Do I need to protect my desktop app if distributed over AppStore?

Question

I have made a simple desktop app that I want to sell through the AppStore. Of course I want to be protected against piracy. Does AppStore give any protection? How does that process work?

For instance, what prevents a dishonest person from buying my app and then upload it on a torrent and share it with others. If these other people download my app, will they automatically be asked for their identity check (Apple ID and password), the first time they try to use my app, thus preventing them from using it if they have not bought it legally.

If this identity check does not happen automatically, then do I need to add some code in my app that will ask for the identity check. If so, where can I find info about how to do that?

I'm not entirely sure how this process works. Could somebody shed some light on it?

Answer 1

Mac App Store slips a receipt each time it is downloaded into the bundle. The receipt contains information about the computer used (the so called GUID) and the user logged into the App Store.

See here how you should validate the receipt: https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/releasenotes/General/ValidateAppStoreReceipt/Introduction.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40010573

If you implement the GUID validation as described in the document, the app will not run on any other computer.

Also check the signature of your code to make sure it has not been tampered: Verifying app's signature by code