#What is an activation key software#
#What is an activation key license#

There are many cases of permanent bans enforced by companies detecting usage violations.

For example, all copies of Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow originally shipped to Australia without product keys.

If a product is shipped with missing or invalid keys, then the product itself is useless. Product keys also present new ways for distribution to go wrong.

#What is an activation key software#

Loss of a product key usually means the software is useless once uninstalled, unless, prior to uninstallation, a key recovery application is used (although not all programs support this). Not only do they need to be entered whenever a program is installed, but the user must also be sure not to lose them. Product keys are somewhat inconvenient for end users.

#What is an activation key license#

Some product keys use uncompromising digital procedures to enforce the license agreement. Some of the most effective product key protections are controversial due to inconvenience, strict enforcement, harsh penalties and, in some cases, false positives. Modified clients may bypass these checks, but the server can still deny those clients information or communication. The server can deactivate unmodified client software presenting invalid or compromised keys. Another method involves requiring one-time or periodical validation of the product key with an internet server (for games with an online component, this is done whenever the user signs in). One method assigns a product key based on a unique feature of the purchaser's computer hardware, which cannot be as easily duplicated since it depends on the user's hardware. In addition, with improved communication from the rise of the Internet, more sophisticated attacks on keys such as cracks (removing the need for a key) and product key generators have become common.Д«ecause of this, software publishers use additional product activation methods to verify that keys are both valid and uncompromised. Standard key generation, where product keys are generated mathematically, is not completely effective in stopping copyright infringement of software, as these keys can be distributed.