System and method for software licensing

• US 20050102240A1
• Filed: 12/17/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Misra, Pradyumna K., Graziadio, Bradley J., Spies, Terence R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management

Abstract

A software licensing system includes a license generator located at a licensing clearinghouse and at least one license server and multiple clients located at a company or entity. When a company wants a software license, it sends a purchase request (and appropriate fee) to the licensing clearinghouse. The license generator at the clearinghouse creates a license pack containing a set of one or more individual software licenses. The license generator digitally signs the license pack and encrypts it with the license server'"'"'s public key. The license server is responsible for distributing the software licenses from the license pack to individual clients. When a client needs a license, the license server determines the client'"'"'s operating system platform and grants the appropriate license. The license server digitally signs the software license and encrypts it using the client'"'"'s public key. The license is stored locally at the client.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media having computer readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a request for a software license from a particular client;

determine an authenticity of the particular client;

select a software license from a pack of software licenses that is appropriate for the particular client, the software license having an associated license ID;

associate the license ID with the particular client;

grant the software license to the particular client; and

determine whether the particular client already has a non-expired license, and if so, forward the non-expired license to the particular client rather than granting the software license.

2. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein to determine the authenticity is to:

receive a client software ID from the particular client; and

evaluate the client software ID to determine whether the client is authentic.

3. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein to determine the authenticity is to:

maintain a set of client images;

receive a client software ID from the particular client; and

compare the client software ID to the client images to evaluate whether the client is authentic.

4. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the one or more processors to encrypt the software license using a public key of the particular client.

5. One or more computer-readable media having computer readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a request for a software license from a particular client;

determine an authenticity of the particular client;

select a software license from a pack of software licenses that is appropriate for the particular client, the software license having an associated license ID;

associate the license ID with the particular client;

grant the software license to the particular client; and

grant a temporary software license that expires in a substantially shorter duration in comparison to the software license.

6. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 5, wherein to grant the software license is to grant the software license containing the license ID, a platform type indicating a type of operating platform for which the software license can be used, an issue date that indicates a date on which the software license is issued to the particular client, an expiration date that indicates a date on which the software license will expire, a product ID that identifies a product with which the software license can be used, a client ID that identifies the particular client, and a version of the software license.

7. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 5, wherein to determine the authenticity is to:

receive a client software ID from the particular client; and

evaluate the client software ID to determine whether the client is authentic.

8. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 5, wherein to determine the authenticity is to:

maintain a set of client images;

receive a client software ID from the particular client; and

compare the client software ID to the client images to evaluate whether the client is authentic.

9. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 5, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine a platform of the particular client; and

select the software license as is appropriate for the platform of the particular client.

10. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 5, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the one or more processors to encrypt the software license using a public key of the particular client.

11. A license server for issuing individual software licenses from a software pack received from a licensing clearinghouse, comprising:

means for storing the software pack of individual software licenses, each I software license having an associated license ID;

means for receiving a request for a software license from a client;

means for determining whether the client is authentic and can receive a software license;

means for granting a software license from the license store to an authenticated client and to associate the license ID with the authenticated client; and

client assignment table means for containing a list of the software licenses that are granted to clients.

12. A license server as recited in claim 11, wherein the means for granting is further for upgrading the client assignment table means after granting the software license to the authenticated client.

13. A license server as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

client image cache means for storing a set of client images; and

the means for determining receiving a client image from the client and comparing the received client image to the set of client images to evaluate whether the client is authentic.

14. A license server as recited in claim 11, wherein the means for determining is further for determining an operating platform of the client.

15. A license server as recited in claim 11, wherein the software license contains at least one of the following items:

a version indicator of a software license;

a license ID;

a client ID that identifies the authenticated client;

an issue date on which the license is issued to the client;

a platform type of the client'"'"'s operating platform for which the software license can be used;

an expiration date on which the software license will expire; and

a product ID that identifies a product with which the software licenses can be used.

16. A license server as recited in claim 11, further comprising license pack table means for storing information pertaining to the license pack that is stored in the license store.