Re: Java and avoiding software piracy?

Instead, make money off your ancillary expertise in the software, its
internals, and the problem domain. Your talents in that area are
scarce and rivalrous, so they make sense as private or metered goods.
Charge for customization of someone's install of the software, or for
support beyond basic bug-fixes and how-tos. Open a consultancy, with
the software as testament to your competence in the field. Whatever.

This is only a valid business model under certain circumstances:
- the tool under discussion has to be something "enterprisey", since
only at least medium-sized companies pay for customized software,
support or consultants. If you wrote e.g. a RSS reader or anything
else that definitely targets the single end user you're out of luck.
- the tool has to be obscure / complex / buggy / ... enough so that
consultancy is even necessary. Again: if you have a well-written
little RSS reader it is unlikely that enough questions arise that a
paid support is even necessary.
- you as the author have to be able and willing to dedicate a lot of
the time following into consulting and/or maintaining the software. If
you already have a day job you're unlikely to have enough spare time
that you can spend to follow this business model. Customization takes
time. So does maintaining and supporting an application.

Conclusion: I am definitely a friend of OSS, but the idea that seems
to go around that an OSS business model is the one and only way to
earn some money with software is just bogus.

And for the OP: I wouldn't care too much about crackers and key
generators. Unless your software /really/ catches on the problems
arising from these guys are marginal.

/philipp

.

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