17
Wed, Apr
5 New Articles
  1. You are here:  
  2. Home
  3. MORE
  4. Commentary
  5. Commentary
  6. Piracy, Bootlegging, and Copying

Piracy, Bootlegging, and Copying

Commentary
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

For the last three years, I've been developing and marketing a software product for the iSeries market. In prior years, I've had several software products that have done well and some that have stalled at launch.

I have a problem with the current software offering I market: It runs on the System i5 (formerly iSeries and iSeries i5 and AS/400). Yes, it runs on the System i5, and that's a problem. Why? Because IBM provides no method for me to sell my software while protecting it from unauthorized use, accidental or otherwise.

Let me explain.

I make a service program of subprocedures. That service program provides a function to software developers to make life easier for tasks X, Y, and Z. I sell it to Company A. They compile their own programs and, in those programs, call my subprocedures. They include prototypes for these subprocedures via /COPY statements, which I provide with the software. So far, life is good.

Now another (we'll call them a "third party") software vendor wants to incorporate the functionality of my software into their own software. Of course, I think, "Great! This will mean a new revenue channel." But then what happens is the software vendor suggests that they want to incorporate my product into theirs for use by their customers, but they want to pay only a small, one-time fee for it. Why? Because their customers are going to use the third-party software, not my software.

So this leads me to the problem. Today, I can easily ship a customer my service program and prototypes, and they can use my software. I can protect it using a variety of techniques, including the software licensing APIs, embedded MI or API calls, or some homegrown techniques. But this does not give me the ability to allow a third-party software vendor to safely distribute runtime licenses of my software to their customers.

If their customer installs my software, which the third party now requires, that customer has nothing blocking them from also incorporating my software into their own code. Why? Because in order to provide the product to a third party's customer base, they will need a runtime library that does not allow anyone to compile and bind to my service program.

Despite my extensive research, I cannot find a solution to this problem on the System i5 today. Therefore, either I have to not enter the OEM supplier market (providing third-party software vendors with a single developer's license and no-charge runtime licenses for their customers) or I have to convince the software vendor that wishes to incorporate my software into their own products to pay a hefty price tag (effectively similar to buying a license for each of their customers). While a greedy, 1980s-era MBA might see this as the preferred way to do things, the fact is that unless they are offering a $100,000+ software package, no one is going to make that kind of a business deal in 2006.

The other issue is with my own customers. I have customers that have a development box and then deploy their own applications on production machines. Some have one production box; some have more than one. It is difficult to convince them to purchase additional licenses for those boxes (even at a reduced rate) because they are "only" using the runtime; no development components are being used on production boxes.

So what's the solution? Well, there are three options:

  • I can leave the System i5 software market. I am considering doing that.
  • I can lobby IBM to provide a method for runtime-only distribution of software that prohibits its use at compile time, specifically at program "bind time."
  • I can give away my software for free and ask for donations.

I love the System i5 market, and specifically I love all the cool inventions one can create with RPG IV and OS/400 APIs. This is an exciting platform, no matter what those Linux weenies say.

If IBM gave us the ability to control whether or not a *SRVPGM can be used at compile time (by restricting bind-time authority, for example), I could sell third-party Company B my software at the going rate for their processor group. They in turn would sell their software, which is integrated with my software, to their own customers. I would provide a free or extremely low-cost runtime license fee structure. That way, I can continue to improve my software and have the widest possible audience for it. If a customer asks the software vendor how they implemented feature X or Y, they can say they used my product. Then the customer can decide if they too want to license the software. Today, without bind-time protection, their customers could steal (i.e., use) my software.

Offhand, I can think of at least five other software vendors that could immediately leverage this kind of runtime protection of their software. I would guess that 80% of the non-end-user application vendors would eventually be able to take advantage of this capability, as well.

But until that day, I have to isolate my sales channel to end-user customers and hope that market is large enough to give me and others reason to remain in the System i5 software tools business.

Bob Cozzi is a programmer/consultant, writer/author, and software developer of the RPG xTools, a popular add-on subprocedure library for RPG IV. His book The Modern RPG Language has been the most widely used RPG programming book for nearly two decades. He, along with others, speaks at and runs the highly-popular RPG World conference for RPG programmers.

BOB COZZI

Bob Cozzi is a programmer/consultant, writer/author, and software developer. His popular RPG xTools add-on subprocedure library for RPG IV is fast becoming a standard with RPG developers. His book The Modern RPG Language has been the most widely used RPG programming book for more than a decade. He, along with others, speaks at and produces the highly popular RPG World conference for RPG programmers.

MC Press books written by Robert Cozzi available now on the MC Press Bookstore.

RPG TnT RPG TnT
Get this jam-packed resource of quick, easy-to-implement RPG tips!
List Price $65.00

Now On Sale

The Modern RPG IV Language The Modern RPG IV Language
 Cozzi on everything RPG! What more could you want?
List Price $99.95

Now On Sale
BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$0.00 Raised:
$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: