website license & key development
 

I'm looking for some guidance on a project I'm developing.

I have a software package for an online website and want to create a way to lock-down the site with some type of license/key system. I envision the site working where they will have to have a key typed into their code somewhere, and then it will be verified through a mysql db on my end.

I guess my question is, I have an idea of how to simply code in a system where there is a check for the key, but how can I make it tamper-proof so they don't just remove the key check and put in a false variable to throw the system?

Any thoughts?
Thanks!
-matthewvb

Could you clarify a little bit? Is the thing you're locking down a remote website, some manner of downloadable web application, or some software package?

Sorry. I'm looking to release code for a remote site to a client. They may download it or I can email it to them; that part doesn't matter as much.

I really just need an activation tool that will lock the software down to no functionality (throw an error) if it's not activated.

Does that help?
Thanks.

What're you doing? Putting DRM something? Passwording a website?