Delivery of a secure software license for a software product and a toolset for creating the sorftware product

• US 20030156719A1
• Filed: 02/21/2002
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pace Anti-Piracy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pace Anti-Piracy, Inc.
• Inventors: Cronce, Paul A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,742,992 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/256
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication

Abstract

A method for delivery of a licensed toolset to a software publisher for creating license-managed software products is disclosed. The method comprises providing an authorization process, and implementing the authorization process for both a toolset publisher and related toolset and a software publisher and related software product, whereby the same authorization process is used to obtain respective licenses. The authorization process includes creating a first public and private key pair for the software publisher, creating a second public and private key pair for the software product, creating an authorization program for the software program, with embedded copies of the first and second public keys, and combining the software program and the authorization program, such that when the authorization program is invoked, the authorization program obtains a license for controlling the use of the software program. The license is obtained by creating a license request, encrypting the license request using the second private key, transmitting the license request to a key authority, receiving a license from the key authority with license terms, decrypting the license, and using the license terms to control the use of the software program.

Claims

1. A method for deliver of a license-managed toolset for creating a license-managed software product, the method comprising the step of:

(a) providing an authorization process, the authorization process including the steps of;

(i) creating a first public and private key pair for a software publisher,

(ii) creating a second public and private key pair for a software program,

(iii) creating an authorization program for the software program, and embedding a copy of the first and second public keys in the authorization program,

(iv) combining the authorization program with a software program, such that when the software program is invoked on a computer, the authorization program obtains a license for the software program by;

(1) creating a license request,

(2) encrypting a license request using the second public key,

(3) transmitting the encrypted license request to a key authority,

(4) receiving an encrypted license from the key authority, wherein the license includes license terms, and

(5) decrypting the license using the first public key, such that the license terms are used to control use of the software program;

(b) implementing the authorization process in the software toolset that is provided by a toolset publisher, wherein when the authorization process is invoked in the software toolset, the toolset publisher is the publisher in the authorization process and the software toolset is the software program in the authorization process, and

(c) implementing the authorization process in the software product that is provided by a publisher of the software product using the software toolset, wherein when the authorization process is invoked in the software product, the publisher of the software product is the publisher in the authorization process and the software product is the software program in the authorization process, whereby both the software toolset and the software product use the same authorization process to obtain respective licenses.

2. The method of claim 1 further includes the step of transferring the first and second private keys to a key authority for receiving license requests and generating licenses.

3. The method of claim 1 further includes the step of including product and customer information within the license request and license documents.

4. The method of claim 1 further includes the step of associating the license request with a financial transaction, and incorporating financial transaction information within the license.

5. The method of claim 1 further includes the steps of:

(a) assigning a publisher ID to the publisher,

(b) embedding the publisher ID within the authorization program,

(c) including the publisher ID within the license, and

(d) comparing the embedded publisher ID with the publisher ID within the license to verify the publisher of the software program to be authorized has generated the license.

6. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

(a) generating a machine fingerprint within the authorization process,

(b) incorporating the machine fingerprint within the license request,

(c) incorporating the machine fingerprint within the license terms, and

(d) using by the authorization program the machine fingerprint to prevent use of the software product on a different machine than the one which made the license request.

7. A method for deliver of a license-managed toolset for creating a license-managed software product, the method comprising the step of:

(a) providing an authorization process, the authorization process including the steps of;

(i) creating a first public and private key pair for a software publisher, and creating a first certificate with the public key using a certificate authority,

(ii) creating a second public and private key pair for a software program, and creating a second certificate with the software publisher private key.

(iii) creating an authorization program for the software program, and embedding a copy of the first and second certificates and second private key in the authorization program,

(iv) combining the authorization program with a software program, such that when the software program is invoked on a computer, the authorization program obtains a license for the software program by;

(1) creating a formatted license request,

(2) signing the license request using the second public key,

(3) transmitting the signed license request to a key authority,

(4) receiving an signed formatted license from the key authority, wherein the license includes license terms, and

(5) validating the license using the first certificate, such that the license terms are used to control use of the software program;

(b) implementing the authorization process in the software toolset that is provided by a toolset publisher, wherein when the authorization process is invoked in the software toolset, the toolset publisher is the publisher in the authorization process and the software toolset is the software program in the authorization process, and

(c) implementing the authorization process in the software product that is provided by a publisher of the software product using the software toolset, wherein when the authorization process is invoked in the software product, the publisher of the software product is the publisher in the authorization process and the software product is the software program in the authorization process, whereby both the software toolset and the software product use the same authorization process to obtain respective licenses.

8. The method of claim 7 further includes the step of including product and customer information within the license request and license documents.

9. The method of claim 7 further includes the step of associating the license request with a financial transaction, and incorporating financial transaction information within the license.

10. The method of claim 7 further includes the step of formatting the license request and license using a proposed signed XML document format.

11. The method of claim 7 further includes the step of generating the first public and private key pair for the software product publisher during the authorization process for the toolset, using the steps of:

(a) creating the first public and private key pair for the software publisher prior to using the authorization process for the toolset;

(b) including the public key within the license request document in the form of a certificate request;

(c) receiving the certificate within the license document, and

(d) using the received certificate in conjunction with the private key as the first key pair in the authorization process for the software product.

12. The method of claim 7 further includes the step of transferring the first and second private keys and certificates to a key authority for receiving license requests and generating licenses.

13. The method of claim 7 further includes the steps of:

(a) assigning a publisher ID to the publisher,

(b) including the publisher ID within the publisher certificate, included within the software product license,

(c) embedding the publisher ID within the authorization program,

(d) comparing the embedded publisher ID with the publisher ID within the certificate to verify the publisher of the software program to be authorized has generated the license.

14. The method of claim 7 further including the steps of:

(a) Generating a machine fingerprint within the authorization process,

(b) incorporating the machine fingerprint within the license request,

(c) incorporating the machine fingerprint within the license terms, and

(d) using by the authorization program the machine fingerprint to prevent use of the software product on a different machine than the one which made the license request.