Thread Subject: protecting MatLab code from being pirated?

Hello All,

I'm supposed to write a portfolio optimization Monte Carlo simulation
for some foreign mutual fund company on an advisory basis. They have
MatLab and want me to ship my code to them so they can run it over
there. I'm wondering how I can code some kind of protection for my
MatLab programs so they don't just take it and cut me out of the
picture.

Is there a way to make the code unusable if they try to modify it? Or
some way I can put in some code so they can only run my progams until
a certain expiration date?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

On Sep 16, 12:40 pm, stpatryck <stpatr...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello All,
>
> I'm supposed to write a portfolio optimization Monte Carlo simulation
> for some foreign mutual fund company on an advisory basis.  They have
> MatLab and want me to ship my code to them so they can run it over
> there.  I'm wondering how I can code some kind of protection for my
> MatLab programs so they don't just take it and cut me out of the
> picture.
>
> Is there a way to make the code unusable if they try to modify it?  Or
> some way I can put in some code so they can only run my progams until
> a certain expiration date?
>
> Any suggestions would be appreciated.

You can send them p code. That way, they can only use your code
without being able to see its contents.
doc pcode

Note: Create a backup of your file(s), because there is no going back
once you convert it to pcode.

This way, if they want to modify the code, they will have to contact
you and have you modify it for them.

Will this work for you?

-Nathan

A similar problem I had lead me to develop this file:

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/17288

Feel free to modify it to your specific needs, regarding the date.

stpatryck <stpatryck@gmail.com> wrote in message <0925d8cc-0669-4057-9ce0-04ccf1b627a4@d21g2000vbm.googlegroups.com>...
> Hello All,
>
> I'm supposed to write a portfolio optimization Monte Carlo simulation
> for some foreign mutual fund company on an advisory basis. They have
> MatLab and want me to ship my code to them so they can run it over
> there. I'm wondering how I can code some kind of protection for my
> MatLab programs so they don't just take it and cut me out of the
> picture.
>
> Is there a way to make the code unusable if they try to modify it? Or
> some way I can put in some code so they can only run my progams until
> a certain expiration date?
>
> Any suggestions would be appreciated.

This has been discussed, e.g search the thread "Licensing your deployed GUIs" in this newsgroup.

Supply it as p-code (pcode) might a possibility

/ per

Nathan, Per, and Matt,

Thanks for your input. I didn't know about p-code. I will research
it.

I appreciate all of your comments. Very good advice.


Regards,
Patrick


On Sep 16, 3:57 pm, "per isakson" <poi.nos...@bimDOTkthDOT.se> wrote:
> stpatryck<stpatr...@gmail.com> wrote in message <0925d8cc-0669-4057-9ce0-04ccf1b62...@d21g2000vbm.googlegroups.com>...
> > Hello All,
>
> > I'm supposed to write a portfolio optimization Monte Carlo simulation
> > for some foreign mutual fund company on an advisory basis.  They have
> > MatLab and want me to ship my code to them so they can run it over
> > there.  I'm wondering how I can code some kind of protection for my
> > MatLab programs so they don't just take it and cut me out of the
> > picture.
>
> > Is there a way to make the code unusable if they try to modify it?  Or
> > some way I can put in some code so they can only run my progams until
> > a certain expiration date?
>
> > Any suggestions would be appreciated.
>
> This has been discussed, e.g search the thread "Licensing your deployed GUIs" in this newsgroup.
>
> Supply it as p-code (pcode) might a possibility
>
> / per

SaintPatrick <patrickmyu@gmail.com> wrote in message <5131ea0f-cb7e-497b-9083-383dba9fbd01@d21g2000vbm.googlegroups.com>...
> Nathan, Per, and Matt,
>
> Thanks for your input. I didn't know about p-code. I will research
> it.
>
> I appreciate all of your comments. Very good advice.
>
>
> Regards,
> Patrick

... and of course you can allways "time bomb" your p-coded files to expire after a certain date. Yeas it is possible to wind back system clocks, but that tends to have undesireable side effects on many other programs these days.