PocketMatrix

I'm about to release my first program, and would like to hear tips on preventing piracy. I do realize that eventually it will probably get cracked, but would like to make it as hard as possible.

Also, what are the bounds of what it is acceptable to do ? Is it ok to validate codes through the internet, sending the hardware id, owner name and key code to my server for validation, or would this violate the users privace / be insecure ?

I've also never generated serials before, so what type of algorithm should I use ?

yuit,

Try this: Hit "Search" in the top menu, type "pirating" as the keyword, select the "General Developer Discussion" forum. You'll get about 6-7 threads that discuss pirating and protection.

If you have any specific questions after that, I'm sure we'll try to come up with good answers.

Hope this helps,
-John