diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 70da36f0..68d34212 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -50,3 +50,6 @@ nosetests.xml
 
 # Qt creator
 *.autosave
+
+# Licence keys
+keys
diff --git a/gns3/licence.py b/gns3/licence.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0188a675
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gns3/licence.py
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2013 GNS3 Technologies Inc.
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+import rsa
+import sys
+import os
+import base64
+
+PUB_KEY = b"""-----BEGIN RSA PUBLIC KEY-----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==
+-----END RSA PUBLIC KEY-----"""
+
+import logging
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+def checkLicence():
+    """
+    Return true if the user as correctly installed the licence file
+    """
+    if sys.platform.startswith("darwin"):
+        appname = "gns3.net"
+    else:
+        appname = "GNS3"
+
+    filename = "licence.txt"
+
+    if sys.platform.startswith("win"):
+        # On windows, the user specific configuration file location is %APPDATA%/GNS3/gns3_gui.conf
+        appdata = os.path.expandvars("%APPDATA%")
+        licence_file = os.path.join(appdata, appname, filename)
+
+    else:
+        # On UNIX-like platforms, the user specific configuration file location is /etc/xdg/GNS3/gns3_gui.conf
+        home = os.path.expanduser("~")
+        licence_file = os.path.join(home, ".config", appname, filename)
+
+    return check_licence_file(licence_file)
+
+
+def check_licence_file(licence_file):
+    if os.path.exists(licence_file):
+        with open(licence_file) as f:
+            email = f.readline().strip()
+            key = f.readline().strip()
+        pubkey = rsa.PublicKey.load_pkcs1(PUB_KEY)
+        try:
+            rsa.verify(email.encode("utf-8"), base64.b64decode(key), pubkey)
+            log.info("Found a valid licence file. Thanks for your support")
+            return True
+        except rsa.pkcs1.VerificationError:
+            log.error("Invalid licence file.")
+            return False
+    return False
diff --git a/gns3/main_window.py b/gns3/main_window.py
index 33fc7e21..23254751 100644
--- a/gns3/main_window.py
+++ b/gns3/main_window.py
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ from .cloud.exceptions import KeyPairExists
 from .project import Project
 from .http_client import HTTPClient
 from .progress import Progress
+from .licence import checkLicence
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ class MainWindow(QtWidgets.QMainWindow, Ui_MainWindow):
         self.loading_cloud_project = False
 
         self._uiNewsDockWidget = None
-        if not self._settings["hide_news_dock_widget"]:
+        if not checkLicence():
             try:
                 from .news_dock_widget import NewsDockWidget
                 self._uiNewsDockWidget = NewsDockWidget(self)
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 5f6d58aa..22f13c26 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@ apache-libcloud==0.16.0
 paramiko==1.15.1
 requests==2.4.3
 raven==5.2.0
+rsa==3.1.4
diff --git a/scripts/licence_generator.py b/scripts/licence_generator.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4a040885
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/licence_generator.py
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2013 GNS3 Technologies Inc.
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+"""
+This script generate a licence key for an user.
+You need the GNS 3 private key if you want to use
+this key with the public GNS 3 distribution.
+"""
+
+import rsa
+import argparse
+import base64
+from gns3.licence import check_licence_file
+
+BITS = 4096
+
+
+def generate():
+    """Generate licence key pair"""
+    print("Generate licence it can be slow")
+    (pubkey, privkey) = rsa.newkeys(BITS)
+    with open("keys/private.pem", "w+") as f:
+        f.write(privkey.save_pkcs1())
+    with open("keys/pub.pem", "w+") as f:
+        f.write(pubkey.save_pkcs1())
+
+# generate()
+
+
+parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Generate licences files")
+parser.add_argument("--private", dest="private",
+                    action="store",
+                    required=True,
+                    help="The private key")
+parser.add_argument("--out", dest="out",
+                    action="store",
+                    required=True,
+                    help="The output file")
+parser.add_argument("--email", dest="email",
+                    action="store",
+                    required=True,
+                    help="The user email")
+
+args = parser.parse_args()
+
+with open(args.private, "rb") as privatefile:
+    keydata = privatefile.read()
+    privkey = rsa.PrivateKey.load_pkcs1(keydata)
+
+signature = rsa.sign(args.email.encode("utf-8"), privkey, "SHA-512")
+with open(args.out, "wb+") as f:
+    f.write(args.email.encode("utf-8"))
+    f.write(b"\n")
+    f.write(base64.b64encode(signature))
+    f.write(b"\n")
+
+print("Check licence: {}".format(check_licence_file(args.out)))
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 5966baad..b075a2ab 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ setup(
         "requests>=2.4.3",
         "paramiko>=1.15.1",
         "gns3-converter>=1.2.3",
-        "raven>=5.2.0"
+        "raven>=5.2.0",
+        "rsa>=3.1.4"
     ],
     entry_points={
         "gui_scripts": [