Activation

Well I'm sure Codejock realizes this, but in this case, with the MFC version at least, if you install the program once, you have the entire source code available. Nothing is to stop you from zipping it up and using it again later to bypass the original .exe installer.  Protecting a bunch of .cpp files is near impossible compared to protecting a .exe file.

I agree that activation does have the very bad side effect of leaving tons of people in the dark if the company ceases to exist, but I can also verify from my own experience using an activation method similar to win XP in my own program that it prevents a TON of piracy, and I could prove that there were instances where it led to more sales, in particular where a *school* purchased 1 copy and tried to use it on 30+ computers in a lab where the computers all had sequential netbios names.  This led to them silently just purchasing 30 copies later on, without even emailing us asking why their 1 copy couldn't be used on all the computers.

I personally, with my own company, promise to remove all activation and put out one last version if I decide to stop selling software.  I would not abandon my users like that.  And in the slim chance I get hit by a bus and can't do that - oh well, its a slim chance after all, and I don't care to worry about that.