Cracked
How do you know when your shareware app is truly popular? You could use number of registrations, positive VersionTracker feedback, mentions in the press, or any number of other metrics to ascertain just how esteemed your labor of love has become. Today, however, I discovered a whole new criterion for popularity: has someone actually seen fit to release a cracked version of your program?
I am both flattered and pissed to say that, in the case of PodWorks, someone has. Through an odd coincidence, a coworker alerted me today that there is a copy of PodWorks 2.1.2 floating around that has gone through “binary surgery” at the hands of some guy calling himself Pablo.
If I was less busy and more greedy, I’d probably have to start looking into code obfuscation techniques. For now, however, I’m going to adopt the attitude that anyone who will go to such lengths to avoid paying $8 is in the minority.
Besides, the irony is almost too good: enabler of intellectual property theft has his own intellectual property stolen. Truly, there is no honor among thieves!