>Hello all.
>
>I want include lines of code that will disable my software and delete/destroy the data if one of my clients decided not to use my software and request his money back? I (or some one working for me) would walk the user through to accomplish this.
>I want to do this so that the use won't able to use the system after I have refunded his money.
>
>I need some thought before proceeding.
>Does anyone see a potential law suite? :-)
>
>thanks

Here is what we do. When our software loads for the first time, it asks for a serial number and company name. We also print this information on any error message that might get generated, and ask for this information if they call for tech support. Under the unusual circumstances that someone stiffs us with a bad check, we actually hard code their serial number in the software so when it loads and if they've entered that serial number, it completely disables the software. The reason this works for us is that we have updates on our website that they can download - and our software prompts them monthly to download an update.

Since we have annual upgrades to our (tax) software, we start with nag screens starting about 2 weeks after our upgrades come out. The nag screens get progressively longer ever couple of weeks to the point that I think a lot of our users buy our upgrades just to avoid them. Only a few have called to complain and we just remind them that we got more complaints when we didn't remind our users that we have upgrades to our tax software.

Maybe a combination of things would work best.