Encrypt and Licence?

[gc40]

Hello,

I am building a website for a client and they are also a web developer (they sub-contracted me for a job). They requested that I build a web app for THEIR client and host it on THEIR server. I asked them if it was okay if I protect myself and my code by encrypting it and putting a license on it so that only that client can use my code.

 

Here are my questions:

1. How do I establish a system that is linked to an external database of priviledged sites that I have that are allowed access to my code. For example, I have a hashed value (Server_Name + Int) + Remote_Host. I basically want to restrict access from website that is not listed in that database of authenticated users.

 

2. Is there FREE software out there that I can use to encrypt my PHP code (I looked at IonCube, but it is fairly expensive).

[corbin]

This question comes up about once a week, so I'm not going to answer in detail (I feel lazy right now ;p).

 

 

 

1.  Query a remote site, and if an "OK" signal of sorts isn't received, kill the site.  This can be tricked even without decrypting the code though.

 

2.  Haven't looked into it much.  To "encrypt" it, you need an extension installed in PHP, so of course the more well known the extension (hence encrypter), the better.  As far as I know, all of the major ones (Zend Guard, IonCube meant by "major ones" have been cracked and can be decrypted for like $1 a page, or free if you have a little spare time).

 

 

 

 

So realistically, encrypting the pages would just slow the person down.  I suggest a contract that makes your intentions/feelings very clear (without doubt at all), and just hope for the best.  Legal action would of course be a waste of time/money in most cases (unless you're very vengeful ;p), but perhaps it would intimidate the person.

 

 

 

 

Sooner of later someone will post in here telling you to sell "services" and not "goods" and you will never have a problem, but, eh, that's not possible all of the time.