Electronic software license with software product installer identifier

• US 20020091644A1
• Filed: 01/05/2001
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nishanova, Anzhelika Y., Wong, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,236,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

An anti-piracy software licensing system associates a license file with a particular software product, so that the license file cannot be used with a separate product. The license is associated with one and only one product by associating an Installer Identifier (IID) with the license file. At installation, a set-up or installation program can be executed to install the software product. The set-up program will generate an IID based on a characteristic of the media and will check the generated IID against the IID stored in a license file on the same media. A match will verify that the license file on the media (i.e., the media license file) was not tampered with prior to installation and that the license file was intended to be used with the software product on the media. However, if there is not a match, then the installation will be terminated. At run-time the locally stored license file will be checked. If the license file is present, execution of the software product will be enabled. If the license is absent, execution of the software product will be disabled.

Claims

1. A method for restricting the installation of a software product, the method comprising the steps of:

generating an installer identifier;

comparing the generated installer identifier to a stored installer identifier;

storing a license file in response to a match between the generated installer identifier and the stored installer identifier; and

enabling a complete installation of the software product, in response to a match between the generated installer identifier and stored installer identifier;

whereby the license file can be subsequently accessed to enable the execution of the completely installed software product.

2. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated installer identifier represents a characteristic of the software product.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the generated installer identifier represents a characteristic of a software product media on which the software product is stored.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the generated installer identifier represents a characteristic of a file list corresponding to the software product media.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the generated installer identifier is a hash value representing the characteristic of the file list corresponding to the software product media.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving a software product key.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of installing at least one run-time file associated with the software product, in response to a determination that the received software product key is a correct software product key.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of executing a set-up program.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the license file is stored in a hardware signature file.

11. A method for restricting the installation and execution of a software product, the method comprising the steps of:

generating an installer identifier;

comparing the generated installer identifier to a stored installer identifier;

storing a license file in response to a match between the generated installer identifier and the stored installer identifier;

enabling a complete installation of the software product, in response to a match between the generated installer identifier and stored installer identifier; and

enabling the execution of the software product, in response to a determination that a proper license file has been stored.

12. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 11.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the generated installer identifier represents a characteristic of the software product.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the generated installer identifier represents a characteristic of a software product media on which the software product is stored.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the generated installer identifier represents a characteristic of a file list corresponding to the software product media.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the generated installer identifier is a hash value representing the characteristic of the file list corresponding to the software product media.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of receiving a software product key.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of installing at least one run-time file associated with the software product, in response to a determination that the received software product key is a correct software product key.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the determination that the proper license file has been stored comprises determining that the stored license file matches a second license in a hardware signature file.

20. A system for restricting the installation of a software product, comprising:

at least one run-time file for executing the software product; and

a set-up program operative to generate an installer identifier representing a characteristic of a software product media containing the software product and further operative to compare the generated installer identifier to a stored installer identifier;

wherein the set-up program will enable the installation of the at least one run-time file in response to a determination that the generated installer identifier matches the stored installer identifier.