SEOClerks

Using License codes found online?



Write the reason you're deleting this FAQ

Using License codes found online?

I haven't cracked a software license in years now. I remember when I first started using the internet I would search for cracks for almost every software I used.

But technologies advanced and it was getting very hard to find cracks and free licenses so I stopped doing it since for almost any software out there you can basically find a free source version.

Recently my Screaming Frog license expired and I was experiencing with different kind of free source spiders, but nothing even compares with Screaming Frog and I'm pretty sure its the best website crawler out there giving your the option to extract a huge range of data and create SEO reports. I find it indispensable for on-page fixes and audits.

So, I was willing to renew my license until I've found a couple of free ones online, on a website that claimed they're giving them away for free. Tried one my wife's PC (not connected to the internet) and it works. It basically expires next year in August.

Should I trust that website and can anything bad happen if I'm using that username and license key?

Would I be part of something illegal? Remember I'm not using any additional cracking software, I just need to copy-paste the code.

Comments

Please login or sign up to leave a comment

Join
Lynne
Well you obviously like the software and you know it works really well so I suggest you just pay for it.

I remember in my early twenties I used to use all pirated software with cracks and it was like what can I get away with right? And then is was so easy to find cracks online. There was a crack code for everything. The other thing is that I was using these things before to play around with, it was necessary for me to have and I wasn't making an income from it. Not that it made what I was doing right...

I just feel now that as a mature adult that uses these tools and software to make an income I should always buy it.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

MendasDigital
I'm not familiar with the program in question, but license key sharing often violates a program's terms of use, which you typically agree to by using the program. Also, many programs nowadays are designed to "call home" especially for verifying license keys. This could result in the author being able to see the IP address of anyone using that key/username, which is probably not something you want as it is the equivalent of shouting "I'm using a pirated key! Here's where I live.". Given that your computer was not connected to the internet, it would seem this program doesn't "call home", or at least not when verifying the license, but it's something to keep in mind.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?