> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.abbyy.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Protection features for FlexiLayouts and classifiers

> Protect FlexiLayouts and classifiers from unauthorized use by signing them with a developer's license. End users need a user license to apply them.

FlexiLayouts and classifiers may be developed for use by third parties. ABBYY FlexiLayout Studio includes protection features for FlexiLayouts and classifiers that prevent their unauthorized use and enable you to provide technical support to your end users.

## Developer's license

To use these protection features, you need a developer's license. A developer's license enables you to sign FlexiLayouts and classifiers and then edit the signed FlexiLayouts and classifiers when providing technical support. To obtain a developer's license, contact the nearest [ABBYY office](https://www.abbyy.com/support/contacts/).

## Protect a FlexiLayout or classifier

To sign a FlexiLayout or classifier, enable the **Sign FlexiLayout** option on the **Protection** tab of its properties dialog box.

The following protection options are available for protected components:

| Option             | Description                                                                       |
| ------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name of author** | Contains the developer's name as specified in the developer's license. Read-only. |
| **Component name** | The name of the FlexiLayout component as specified by the developer.              |
| **License info**   | Contains additional licensing information.                                        |

The protection module contains the developer's name (as specified in the developer's license) and the name of the module (as specified by the developer). When the project is exported to an `*.afl` or `*.cfl` file, these parameters are also written to that file.

## User access to protected components

To access a protected FlexiLayout or classifier, a user needs to contact an ABBYY office to acquire a user license. This license contains the developer's name and the name of the module. Access permissions are checked when a protected FlexiLayout or classifier is added to a FlexiCapture project.

A user with a license can use a protected FlexiLayout or classifier in a project but cannot edit it, deactivate the protection features, or change any of the protection properties.

If a user does not have a license for a protected FlexiLayout or classifier, the user can add it to a FlexiCapture project but cannot use it.