How to pack a license check mechanism (subscription) into an executable file?

Question

Law in IT

Available DBMS without source code, written in Visual FoxPro.

Task: write an application that will limit the period of use of this software.
Perhaps there are other non-software methods to accomplish this task. But I either searched badly or not there.

I spent a lot of time on posing the right question for this problem, because I have never encountered a similar implementation of this problem. Having the source code in hand, it was possible to implement the mechanism of an annual licensed subscription. However, in the absence of it, I will have to dodge differently. After trying various search queries, I realized that it is possible to package the executable file and add some resource to the executable file section.

There are paid ways to implement software licensing such as:
Sentinel LDKand
StarForce
If it doesn't work out, you'll have to buy, which you really don't want to.

I would be grateful for any help or hint in which direction to study.

Answer 1

It is easier to use electronic security keys. There are keys with a time limit. For example, http://www.guardant.ru/products/guardant-time/. The protection is very simple: your executable is wrapped in a wrapper that checks for the existence of the key.
The cost consists of the developer kit and the cost of the keys. You can fit into 2 thousand. Which is much cheaper than the time spent creating, debugging and testing your own solution.