I would like to know what you guys are doing to protect your design layouts from being uploaded and copied from the T2-C, T-3 and particularly the T-4 from other companies; we spend quite a bit having our design & graphics custom designed to set us apart from other dealers, we have received 4 jobs in the last month (3) T-4's and a T-3 because the customer like our gui's better than the competitor.

Not Much. I do wish there was a password protect option like with URC

PASSWORD would have been great.

But for the longest time the Security boys who couldn't program for crap just used URC. Now that so many have moved to RTI I do worry a little about my work becoming someone else's. So for years it was Prontos that I would come in and erase the default configs left there by Alarm guys and Sparkys. I think it will soon be RTIs that I am reprogramming...

And you know those guys would come in behind me and suck up the configs from the Prontos. I left just enormous bugs all over them including my name again and again. Best one was I had a system on macro that threw Sony TVs into the service menu and screwed up the Vertical height. See I knew the company that I was cleaning up after and Sony is a mainstay product for them. And there were no sonys in the house I was working in...

So in my long involved
Please wait Screen
Preamp on
TV to input
DVD on
etc etc etc
Display, 5, vol up delay up up up up enter up up up up up (All disguised as other commands) Power Off

When a CRT gun blew out at an install I got called up. The guy actually complained at me... stole my work and it bit em on the ass! Then he had the nerve to complain... priceless!

I second the need for a password-protected GUI and programming with RTI. It should be a priority. I have some beautiful GUIs that I paid a lot of money for, and they would be available for the taking if someone came on to one of my jobsites behind me. I don't think they are very aware of the issue, but they should be made aware this is important.

I second also, it is becoming more and more important, as our time and money investment increases

there has been talk on it within RTI, there is no ETA on it but they are aware that it needs to be added. Might be here soon on a future release but probably not anytime soon

I guess that's good, but how will a customer be able to swith an installer shop? What if someone does a #@*& job on the install, then does not come back for any adjustments to the remote? I mean, I support copyright protection and know all the hard work and money GUI cost and agree it should be protected. Should I kiss the 25% of the work I get to fix someone elses design?

If I fix someone elses screwed up deisgn, I don't want any of it in there at all. It's been my experience (possibly not yours), that I can build a remote from scratch faster and with more reliability, than trying to decipher someone elses poor programming.

Fair enough, what if a customer is very happy with his remote and GUI, but not the company who installed it and wants to swap out a component? I should build it from scratch?

the customer should be able to call the installing company and get the password if the company is willing to work with them, if not sounds like you will be starting from scratch, you might have to explain to the client that a situation might come up like that.

I have run into several jobs like that with Crestron....previous company out of business and no files left on site...had to start from scratch...and system was controalling several rooms of AV, lights, shades, gates, pool, security, had lock outs on the phone system, we tried contacting to original company and the owner sent us the laptop that was used for programming but all we could extract was the lighting program and some beginings of the crestron. So we ended up replacing alot of equipment and all of the crestron anyway so we really had to start from scratch to make it right.

and adding a password to protect the work doesnt mean everyone will use it on all jobs. I will probably not use it on my jobs as we are the only RTI dealer for 100 miles or so

There are only a few instances that can I think of that the original company was not called back to correct or complete a job; the system has never worked properly and after the 3rd or 4th time out to the customer residence to service the system that was thought to be properly installed, the customer decided to go elsewhere, the company cut their losses and chose not to return because they’re poor at programming and probably are alarm installers (no offense to legitimate companies) and trunk slammers that thought that if I program a harmony this can’t be any different, poor customer service, or out of business. The issue is protecting the GUI layouts. I have had the opportunity to get into more customer homes and sold more T-3 replacement upgrades from pronto's that were not programmed properly or the dealer didn’t return for system upgrades or out of business; but what sold the customer was the design layouts. If you are a sh!#@ty programmer that’s a different story. Why does it matter if you have to start from scratch we charge the same fees regardless? futhermore it’s more cost effective and less time consuming to just re-program the remote.

Glackowitz in my area it’s different we have everyone and their mother selling RTI

Now that I think about it, if we are charging for programming, does the customer own the programming?

Thats a huge topic to get into, This topic was discussed in depth on IP and yahoo groups, who owns the code?? Since the dealer programmed it and created Modules and designed a specific GUI for a client seems the dealer owns some, but then again the client paid for all of the work and programming so they own some. If a Client asked for the code on a job its usually on site for crestron..Either in the processor mailbox or on a disc in a folder of manuals. all the above was for crestron

Now for RTI its extractable from the remotes and processors so I dont leave a copy behind But if they asked for it I would give it to them...what are they going to do with the program if they dont have the software, if they have obtained the software somehow and dabble with my programming...the warranty is void and I will add another 50 an hour to go back and fix it...this has not happened yet on RTI or crestron so I feel ok about it...now on Prontos I have been back a few times to correct client made mistakes after we left....but that was years ago and we usually kept things simple

I don't think there is any question about who owns the programming and GUI once the remote switches hands - the customer obviously does. If you charge someone a premium and I mean a big premium for custom GUI you are transferring possesion.

HOWEVER, I think the issue is someone else taking those graphics and reproducing them for their own benefit either monetary or personal... They are NOT for distribution and have no business being removed or copied off the remote for another interest.