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Selling Software - Shareware, Piracy, and Profit?
qjereq asks: "A few months after being laid off from a large corporation early last year, I decided to create some image browsing software to sell on the web and, perhaps later, in stores. Unfortunately, besides competing with hundreds of other similar shareware and freeware products, I have found that the bulk of my product's downloads come from pirate web sites. I have tried unsuccessfully to make my software hack-proof. I have also looked into selling the product in-stores, but I have only heard bad things about this including the possibility of having to eat the cost of returned merchandise. I am running low on cash and am on the brink of giving up, but I know that the product is good. Do any Slashdot readers have any success stories about how they were able to make money by selling software? My product is currently sold as Shareware. Should I consider a combination of Freeware and a Full Version? Is it worth the hassle of trying to get onto store shelves? Help."
A can say a lot in response to the comments above, but instead, I'll summarize.
I have purchased Opera, my development IDE, an image library, and many other software products (including MS Windows). (I have also sponsored Opera via banner ads.)
I have not donated to the Apache or JBoss projects since I haven't made enough money with which to do so, but I have their logos on my pages to give credit where credit is due.
You are very right about at least two things: Let the pirates have the software and try to see it as cheap marketing. I need to make my software stand out more than it already does.
no bsa to fight for them
What about the Association for Shareware Professionals
Here's possibly one of the best sites on the net about the philosophy of designing shareware. Note that copy protection is not the answer!
http://semicolon.com/ShareSuccess/Shareware1.html
Basically, the author does triage. There are 3 types of people: those who will always pay, those who will never pay (pirates), and those who might pay. He focuses on trying to convince the latter group, and doesn't waste time with copy protection schemes that will just annoy the honest users and not stop the pirates.
What's wrong with copy protection:
http://www.toad.com/gnu/whatswrong.html
Some typical attack methods:
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Barracks/3030/co pyfail.htm
http://fravia.anticrack.de/advanced.htm
You might want to read all of these before deciding if your efforts on copy protection are really worth it in the long run.
http://semicolon.com/ShareSuccess/SharewareLinks.h tml
The author of the first link has a page of more links that are also very good.
Dr. Demento On The 'Net!
Actually, if you claim limited size and hardship, you can get 10 barcodes for only $375 membership and possibly an annual renewal fee(they just started a "we're a service provider like domain names, so we need to charge a yearly fee" thing but are getting sued to stop it). It's not something they advertise though, you'll have to ask for it.