Protecting the Intellectual Property in your SketchUp Extensions
The code you write in your extensions is your intellectual property. You may choose to open source it or you might want to keep it hidden so no one else can see it. In this guide we’ll explain why hiding it can be tricky and what you need to know to protect your IP.
Ruby code is visible. Period.
If you simply distribute your extension in an .rb file, anyone can open that file and see the code you’ve written. This is true even if your ruby file is wrapped in an .rbz file. This obviously isn’t good if you don’t want people to see your code. You can obscure your code through encryption and that’s a good step but even that’s not perfect protection.
Unlike languages like C that must be compiled into machine language, Ruby runs inside an interpreter. Even if you’ve encrypted your code it must be decrypted in order to run. If someone is determined enough, there are ways to expose your Ruby code from within the running process.
So is it hopeless to try to hide your source code? Should you just give up on writing extensions? No! But you should explore the options and choose what works best for you. Read on to learn more.
Encryption can be broken
No encryption is perfect. Like the lock on your door, it’ll keep out the vast majority of people but if someone is determined enough they’ll find a way in. And there are a lot of determined hackers out there. Some are malicious and some just enjoy solving puzzles but the end result is that secure encryption remains a moving target.
RBS and RBE options
Over the years we’ve provided two encrypted file formats for SketchUp extensions: .RBS and .RBE files. RBS (which is no longer offered) used a scrambling technology. RBE is the newer format that uses a more sophisticated encryption. Neither of these have been infallible though and we don’t recommend depending solely on them to protect your code.
Build a cloud based extensions
One of the bets ways to hide your code is to not run it on the user’s machine at all. If you do the heavy lifting as a cloud service and only have a UI in the actual SketchUp extension package, it’s harder to bypass licensing checks or access the code that matters.
Layering multiple levels of protection
As a best practice we recommend layering multiple levels of protection so you don’t have a single point of failure.
Also consider what you are protecting against. Are you protecting your license logic from being tampered with, or are you trying to protect the intellectual property in your source code? Not all risks are equal. Your logic for setting up menus and dialogs is not likely to be as important as your algorithms. Focus on protecting the parts of your product that make it special.
Consider Alternatives
Would it be acceptable for you to open source your software? There are businesses that make a living out of producing open source software. They earn their income by selling services and support related to the software, despite the fact that their entire source code is open to everyone, legally free to copy and modify. The experience, service, and support of a product is also a vital part of its value.
Summary
Protecting your software product is a constant arms race, and your time is valuable. You’ll need to decide how important it is to protect your source code. You may also want to keep in mind that not every illegal copy equals a lost sale. Many users of pirated software wouldn’t have paid for it in the first place. Giving your code an open source license and allowing others to freely use it can let you avoid the hassles from hiding your code.
But this isn’t always desirable or even possible. If you need to protect your code from prying eyes, our recommendation for most developers is to use a layered approach. Don’t rely on a single solution. Ideally you have control over at least one of these solutions so you can swap it out if needed. In the end this is a cost/effort/gain balance that will differ from case to case.