![]() ![]() One reason for its popularity is that the iLok was the first dongle to support multiple licences on the same device (it can hold "over 100" cross-platform authorisations from multiple vendors). The iLok USB smart key from California–based Pace Anti-Piracy ( is probably the most widely used by audio software developers, among them Antares, Audioease, Bomb Factory, Celemony, Digidesign, DUY, EastWest, GRM Tools, Izotope, McDSP, MOTU, Muse Research, PSP Audioware, Serato, Sonnox Oxford, TC Electronic, Waves and Way Out Ware. Syncrosoft's dongles are very familiar to Steinberg customers, among others, but the newer, shorter version (shown here on the left) may prove more responsive in some applications than the pre-2004 version (on the right). ![]() With that in mind, let's explore dongle management, transfer of licences, security and insurance, so that your investment is as safe as possible. ![]() ![]() Even if you've registered dongle–protected software on the developer's web site, if your dongle gets lost or stolen you'll often have to buy that software again. However, the single most important fact about dongles, and one which many musicians overlook, is that the product licences they contain represent the entire value of those products. They also allow you to demo protected commercial software for a specific time period or number of uses. Dongles also survive intact through most computer hardware problems and failures, are immune to problems caused by by software updates, can be hot swapped between different rigs, and you can take them with you when travelling, so you can use your favourite plug-ins when working on location projects. Unlike challenge–and–response protection, for instance, dongles allow you to install software on multiple machines, or upgrade to a new computer fairly easily. Like most copy-protection measures, dongles can make life more difficult for legitimate users, and haven't eliminated the availability of 'cracks', but they certainly have advantages over alternative systems. This usually takes the form of a dongle or 'Smart Key', which plugs into a computer port and controls access to one or more software applications. Probably the most widely used dongle in the audio world, Pace's iLok can house over 100 separate licences from a variety of developers.With software piracy so rife in today's world, many developers feel they have no choice but to protect their products with a hardware device. How can you protect your investment, and what happens if something goes wrong? When you buy music software, you're not paying for a physical object, but a licence that resides on a small plastic key. ![]()
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January 2023
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