Method and apparatus for preventing unauthorized use of software

• US 20040254888A1
• Filed: 06/08/2004
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Daisuke, Inose, Tsutomu, Kasai, Kazuhiro, Naito, Kikuo, Tanaka, Mitsuharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,530,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs

Abstract

A server transmits, to clients, display data for displaying a plurality of input areas for pieces of identification information which identify apparatuses in which software is to be installed. The server receives the plurality of pieces of identification information input to the input areas. The server then issues, to the clients, license information for permitting installation of the software to the apparatuses corresponding to the pieces of received identification information. This makes it possible to efficiently issue license information of software.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

transmission means for transmitting display data for displaying a plurality of input areas for a plurality of pieces of identification information which identify apparatuses in which software is to be installed;

reception means for receiving the plurality of pieces of identification information input to the input areas; and

license information issuing means for issuing license information for permitting installation of the software to the apparatuses corresponding to the plurality of pieces of identification information received by said reception means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising derivation means for deriving the number of apparatuses which are permitted to install the software,

wherein said transmission means transmits the display data for displaying the input areas equal in number to the number derived by said derivation means.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising storage means for storing the total number of apparatuses which are permitted to install the software and the number of registered apparatuses which have already been permitted to install the software,

wherein said derivation means derives the number of apparatuses which are permitted to install the software by subtracting the number of registered apparatuses from the total number.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of input areas contained in the display data transmitted by said transmission means is not more than a predetermined upper limit value.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

acceptance means for accepting designation of an identification information file containing data of the one or plurality of pieces of identification information; and

extraction means for receiving the identification information file on the basis of the designation accepted by said acceptance means, and extracting the identification information by analyzing the file.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising determination means for determining whether or not a plurality of pieces of identical identification information are input to the input areas,

wherein said license information issuing means performs no issuing processing of license information when said determination means determines that a plurality of pieces of identical identification information are input.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein if said determination means determines that a plurality of pieces of identical identification information are input, said license information issuing means performs issuing processing of license information with respect to identification information other than the plurality of pieces of input identification information.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

storage means for storing the identification information of an apparatus which has been permitted to install the software in the past in correspondence with the software, and

determination means for determining whether the identification information input to the input area is stored in said storage means as that of an apparatus which has been permitted to install the software in the past,

wherein when said determination means determines that the identification information input to the input area is stored in said storage means as that of an apparatus which has been permitted to install the software in the past, said license information issuing means performs no issuing processing of license information.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein when said determination means determines that the identification information input to the input area is stored in said storage means as that of an apparatus which has been permitted to install the software in the past, said license information issuing means performs issuing processing of license information with respect to identification information other than the identification information stored in said storage means as that of an apparatus which has been permitted to install the software in the past.

10. An information processing method of providing a license for permitting installation of software, comprising:

a transmission step of transmitting display data for displaying a plurality of input areas for a plurality of pieces of identification information which identify apparatuses in which software is to be installed;

a reception step of receiving the plurality of pieces of identification information input to the input areas; and

a license information issuing step of issuing license information for permitting installation of the software to the apparatuses corresponding to the plurality of pieces of identification information received in the reception step.

11. A program causing an information processing apparatus to execute each step included in an information processing method defined in claim 10.