VMProtect for plugins?

[Rick E Johnson]

Do any other plugin developers have experience using something like VMProtect on their plugins to prevent or at least deter having them hacked and distributed somewhere as freeware? Would it even work on a plugin, or only on standalone applications? How complicated is the process for both Mac and Windows? I understand that prices vary -- is there a range one might expect to protect plugins with modest sales volumes at prices between $5-25? Would we pay a fee again every time a plugin gets updated?

[Test Screen Name · Accepted solution]

Plugins load in the address space of Illustrator, so you can't virtualise them.

Hard to see how virtualising protects against normal piracy, which is usually simply based on sharing files and access codes.

[Rick E Johnson]

Thanks, I suspected that, so it's good to know not to waste time and money trying it.

A friend showed me how it is possible to change compiled code, with the right tools and experience, so it's important to code defensively. Perhaps most important is to know that string constants and literals in code can be read, so at least some needed strings should be stored as some other structure and converted as needed.