Gorilla Engine - Copy Protection and Licensing

For our Pro Tier users, copy protection and licensing are handled by the same system. The following will describe the available levels of copy protection and how licensing and monetization work.

Encryption

With our encryption, we ensure that the JavaScript and YAML code you wrote to create the unique UX for your product does not get installed in readable plain text on an end user’s machine. This prevents low-effort piracy of your UI and UX design, but note that it is possible to copy the encrypted files to another machine and run them.

CodeMeter Copy Protection

Pro Tier customers looking to monetize their product get strong copy protection through CodeMeter by WiBU. In addition to the encryption described above, this tried-and-true, affordable state of the art copy protection system lets you ask your end-users to input a valid license key into a plugin-overlay, before unlocking access to your product.

To enable CodeMeter protection for your product, just reach out and let us know. We will set-up a “CodeMeter Product Code” and “CodeMeter Protection Code“, for you to use in our Gorilla Compiler. This step is only required once per product.

Note: The plugin-overlay requiring users to input a license key does not get handled by CodeMeter. You have to implement this into your product using JavaScript and YAML. An example of such protection can be found in our “Basic Synth CP” SDK example.

If you need your product to be locked after a specified trial period, CodeMeter allows you to do so. The end-user can then regain access to the product by purchasing a valid license key from you. Reach out to us, and we will set-up the trial period for your product.

With the CodeMeter protection enabled in Gorilla Compiler we automatically bundle the CodeMeter Runtime into your product installer after pressing “Create Product”. Note that the compilation process will take longer when this feature is enabled.

Executing the created installer will install the product you build with our Gorilla Engine SDK, as well as the “CodeMeter Control Center” and CodeMeter license containers required for license key based authorization and trial periods.

PACE Anti-Piracy

As an Enterprise user that is already signed-up with PACE Anti-Piracy, you can use PACE to protect your products by e.g., using a physical USB dongle (iLok).

With the required Eden Tools SDK and PACE credentials, you can add your details into Gorilla Compiler to gain copy protection by wrapping your plugin.

Note: If you want to ship a valid AAX product that gets listed in Pro Tools, you are required to sign your product using PACE. Singing and wrapping are not the same, so make sure to apply the correct setting in the Gorilla Compiler “PACE” tab.

Licensing

Once you are done creating your product in Gorilla Editor, adding unique sonic behavior using Gorilla Script and building your plugin UI using JavaScript and YAML, you will need a way to license your products to the end-user if you want to monetize your product. Our solution for Pro Tier customers requires the CodeMeter Copy Protection described above.

Note: If you (as a Pro Tier customer) are releasing a product for free (freebie), you are not required to use CodeMeter.

Here is the step-by-step process for licensing:

You reach out, and let us know when you need a “CodeMeter Product Code”, “CodeMeter Protection Code“, and optionally a “CodeMeter Trial Code” for Gorilla Compiler.
You let us know how you want your licenses to be configured
- Amount of required licenses (no costs upfront, only billed when activated)
Number of activations per license
Trial period duration in days (if required)
We generate the codes for you to put into Gorilla Compiler, so you can test a copy protected version of your product.
Once you are ready to release your product, let us know and we will provide you with the amount of license keys you are looking to sell.
You then sell the license keys (for example, in your online shop).
After you have made your first €25.000 in sales, we charge you based on the provided license keys that were activated.

If you run out of license keys, let us know and we will provide you with additional license keys.

Audio/Sample Content Encryption

Developers working with the Gorilla Engine SDK get a strong content encryption. The encryption can be enabled in Gorilla Compiler’s “Copy Protection” tab. There you have the option to Encrypt the sample starts (“attacks”) of your audio content based on the preload set in Gorilla Editor.

Note that this content encryption is only effective if your product is additionally either protected with CodeMeter or PACE. Without any of those, the key used to encrypt the audio content can potentially be read from the installed plugin binary. Please keep this in mind if content encryption is a high priority item for your business.