Limiting software to 1 MAC address.. is it poss?

Hi All

I have a company that provides software for outlets to play background music.

We are running it on Adobe Air on windows and mac os x, and are looking to make it more portable, but want to avoid clients running software at one location and taking the unit ie an ipad, macbook to another location, as it is so portable.

Is it possible to limit the software to only run when at one location. A MAC address is exclusive to a machine connected to one network, is it not. Whereas an IP address is exclusive to a machine.

Any more info would be greatly appreciated.

MAC address is actually the Machine Address for the NIC (Ethernet or Wifi). Not necessarily a given machine. With all the components built into most systems nowadays, MAC is almost synonymous to the machine.

An IP address can be given out via DHCP which can be set up to force a specific IP to a specific PC. You can restrict it this way, easily enough. It will restrict what network the music will play on.

If you restrict to a MAC on, say, a laptop, it is set to that MAC on the laptop. It will allow the music to play no matter what network the laptop is connected to because the MAC doesnt change based on network.

See, what I am seeing is that someone buys a license from you to play music on a PC. Why does it matter where that PC is located? Especially if they are using a laptop?

To be able to lock the application to work at one "Location" you need the use of GPS-like services to determine the location and all that..this is lacking on desktops..

A MAC address is unique to each device and that's just going to ensure that a given machine is running your application once or something..

You cannot restrict it by location..

Regards

Thank you for your info Deckyon.

So an IP address is network specific. so we can limit the software that way then..

To expand..

Each client is charged per location. some clients have one machine... others 5 in one location running off one network.

We want to make the product more portable, and offer a ipod, ipad or android version that they can install on an iphone, ipod or smartphone, but want to limit them using in the location that they have licensed with us, and not use the software wherever they please.

does that make sense...

This way the client won't necessarily have to invest in new hardware ie a laptop

J.

You would be able to use IP for everything but the Phones. If the phone is not connected vie wifi to the client location network, how are you going to allow it to play?

Personally, I would revisit your licensing scheme as it seems it will start getting harder to manage than you think. Restrict to a network that is "192.168.1.x" only at Location A, then ****, lets go to Location B and set up the same network scheme.

Set up a license server on your side and build the client software to check the license server for an available license based on the serial number of the software installed. The client checks the server and will either start or close if there is a license available.

To be honest, there is no way I would purchase anything that was set up like you currently have it. When I buy software, I don't want to worry about where my laptop is when I run it. If something got that specific, I would just go get a free streaming service like Pandora or something like XM Radio and use their web client.

Do not restrict things based on IP/MAC addresses..you are better of requiring each of the clients to request a license (per user or something) and manage that as Deckyon has suggested..

Regards

Thanks again Brad

We create very specific music playlists for clients outlets ie cafes, bars, retail shops

This is not a product we offer to the public, so I understand why you would not purchase software like ours. I totally agree with you on that point raised.

We have to limit usage because we must pay a percentage of royalties for the copyrighted music that is used in our software on each player. The royalties is calculated on number of plays per track, in how many locations etc..

Our software is not off the shelf. Hope that explains why we need to be able to allow use per unit in its originally installed location.

We can easily lock a laptop at a location, we are just thinking of making it available to a more portable product to lessen install costs for clients, and less hardware for us to set up.

J.

The 5 main coffee shops I visit all use either XM or Pandora. I can't answer for them if they are doing this in the strictest sense of the copyright.

I understand you pay for the use of the songs. However, if you want to control location, it is going to be a nightmare of license administration.

If you go with a Client/Server handshake method of licensing, you can not only control how many people use a certain license. And like I said, if you try and restrict by either MAC or IP, then you still wont accomplish keeping them locked down. I can recreate any IP scheme on any network with any router. I can even spoof MAC addresses (that is a function built into the routers, actually).

Without direct control of the hardware playing the music, you have no way to lock it down to a specific location. GPS? Well, you have just increased the price by roughly $100.

Thanks Brad and Razor... your info has helped a lot.

I def wouldnt go the GPS option. Locking an iPad or Android tablet to a location would be the simplest option I guess then.

Most outlets using players are being found out more and more, and are being forced to buy an annual license from the governing body in their respective country to play copyrighted music.

It does affect so much small owner operated outlets as much, but definitely big franchises, which is the core of our client base.

They still must prove that all music played has been actually purchased at some stage or they face huge fines.

Its a complicated issue when it comes to copyright, and the spotify's & lastfms etc.. are forcing the governing bodies to change copyright laws.

thanks again guys...

I would stay away from the tablets. They will be more expensive than a netbook. By a few hundred dollars.

What a nightmare of a business model. Why would you want to make it 'more portable' if it's still going to be locked to the same location? If someone can ONLY play those songs in one spot, why the **** would you make a MOBILE app?