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Old 10-25-2019, 08:09
TmC TmC is offline
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Comers & Goners in software protection

Hi there,
this post only to have in one page all of the most used software protection developers, just as as a benchmark of who's left and who's gone.

As far as I have been able to see that great deal of software protection application that used to be alive in the 2000-2010 decade have mostly deceased, maybe because of the efforts needed to keep the protection valid and the change in licensing needs with the advent of cloud.

If someone would like to help, then the list could simply be updated.

P.S. The following list includes only wrapping protectors or at least something with a Tool, not DLL or free source code ones (VBOLock, TrialX, Activelock etc...) nor the accademic ones.

|------------|-----------------|-------------------|---------------------|
| Name | Developer | Software Status |Company Status |
|------------|-----------------|-------------------|---------------------|
| ACProtect | Anticrack | Dead | Dead |
| Armadillo | Silicon Realms | Dead | Dead |
| ASProtect | Alexey Solod. | Operative (SKE) | Operative (Starforce)|
| Crypkey | Crypkey | Operative | Operative |
| Enigma | Vladimir Sukhov | Operative | Operative |
| Execryptor | Strongbit | Dead | Dead |
| Interlok | Pace AP | Operative (iLok) | Operative |
| Obsidium | Martin Tofall | Operative | Operative |
| PC Guard | Sofpro | Operative | Operative |
| Protection +| Softwarekey |Operative | Operative |
| Safe Cast | Macrovision | Dead | Operative (Flexera) |
| Sales Agent| Release Soft | Dead | Dead |
| SDProtector | ??? | Dead | Dead |
| Softlocx | Bit-Arts | Dead | Dead |
| Softsentry | Twenty | Dead | Dead |
| SVKP | Pavol Cerven | Dead | Dead |
| Timelok | Preview Systems| Dead | Dead |
| VBox | Preview/Ealadin | Dead | Dead |
| Visual Prot | Visage Soft | Dead | Operative |
| VM Protect | VMPSoft | Operative | Operative |
| XProtector | XProtector | Operative (Tmd/WL)| Operative (Oreans) |

Apart from the companies that have been bought/other financial gimmicks, the first thing I notice is that what survived is mostly using VMs and what failed, failed for various reasons, but didn't have the time to develop one, so it seems that to survive the others using a VM is somehow mandatory.

What do you think? Are there other protectors to add to the list? What do you believe have been the motives of the great development first and subsequent fade out after of most software protections?

Last edited by TmC; 10-25-2019 at 08:18.
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