ZQure (pronounced "zee-cure") is a software licensing and protection tool for .NET software developers that helps developers easily protect their desktop applications and libraries from being distributed and used unlawfully.

Essentially, developers issue each purchaser of their software with a licence key generated by ZQure. The licence key is used to activate the user’s copy of the software. In this way, a developer might distribute a “crippled”, but free, evaluation version of a software product for evaluation by potential users. Users can then opt to purchase a licence key to immediately activate the full functionality of the product. Alternatively, the product can be made completely unusable until it is activated with a licence key. Licence keys can optionally be made to expire after a period of time creating the possibility of enforcing the re-licensing of a product on a recurring basis.

ZQure offers a host of benefits, including the following:

• It helps prevent illegal distribution of your software by preventing execution of your software if it has been copied from another computer.
• It features exceptionally strong multi-layer protection to ensue that only legally licensed users can access the protected software applications based on electronic security keys.
• It offers quick and easy licence key generation.
• It offers an easy-to-use licence key manager.
• It offers simple and straightforward software-based product activation.
• It is entirely software based, requiring no hardware dongles, special disks or other external tools.
• It provides software developers full control of their licence creation and distribution.
• It offers highly flexible software licence restrictions. You can:
  • Optionally restrict key usage on a per computer basis.
  • Optionally restrict key usage on a per software product basis.
  • Optionally impose a licence key expiry date.
• It includes tamper detection to respond to software piracy.
• There are no run-time licenses or fees!

You can download a free evaluation version now by clicking the Free download! button above. To register your copy of ZQure and access its full functionality, a registration fee of R499 (or $69 USD) is payable. Payments may be made by direct bank deposit as described when registering the software, or to sales@SophicEdge.com via PayPal.

Simply download, install and run the software then click on the Register menu item and follow the simple on-screen instructions.

The ZQure download includes a sample application that demonstrates how easily you can protect your desktop applications and libraries.

Windows XP with SP2, Windows Server 2003 or 2008, or Windows Vista (for a specific list of supported operating systems, please refer to the requirements for the .NET Framework version 3.5 SP1)

.NET Framework Version 3.5 SP1 (download)

Note: The ZQure installation package does not include the .NET Framework version 3.5 SP1. When installing ZQure, you can optionally download and install the Framework, if it is not already present on the destination computer.

Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2005 or 2008

At least 400MHz, preferably 1GHz

At least 96MB, preferably 256MB

5MB (excluding space for the .NET Framework version 3.5 SP1)

Windows Installer 3.1
Adobe Acrobat Reader (for reading the documentation) (download)

These system requirements apply to the free ZQure evaluation version and the
ZQure registered version.

The following documentation is available:

• Official ZQure documentation (included in the download package).

Below are answers to commonly asked questions:

• I am an international customer. Can I still register ZQure?
  
  • Yes. The registration fee of $69 USD can be conveniently paid to sales@SophicEdge.com via PayPal.
• In the sample application, the application's configuration file and the component's configuration file contain fully-exposed licence keys. Is this safe?
  
  • Yes. The licence keys are stored in a "safe" form and cannot be re-used to register the software unlawfully. Any licence key stored in a configuration file, database, etc should always be stored in its "safe" form using the given, easy-to-use library method explained in the documentation.
• Can a user copy the configuration file(s) of a registered application, or even the entire application, to his/her computer to use unlawfully?
  
  • No. ZQure employs piracy detection mechanisms to detect and prevent piracy.
• Why can't I register the sample application?
  
  • Ensure that you have registered ZQure.
  • Ensure that you have created an application in ZQure having the application ID used by the sample application (see the Validate method call in frmMain). In other words, do not accept the default Application ID generated, but overwrite it with the sample application's ID.
• Why do I get a "configuration file error" when I try to register the sample application?
  
  • Ensure that you have registered ZQure.
  • Ensure that you have added the Registration.dll.config file to the sample application project. To do so, right-click the Sample Application project, select Add | Existing Item..., browse to the ZQure Library folder, select Objects of type "All Files", select Registration.dll.config and click the Add button. Click on Registration.dll.config in the Solution Explorer and change its "Copy to Output" property to Copy Always.

October 2009: Version 1.0 released.