Is Your Software Genuine? 4 Checks Before You Buy

For many people buying genuine software, the biggest worry isn't 'whether it can be activated', but rather:

• Whether the activation code is legitimate;

• Why the licence email didn't come from the developer;

• Why some sellers (such as lizhi.shop ) inspire confidence, while others always feel a bit off.

So, this article will share how to verify for yourself whether a software licence is genuine, how to judge whether an activation code is legitimate, and how to steer clear of 'dodgy sellers' so you don't end up with a risky licence.

What Exactly Counts as Genuine?

When judging whether software is genuine, many people's first instinct is: was the licence email sent directly by the developer?

But that's not an absolute rule.

Software licences are delivered in all sorts of curious ways — different vendors, different reseller systems and different payment platforms all have different processes. The main scenarios include:

• Distributed via a reseller's back-end;

• Hosted on a third-party licensing platform, such as Cleverbridge or Paddle;

• The seller sends a redemption link first, which the user then redeems to finally obtain the activation code;

• Long-established software like Total Commander can even be purchased by fax, with the activation code delivered on a DVD sent by post.

As practitioners in this field, lizhi.shop's criteria have always been clear. When it comes to a genuine software licence, what matters is:

• Whether the software licence belongs to you;

• Whether the software licence belongs to you independently and clearly;

• Whether the developer acknowledges this licensing relationship.

How Is Software Delivered When You Buy from lizhi.shop?

If you buy software from the lizhi.shop, you'll usually first land on an information form page to enter your name / email address. After a short wait, you'll receive the final software activation code via text message, email and other channels.

If you place an order in our Taobao store, you'll receive a redemption link like redeem.cn/key=xxxx.

Clicking it open, you'll likewise arrive at the information form page; complete the form & wait for the process to run, and you'll finally receive your registration code.

Why not send the activation code directly instead of adding this extra step? The reason is simple:

• To bind the user's details & the corresponding activation code together as accurately as possible;

• To prevent the activation code from being intercepted by anyone else, including lizhi.shop's own customer service staff.

So you may find that once a redeem.cn link has been redeemed, visiting it again from another computer will no longer display the activation code directly.

This is exactly the effect we want to achieve: the closer things get to 'the user completing the claim themselves', the clearer the ownership of the licence becomes, and the easier it is to verify later whether the software licence is really yours — even if most users never notice this.

How Do You Tell Whether an Activation Code Is Genuine?

1. Whose Details Are Bound to the Activation Code?

Many programmes, once activated, display the user's details, such as the licence name, email address and so on.

If it's a genuine licence from a legitimate source that belongs solely to you, then all of this information should be yours, as shown below:

However, if you've bought software from a Taobao store and the seller asks you to complete activation with a designated email address or username, or after successful activation the software displays the seller's own name (such as GenuineApp #3), you must be on your guard!

This usually means that what the seller sold you is not an independent licence, but one licence shared by multiple people. That's precisely why they have no choice but to use a single, uniform email address or registration details.

The problem with these activation codes is often not 'whether they work right now', but that trouble arises later when you reinstall your computer / switch devices.

Moreover, when you contact the developer for after-sales support, you'll usually find yourself at a disadvantage. That's because in the developer's records, the actual licence holder is most likely not you. In other words, an activation code that works is not necessarily genuine.

2. Do the Device and User Counts Match the Official Website?

When buying software, don't rush to check out — it's best to verify these two details first:

• The number of devices that can be activated;

• The number of users.

The safest approach, of course, is to visit the software's official website and check the licensing details. If that's inconvenient, you can also refer to the product specifications in the Lizhi store. For every software title we sell, we organise the parameters and specifications clearly, so you can compare them directly:

The case most worth being wary of here is: the developer's official website only offers a '3-device version', yet some sellers offer a 'single-device version'. At this point, you need to ask yourself: is this version actually officially authorised or not?

The reason such versions exist is, in many cases, not a special channel, but rather a multi-device licence being split up and sold to several people, or even sold more than once. Both may 'activate just fine', but the risks behind them are completely different.

3. Seeing an Unfamiliar Currency & Language on Delivery?

Another common risk is sellers bulk-buying activation codes from specific regions and then reselling them.

For some software, licensing policies differ markedly between regions, such as Turkey, Russia and others.

Even if the seller submitted the order using your email address, if the email you receive shows an unfamiliar currency, a foreign-language page, or the licensing region is clearly wrong, then it's most likely a cross-region purchase.

The trouble with these activation codes is that they often work at first, but the vast majority of developers don't accept this practice. Once their risk controls are triggered further down the line, the licence can be suspended at any time.

By the time the software you're using suddenly fails to activate and you want to take the matter up with customer service, the after-sales period has probably long since expired.

4. Is the Seller an Authorised Reseller?

Amusingly, ask this question and every seller will answer 'yes' — just as every watermelon on a fruit stall is sweet.

So perhaps you need to ask the seller for more direct evidence, such as: 'Is your proof of authorisation on the software's official website?'

Like this ...

▲ Proof of authorisation on the Internet Download Manager website

▲ Proof of authorisation on the Typora website

▲ Proof of authorisation on the Eagle website

▲ Proof of authorisation on the BitDock website

After all, a licence certificate is easy to forge, but tampering with a developer's website is quite another matter. This is also a simple way to judge whether a software reseller's authorisation is genuine or not.

And yet ...

• A certain user: Even with proof of authorisation, that still doesn't guarantee the activation codes you sell are genuine, does it?

• Lizhi's boss: Yes, yes... you're quite right... so...

So, there is one final way to verify: take your activation code and verify it directly with the developer.

For example, in the 'FAQ' section of every software product page in the lizhi.shop software store, you can find a link to the developer's official website, and from there look up the official contact details.

Then, write an email asking them to confirm: was the activation code generated officially? Does it come through a legitimate channel?

• Email subject: Verify one license from DIGITALYCHEE (lizhi.shop)

• Email body: Hi, My name is xx xx. I purchased one code from DIGITALYCHEE (lizhi.shop) and want to verify with you that if the following license is generated by you officially? Here it is: xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxxx. Thanks!

If you bought it from another store, simply replace the 'DIGITALYCHEE (lizhi.shop)' part with that store's name.

We certainly wouldn't take it the wrong way, and it's hardly being oversensitive — because for genuine software, being verifiable is, in itself, part of trust.

If You Buy Software Elsewhere, Here Are the Principles for Avoiding Pitfalls

If, for whatever reason, you decide not to buy software from the lizhi.shop software store for now, please remember to confirm each of the following with the seller before confirming your order:

• The bound name & email address must be your own;

• The number of devices / version and so on must match the software's official website or lizhi.shop;

• Give preference to a process where you 'redeem it yourself' to claim the activation code;

• Make sure the seller's sourcing channel is legitimate, and that the sales region is the correct one;

• If the seller claims to be an agent of the software developer, ask them to produce a web-based proof of authorisation;

• If the seller claims to be a lizhi.shop distributor, confirm with them whether activation codes are delivered via something like redeem.cn/key=xxxx.

One Last Thing

When it comes to genuine software, it's really not a case of 'it activates, so job done'. What matters is:

• Whether the software licence belongs to you;

• Whether the software licence belongs to you independently and clearly;

• Whether the developer acknowledges this licensing relationship.

Of course, we hope you trust lizhi.shop.

But the better way, always, is: you trust us, and you also have the means to verify it.