Copy Protection?

How does one enforce the copy protection so commonly found in commercial EAs? I'm assuming there's a simple piece of coding that can restrict the EA to only function on a specific account?

There are plenty of methods to try and restrict an EA. But decompiling EAs has become so easy now that it's better not to distribute EAs.

Probably the best way to protect the EA is to move the logic to the dll files. It is not easy to decompile dll files so this will help a bit. anyway i think that there is no software that cannot be cracked... so the best way to sell the EA is to sell its signals but not the EA itself.

You can also store code on a server.

Also, fx1.net has a nice, free service that will encrypt your mql4 code and also a free way to set up basic licensing. This is a bit easier than hiding code in a dll or on a server.

Unfortunately, my product easily cracked, even though that it's protected with Guardian. I had to create my own system of protection because I didn't found any trusted solution. The indicator sends the necessary candle-data to a server, which calculate some values. The indicator receive this values, and it can works only with these. This process takes place in a fraction of a second(20-50ms), so it’s not a slowing factor.

that is some interesting method you have, using remote server to do the job. can you please explain the details (technical) of your system?

thanks

I made this picture

http://truetlcalc.com/d/protection.jpg

well, I try to working on similar solution years ago but I just don't have the proper resource and knowledge. maybe I'm going to revisit the project and give it second try

good luck

My system is working properly now.

Good luck for you too.

styan, my congratulations! you've created an interesting system. so how do you plan to sell your EA now? will you restrict it to the account number or computer hardware?
is there a way how you can restrict copying signals of your EA? unfair customers may use copiers like this one and send signals of your EA to other people.

And these "unfair" customers are not afraid that the order latency is too large with this method? I know some people who tried a similar copier, they repented.

I use this own protection system for my own trendline indicator (TrueTL). I don't use any restrict such as mt4 account number or computer hardware. I can detect abuses with the traffic log on the server.

yes you're right, there is some latency in copying (a second or a few seconds) but this is not good for scalping strategies only, and is fine for other types of strategies, anyway you cannot copy indicator values (or maybe it is possible but I do not know how) so you can feel safe

Thanks.

I finally got my system running, but I still need to find reliable host to handle the job. You can take a look at my post here http://www.forexfactory.com/showthread.php?t=341283


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Dear Styan,
Well it seems you have created effective copy protection that works for your indicator. Not a minor accomplishment!

We are seriously considering the purchase of GuardianPro, but we are very concerned about your experience.
Can you fill me in with some details on Guardian being cracked?
- How long ago was that?
- Are you sure it was not a case of the following, from the Guardian website:

Q: My EA has been decompiled or hacked despite Guardian, how this can be?

Ok here is the situation on almost all cases: Your EA has some name which is usually not changing all the time. The decompiling services store all files they have cracked once on their harddisk, lets imagine you send them your TheUltimateEA.ex4 which was encrypted with Guardian and they cannot decompile it; what they do is they look their old decompiled files and get you the one with same name, about version they dont care neither. If you want to be sure that someone can decompile your EA, you have to change its name to something totaly neutral like ea6749174.ex4 and send to them.

-You said it was "easily" cracked. Why do you say easily?


Thank you,

Brandon

Hello,

It's a typical stupid answer on the FAQ. I never sent to anyone the unprotected files. Moreover, the protected and unprotected file size are matches, and the start of ex4 is not encoded. So unnecessary to rename the protected files, they can find the unprotected files easily.

Why easily cracked? As they received the protected files, they are released within one day on weekend. From that point, I don't trust any "offline" protection.

Fortunately my system is working, and I am calm

Styan,

Wow.

Do you remember how long ago that happened?
(I am interested to find out if it has improved since then.)


Brandon

1-2 months...

But they write this on the website:

"Guardian1 and Guardian2 have same strength of protection. There will be no reason to change from G1 to G2 just because of security, their security level is absolutly identical. G2 has more features and makes the life more easy for vendors and also users."

Note:

 

1. This is a qualified guess. I do not know exactly how that protection software is implemented.
2. Hooking.

One way that form of protection can be implemented is to install a hook in the OS that gets called when targeted files are read. The hook would intercept the data read, decrypt it and pass it on to the calling program.

To bypass such protection, one could install a hook between the protection hook and the program to read and save the decrypted data-stream being passed to the program, thereby bypassing any advanced encryption schemes and rendering them useless.

Yes, I think the same way they do. Somehow the MetaTrader must get the unprotected ex4. So, I knew that sooner or later it happens with Guardian.

Currently I'm working on a RSI trendline indicator. The server is does the full calculation. The ex4 only send the RSI value, and draw object from the received data

The indicator is released. I made a lot of tests, because I was afraid for the speed. In strategy tester I can run a fast request to the server. I think 10 -12 candles/sec from one computer is good. It's contain the RSI drawing, collect of necesary data, send data, the server calculation (do the server full calculation), receive data (only coordinate), and a drawing procedure.