License protection for high-end software

Abstract: The BSA’s (Business Software Alliance) global study shows that 35% of all
packaged software in use 2006 was illegal. The estimated loss due to software
piracy was 40 billion dollars. It is therefore important for software
companies to protect their software against illegal usage. Önnerlövs
Consulting AB has developed a program for the mining industry and needs a way
to protect their software.

This Master Thesis evaluates different techniques used for software
protection.
We present a solution that builds on the use of a hardware key. Four hardware
keys are tested in order to select the best one. It is then adapted to meet
Önnerlövs criteria.