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VSL Announcement: Moving to iLok Key / Cloud - We are live!

I agree that dongles are a waste of time considering how easy the crackers remove the protection.

WRAPWARDEN/iLOK, FUSiON/iLOK, METAFORTRESS all just fun and games for the crackers.

I would argue that sales would actually go up for legit licences if developers removed the Ilok.
The purpose of copy protection, like the weak locks on our homes' doors, is to introduce enough friction to discourage casual theft. Dongles achieve this and attach at least some semblance of physical ownership to a digital good. Obviously those with enough determination will find ways around the system (not always though, 12 years uncompromised for Reason), but developers are betting that the majority won't put in the effort and will do the right thing by purchasing the tools they use. Most decent people understand that if everyone steals the content they love, there will be no more content to steal in the first place.
 
Most decent people understand that if everyone steals the content they love, there will be no more content to steal in the first place.
Maybe most, but not all. While looking around for info and tutorial, it is not uncommon to see cracks for professional software offered, these days, for 25 bucks by the developer. Yet, there is someone cracking it and others downloading it.

Paolo
 
the connection would fail. After some time I would get problems and couldn't resume working
That's very strange, I do know if the app needs an update and your on line it will start to get a little funny, but as far as the norm is with ilok dongle and ilok machine lisence, once it's all registered there is no need for Internet connection, not sure about the cloud if your codes or serial are in a cloud and you leave it there I can only imagine you would need a Internet connection all the time,
 
That's very strange, I do know if the app needs an update and your on line it will start to get a little funny, but as far as the norm is with ilok dongle and ilok machine lisence, once it's all registered there is no need for Internet connection, not sure about the cloud if your codes or serial are in a cloud and you leave it there I can only imagine you would need a Internet connection all the time,

Ahhh, I see the confusion. I and also some others were deliberately talking about iLok Cloud. This way you don't need a dongle but you more or less need to be online all the time.
 
The purpose of copy protection, like the weak locks on our homes' doors, is to introduce enough friction to discourage casual theft.
The crackers have most copy protections hacked. Its not the end user doing it its professional hackers.

Dongles achieve this and attach at least some semblance of physical ownership to a digital good.
Why?

I have plenty of software that is serial based and doesn't require a dongle. Why does a Dongle attach ownership?

I can see what I have when I log into Native access for example.

Obviously those with enough determination will find ways around the system (not always though, 12 years uncompromised for Reason), but developers are betting that the majority won't put in the effort and will do the right thing by purchasing the tools they use.
Buyers dont put in the effort...Hackers do....

I buy all my software and sample libraries. But I haven't gone to VSL due to the dongle...Its a weak link in the VSL platform. Which is a shame.

Developers know full well that ilok means diddly squat.....If softube for example ditched the ilkok more people would buy their software that was my point.
 
Ahhh, I see the confusion. I and also some others were deliberately talking about iLok Cloud. This way you don't need a dongle but you more or less need to be online all the time.
I really think I have worked offline with Ilok Cloud products for some extended periods of time (UVI and EW products) but noone can be 100% certain unless they test it.
 
And of course they just announced a USB-C version of iLok Gen 3 yesterday, just a couple of months after many of us bought Gen 3 on USB-A. It's not clear whether it's different other than the connector, as their marketing spiel is verbose without saying much of consequence. :) Maybe VSL has a better handle on what it means and whether there's any point in upgrading if we already have Gen 3 on USB-A. Of course some people have no choice based on their hardware configuration.
 
And of course they just announced a USB-C version of iLok Gen 3 yesterday, just a couple of months after many of us bought Gen 3 on USB-A. It's not clear whether it's different other than the connector, as their marketing spiel is verbose without saying much of consequence. :) Maybe VSL has a better handle on what it means and whether there's any point in upgrading if we already have Gen 3 on USB-A. Of course some people have no choice based on their hardware configuration.
As far as I know it's the same with the only difference of having an USB-C connector.
 
And of course they just announced a USB-C version of iLok Gen 3 yesterday, just a couple of months after many of us bought Gen 3 on USB-A. It's not clear whether it's different other than the connector, as their marketing spiel is verbose without saying much of consequence. :) Maybe VSL has a better handle on what it means and whether there's any point in upgrading if we already have Gen 3 on USB-A. Of course some people have no choice based on their hardware configuration.
The UBC-C ports are more rare than USB-A, and (simple) hubs are non-existent for USB-C.
Well there are USB-C docks, but those are expensive to get.

I am failing to see any benefit of having a USB-C Ilok, except for the simplicity of having it with you if you have a macbook pro, without needing a converter
 
it's a dongle. what's the issue with making a version which fits natively?
When they came out with iLok2, a number of programs wouldn't work with original iLoks, so we had to buy new iLoks before we might be ready to. There's the concern we will have to update to a version our computers can't support. Though most of my PC's do have one USB-c port.

But it sounds like it is just a new connection and not new software.
 
While I can't wait to get rid of the awful eLicenser, I’m also worried about what is reported by users of iLok Cloud about extended downtimes. Maybe opting for the iLok key is a better idea? But then, the advantage of not using a physical key will get lost. What to do?


Paolo
 
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