NGWave Audio/Sound/MP3 Editor: Hardware Locking

Hardware Locking is a method of software licensing that is specific to one computer (or combination of hardware in a computer). This means that, when you license software, the license key provided to you is specific to your machine, and will only work with your machine. Typically, depending on the particular type of hardware locking in use, if you change components in your PC (such as a CPU or hard-disk upgrade), your license suddenly stops working.

This is usually done in an attempt to avoid piracy: you can't give your license key to a friend, or post it on the Internet, as it will only work on your machine.

Next Generation Software, Inc. will never utilize such a scheme. It places undo hassle on the customer. The customer is the reason any company remains in business, and should be treated as such. The pirates, on the other hand, will find a way around the scheme in any case.

Look at Microsoft Windows XP for a prime example. Customers are reluctant to upgrade to XP in some cases due to their very strict licensing requirements. Every time you upgrade your computer, or (in some cases) swap out a component, you must "Activate" Windows again with Microsoft. In other words, you have to continually prove to Microsoft that you paid for their product.

Meanwhile, the software pirates are bypassing the scheme all together, so the only people hurt in this are the paying customers.

Even worse, in the case of smaller software companies, if the company goes out of business, you are stuck. You can't get a new license key from a company that no longer exists, so you have to trust that they will be there when you need them to be.

If you think that this doesn't make sense, it's because it doesn't. It implies an automatic distrust in their customers, and a privacy invasion that is completely unjustified. That's why we will never engage in such a scheme: your license key is your license key, and may be legally used on any one computer that you wish. You do not need our permission to buy a new computer, or to upgrade your video card -- NGWave will continue to function as always.

Your license is only legally allowed for use on one machine, as per our License Agreement, but this is not enforced at a technical level. You are our customer, and we trust that you will abide by the license agreement. You earn our trust simply by purchasing our software, and we sincerely appreciate that.