actually enforce in 2014. They are mostly unknown and not enforced, but are still on the books and thus the law. To enforce them would be immoral.
 
Good argument from Socrates who downed the hemlock poison to kill himself. Was the victim of an unjust legal system that condemned him to death. His followers bribed the guards and he could have escaped. Socrates said that if he escaped, the legal system would collapse with any individual interpreting what is legal or moral. He elected to kill himself rather than set a precedent that would weaken the word of the law, no matter how defective or unjust.
 
Me, I would have bailed out the back door without a second thought, why I have no trouble with warez cracks as long as I don't share them and have paid full price for the program.
 
Carl does bring up another critical critical point about warez cracks, and this is in the risk and danger.
 
The available cracks are maybe 70% or more infected with serious viruses. Serious meaning enough to bring your computer down to rubble. Without a backup hard drive, I wouldn't have a computer after some of the lethal crashes trying to find a backup.
 
A crack or torrent may present as the program but is more often the back door to grief, as Carl warned. Very suicidal to even go there for any reason. Been a vegetarian for about 40 years. Guess this is my replacement for deep sea fishing in very dangerous waters, as long as it is moral, which does not necessarily mean legal.
 
John
 

Jeez,
 
Read Rtucker's account of Revalver 4. Bummer.
 
Do they only allow one license to one computer? Do they just let you choose a random USB stick as a dongle?
 
Disturbing new perverted attempt to keep the generic customer honest.
 
Revalver 4 is a beautiful program. Eligible for the $49 upgrade. Will do the upgrade as soon as some 14 year old kid posts a ... okay, forget it...
 
 
 

Like the other thread said. It will eventually all be on the cloud and we'll have to log on to use it. Because people chose to steal it. Doesn't matter if they chose to download cracks for a good or bad reason.

Personally, I like the I lok 30 bucks a year scheme, where my many thousands of dollars of music software are useable across all my computers and I am protected if anything gets stolen.

I don't advocate the use of warez at all, but having used that route years back, I can say that the statement "70 percent or more is infected with serious viruses" is patently untrue. I haven't encountered a single virus in pro audio warez. That said, there is obviously no check or guarantee, and if you ruin your computer using illegal software I say serves you right. I didn't mind using warez as a student/hobbyist, but I'm all clean now. Moreover, having worked in a music shop, one of my pet peeves is people using warez and coming in to get troubleshooting tips from the service department.

Sand,
 
Yeah, maybe 70% is unclinical and a random guess. Seems however like 70 percent if 100 percent grief is encountered. You are extremely fortunate if you did never encounter a virus infection from a warez program. Possibly also your "years ago" there were fewer cyber monsters cloaking lethal attacks for the fun of it under the guise of a free ride you don't have to pay for.
 
Also agree that warez junkies complaining about their free crack failures, needing support are part of the cement that secures scum of the earth.
 
(edit)
Backwood,
 
Just saw your post and curious about how you see this. Just here to learn, so not throwing flames at you. Respect your input.
 
Cloud to me is a nightmare of external control. They got you by the balls and have the capacity to screw you once they gain control, and once you accept the new model as the inevitable norm.
 
What happens is what has happened here multiple times before even without the new horizon of remote virtual ownership. I'm not an isolated case having been given the shaft.
 
Company changes the rules. Cut's the throat of your ownership of a program. Never disclosed in the original purchase when they begged for your money. Waves bastards never online inactivated my purchases, but sent me an email they changed their minds and were refusing any more transfer of licenses. Would not invade and inactivate my purchase on an existing computer, but dead meat if I needed to transfer. All could be fixed for extortion money to pay for the new contract.
 
Gave up and downloaded the crack. Waves can go to hell and back. I roll my own transfers from here out.
 
John

Some years ago I had a cracked version of the entire Adobe Creative Suite on my computer. I guess I didn't really think about the morals of it all back then and also did my fair share of illegal music downloads too. Eventually though I just felt like a bit of a sleazebag - not just for stealing the software but also through my contact with "that" seedy side of the internet. And yes, it is a big risk, the legal ramifications not withstanding. I've only had one virus in my time but it was from a cracked download (which was scanned by 2 different antivirus first) and it was a bad one. It did something so catastrophic to my boot sector that after days and days of trying to get to the bottom of it I had to give up and reformat the whole drive (none of my Acronis tools worked). I couldn't even access the factory recovery partition and I ended up having to use a new boxed version of Windows to get back up and running. That was the end of cracked software for me. I wouldn't even consider it these days and feel so much better for paying for everything, even if it means I can't have everything I want. Although I sympathize with the OP's reasons for dabbling in the dark side....