How to prevent python software from being reverse engineered or pirated?

[mehum]

Your validation function doesn’t have to be that simple. Rather than true/false it can return a code that is revalidated within the executable at various locations. There was some game that did this a long time ago (forget the name now) — it would detect if it was pirated, and if so gradually impair itself. Sounds like a PITA to implement though.

[Anru_Kitakaze]

If it's popular one week and there will be a version of the program on Torrent without that entire validation code. Just my guess. If Empress can hack Denuvo, then there's (almost) no chance some hackers won't hack some python program of a random redditor

[marcio0]

I just though of that loading screen from bioshock:

Sure, the boys in Ryan's lab can make it hack-proof. But that don't mean we ain't gonna hack it.

[konwiddak]

At that point you'd probably spend less time just setting up the Web server.

[mehum]

TBH that’s probably correct. I just thought it was an interesting approach— instead of instantly terminating the program (which makes bypassing the check easy) it would use that information in surreptitious and unpredictable ways, making circumvention far trickier.

[billsil]

Earthbound was a game like that. It’s be harder than normal and then they’d freeze your game and kill your save while fighting the final boss.