I originally posted this on the 'General Discussion->Project Planning' forum where it attracted zero response :( (in fact, like most of the other posts there !! )
I then tried to delete it and move it over here - but for some reason I'm not allowed to delete posts over there (I've never understood why I can sometimes delete my own posts and sometimes I can't - but I guess that's another issue).
Anyway, I've been asked to design some software whose usage would be controlled by dongles - i.e. the customer could install as many copies as he likes but if he's only got, say, 5 dongles, then he can only run 5 copies simultaneously.
Here's the problem.... what happens if, in a few months time, the customer rings up claiming to have lost one of the dongles? If I simply give him a new dongle (free or cheaply) then effectively, I've given away another license for my s/ware. If the customer is lying, he's now got 6 copies of the s/ware although he's only paid for 5.
One possible solution is to give the s/ware away for free - but charge full price for the dongles. But that then penalises a customer who genuinely loses a dongle.
Does anyone have any thoughts about this? Is there any kind of standard practice when selling "dongled" software and what do other companies do if a customer claims to have lost a dongle?
