Self-service customer license management application providing transaction history

• US 20040249761A1
• Filed: 09/05/2003
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Thompson, Jonathan, Tsai, Eva, Garibay, Carey E., Le, Quoc, Fong, Ru-Lien, Han, Thomas, Kosmiskas, Mario
• Application Number:
  US10/655,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20040249761A1
• 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 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level

Abstract

A license management unit is described which provides for a web based access to digital records for software licenses. The digital records can indicate rights associated with the software license. A transaction history can be maintained including adjustments of the rights associated with the software license.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

maintaining a digital record of a software license, the digital record indicating rights associated with a software license;

under the control of a software user, accessing the digital record and adjusting the rights associated with the software license; and

automatically, maintaining a transaction history of adjustments of the rights associated with the software license.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction history includes business transactions concerning the license.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction history includes a retrieval of a license key.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment of rights is a software upgrade or downgrade.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment of rights is a change in machine configuration.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment of rights is the changing of the identity of the computer authorized to run the software.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the changing of the identity of the computer authorized to run the software includes changing of the IP address of the computer authorized to run the software.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the software is IP locked.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the rights are associated with a license key.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the access to the digital record is done using across a web site.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the web site uses role-based security.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein configuration information for the computers running the software are stored in the digital record.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein digital record of a software license has a license ID.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein license ID does not change if the IP address is changed

15. The method of claim 13, wherein license ID does not change if software version is changed.

16. A license management system comprising:

a memory adapted to maintain a digital record of a software license, the digital record indicating rights associated with a software license; and

a processor adapted to provide a web application to allow a software user to access the digital record and adjust the rights associated with the software license and adapted to automatically maintain a transaction history of adjustments of the rights associated with the software license.

17. The license management system of claim 16, wherein the transaction history includes business transactions concerning the license.

18. The license management system of claim 16, wherein the transaction history includes a retrieval of a license key.

19. The license management system of claim 16, wherein the adjustment of rights is a change in machine configuration.

20. The license management system of claim 16, wherein the adjustment of rights is a software upgrade or downgrade.

21. The license management system of claim 16, wherein the adjustment of rights is the changing of the identity of the computer authorized to run the software.

22. The license management system of claim 21, wherein the changing of the identity of the computer authorized to run the software includes changing of the IP address of the computer authorized to run the software.

23. The license management system of claim 22, wherein the software is IP locked.

24. The license management system of claim 16, wherein the rights are associated with a license key.

25. The license management system of claim 16, wherein the access to the digital record is done using across a web site.

26. The license management system of claim 25, wherein the web site uses role-based security.

27. The license management system of claim 16, wherein configuration information for the computers running the software are stored in the digital record.

28. The license management system of claim 16, wherein digital record of a software license has a license ID.

29. The license management system of claim 28, wherein license ID does not change if the IP address is changed

30. The license management system of claim 28, wherein license ID does not change if software version is changed.

31. A computer readable media comprising software to instruct a computer to do the steps of:

maintaining a digital record of a software license, the digital record indicating rights associated with a software license;

under the control of a software user, accessing the digital record and adjusting the rights associated with the software license; and

automatically, maintaining a transaction history of adjustments of the rights associated with the software license.

32. The computer readable media of claim 31, wherein the transaction history includes business transactions concerning the license.

33. The computer readable media of claim 31, wherein the transaction history includes a retrieval of a license key.

34. The computer readable media of claim 31, wherein the adjustment of rights is a software upgrade or downgrade.

35. The computer readable media of claim 31, wherein the adjustment of rights is a change in machine configuration.

36. The computer readable media of claim 31, wherein the adjustment of rights is the changing of the identity of the computer authorized to run the software.

37. The computer readable media of claim 36, wherein the changing of the identity of the computer authorized to run the software includes changing of the IP address of the computer authorized to run the software.

38. The computer readable media of claim 36, wherein the software is IP locked.

39. The computer readable media of claim 31, wherein the rights are associated with a license key.

40. The computer readable media of claim 31, wherein the access to the digital record is done using across a web site.

41. The computer readable media of claim 40, wherein the web site uses role-based security.

42. The computer readable media of claim 31, wherein configuration information for the computers running the software are stored in the digital record.

43. The computer readable media of claim 31, wherein digital record of a software license has a license ID.

44. The computer readable media of claim 43, wherein license ID does not change if the IP address is changed

45. The computer readable media of claim 43, wherein license ID does not change if software version is changed.