March 15, 201312 yr Hi all; I made a 1 Mb filemaker abc.fmp12 file which I want to sell. User may download filemaker GO 12 from AppStore. I send the file to user by email. But it should work on only 1 IPAD (in windows it was possible with HDD serial number look plugin). Any ideas ? how to make my software copy protected ? Do FileMaker can look iPads Serial Number? Best Regards
March 15, 201312 yr FileMaker Go databases can't access an iPad's serial number. However, FileMaker 12 introduced the Get ( PersistentID ) function, which returns an ID that is unique to the device. The file you send to your customer could compare an ID it has stored with Get ( PersistentID ) and ... 1. If there's no stored ID, store Get ( PersistentID ) for future reference, binding the file to that device. 2. If the IDs don't match, warn the user and close the file. 3. If the IDs do match, continue with opening the file normally. This does not protect the file from being copied to other devices before being opened for the first time, nor does it protect the file from being copied from the original email later. You might have the file register its installation with a remote FileMaker server you control, and refuse to open if the remote server says it's not OK. Be careful with this, though; it's a very reliable way to infuriate customers. At least be careful to give the user the benefit of the doubt if the file can't connect to your registration server. Alternately, you could send the user a first file (or an fmp:// URL pointing to a database on your server) that sends the result of Get ( PersistentID ) to you so you can write it into the actual application database before sending it to your customer, but that's more work than many customers might be used to.
May 17, 201312 yr Hi Just a thought but what's to stop a purchaser from using full blown FMP Advanced to open the file with debug operating and gaining full access? Having obtained admin pw from one of the lost password applications? Sorry if this has been discussed before. I did do a search and this was the closest I found. Cheers N
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