iLok

A type of hardware dongle developed by the PACE copy protection people and currently used by several software manufacturers to ensure only authorized (paying) users are able to run their software. The iLok plugs into the USB port of a computer just as many dongles do. The unique feature of iLok is that the key is purchased separately and can be programmed to work with many different products. This means the user doesn’t have to end up hanging several different dongles off of a computer, which often results in conflicts and other erratic behavior of the system.