Unlocking & stuff (was Re: [sword-devel] Cool idea: Commercial Linux /Windows Bible program based on Sword)

David Burry sword-devel@crosswire.org
Thu, 01 Feb 2001 16:37:52 -0800


Of course, you'd need a proper e-commerce and registration system and database on the server side, if you ever wanted to allow registered people to re-key and re-download things without paying again, if they upgrade to a new computer later, for instance.  Basically, in the end, you'd end up with something just as secure as the online banking system my bank uses....  And I know how costly _that_ is to fund, so I can see why there is a place for commercial Bible software companies.  Any commercial Bible software companies working on online stuff like this?  hope hope...

Dave

At 06:14 AM 2/2/2001 +1000, Paul Gear wrote:
>> How about using a key where you can download the module that you have
>> purchased..  The key code can be used only two or three times using the
>> install manager and then a new code would have to be purchased..
>
>So restrict the modules at point of download.  Hmmm...  That might just
>work.  Only people who have paid for the modules can download them. 
>That way, even though the key management cannot be 100% secure, at least
>you've got someone to blame if the module pops up in places where it
>shouldn't.  :-)
>
>Actually, there is a way that we could make the key management
>reasonably secure.  Each installation of the program could generate an
>installation asymmetric key pair, and the user would be required to
>enter a passphrase with which to encrypt it (using a symmetric cipher). 
>Unlocks would be done in such a way that the (symmetric) module key is
>(asymmetrically) encrypted to the installation key of the user, and
>stored in a "keyring" on the user's PC.