Method and arrangement for protecting software

• US 20050160049A1
• Filed: 02/19/2003
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Douglas Lundholm
• Original Assignee: Douglas Lundholm
• Inventors: Lundholm, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US10/504,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20050160049A1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering

Abstract

A method and arrangement for limiting the number of simultaneous users of a software (106) protected by a licence agreement. A start request is sent from the software to a lock unit (108) when the software is activated by a workstation (102), after which it is investigated whether any physical licence unit (110), connected to the lock unit and corresponding to the software, has a free user position. The software is started if there is a free user position, but is terminated if there is free user position. The solution provides for increased control and security that the number of simultaneous users cannot exceed what is covered by the licence agreement, as well as a simple upgrading of licence agreements.

Claims

1. A method of limiting the number of simultaneous users of a software protected by a licence agreement, wherein the software can be activated by a plurality of network connected workstations, characterised by the following steps:

A) sending a start request from the software to a network connected central lock unit as the software is activated by a workstation, wherein at least one physical licence unit, associated with the protected software and containing a readable unique identity code, is connected to the lock unit and has a limited number of user positions which can be occupied by users of the software,

B) investigating whether any licence unit, connected to the lock unit and associated with the software, has any free user position,

C) starting the software for usage in said workstation if a free user position is found in step b), and

D) terminating the software if no free user position is found in step B).

2. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that step

B) comprises the following substeps:

E) reading the unique identity code on each of the licence units being connected to the lock unit,

F) identifying at least one licence unit that corresponds to the software, and

G) investigating whether any licence unit identified in step F) has a free user position.

3. A method according to claim 2, characterised in that a list of identity codes read in step E) is sent from the lock unit to the software, a new list is created and sent to the lock unit comprising identity codes of licence units identified in step F) together with a max number giving a maximum number of permitted users for each identified licence unit, and the lock unit compares each such max number with the number of user positions currently being occupied for the corresponding licence unit.

4. A method according to claim 3, characterised in that the lock unit maintains information on which licence units are connected, and on the number of corresponding user positions currently being occupied in each licence unit.

5. A method according to any of claims 1-4, characterised in that the software generates a random number or the like which is sent to the lock unit, wherein the lock unit sends this random number back to the software to indicate that a free user position is found in step B), such that the software can be started in step C).

6. A method according to claim 5, characterised in that a public encryption key is sent from the lock unit to the software, the random number is encrypted with a session key generated by the software, the session key is encrypted with the public key, and the random number and the session key are sent as an encrypted message from the software to the lock unit, such that the lock unit can decrypt the session key with a private key corresponding to the public key, and thereafter the random number with the session key.

7. A method according to any of claims 1-6, characterised in that, if no free user position is found in step B), the lock unit sends an erroneous random number to the software to indicate this fact, such that the software is terminated in step D).

8. A method according to any of claims 1-7, characterised in that the lock unit registers a time for start of the software in step C), such that the occupation duration of the corresponding user position can be checked and limited.

9. A method according to claim 8, characterised in that the lock unit assigns a temporary identity code to the workstation which is saved in the lock unit together with the current time for start, in order to keep track on which workstations are active and thereby occupy a user position in a licence unit, wherein the lock unit also sends over the temporary identity code of the workstation to the software.

10. A method according to claim 9, characterised in that the software is adapted to regularly renew its taken user position, by sending a renewal message to the lock unit after a predetermined time interval T, comprising its assigned temporary identity code.

11. A method according to any of claims 1-10, characterised in that a licence unit associated with the software is selected having at least one free user position, at least one signing code MAC is created, based on at least one parameter known by the software, and sent from the lock unit to the software, the software creates corresponding signing code(s) locally, which is compared with received signing code(s), wherein the software is started if the received and locally created signing codes coincide with each other, or terminated if the received and locally created signing codes do not coincide with each other.

12. A method according to claim 11, characterised in that the licence unit is selected by the software from a list l′

₁, generated and sent by the lock unit L, comprising unique identity codes for all licence units being connected to the lock unit, and information, for each licence unit, on how many users are currently active and thereby occupies a user position in the licence unit.

13. A method according to claim 11 or 12, characterised in that said signing code(s) MAC is sent to the software together with a session code SID assigned to the communication with the software, a created timestamp TM identifying the clock time when the communication with the software took place, and a current number of active users AA.

14. A method according to claim 13, characterised in that said signing code(s) MAC is created based on at least one of the following parameters:

a readable identity code AID of the selected licence unit, a concealed identity code DAID of the licence unit, a readable identity code LID of the lock unit, a concealed identity code DLID of the lock unit, a functional code PLID of the function of the lock unit, a random number st₁ generated and sent by the software, the session code SID, the timestamp TM and the current number of users AA.

15. A method according to claim 14, characterised in that the relationship between the AID code and the DAID code is determined in advance in the software, such that the DAID code can be derived from the AID code, and that the relationship between the LID code and the DLID code is determined in advance in the software, such that the DLID code can be derived from the LID code.

16. A method according to claim 14 or 15, characterised in that said signing code(s) MAC comprises a first signing code MAC₁ and a second signing code MAC₂, wherein:

MAC₁ is based on at least one of st₁, SID, AID, AA, TM, LID, DLID and PLID; and

MAC₂ is based on at least one of st₁, SID, TM, AA, AID and DAID.

17. A method according to claim 16, characterised in that the software is adapted to frequently renew its taken user position by sending a renewal message after a predetermined time interval T to the lock unit, comprising its assigned session code SID and a new generated random number st₂, such that the lock unit can identify the workstation using the software, the used licence unit and the latest saved timestamp TM, and determine whether a continued usage should be allowed.

18. A method according to claim 17, characterised in that a new timestamp TM′

is created corresponding to the current point of time, and that a third signing code MAC₃ is created and sent from the lock unit to the software, where MAC₃ is based on at least one of st₂, SID, TM, TM′

, AID and DAID.

19. An arrangement for limiting the number of simultaneous users of a software protected by a licence agreement, wherein the software can be activated by a plurality of network connected workstations, characterised by:

a network connected central lock unit to which an optional number of physical licence units can be connected, wherein each licence unit has a limited number of user positions, is provided with a unique identity code, and is associated with at least one licence agreement,

a software adapted to send a start request to the lock unit when the software is activated by a workstation,

means for investigating whether any licence unit connected to the lock unit and corresponding to the software has any free user position,

means for starting the software for usage in said workstation if there is a free user position, and

means for terminating the software if there is no free user position.

20. An arrangement according to claim 19, characterised in that the lock unit is adapted to maintain information on which licence units are connected, and on the number of corresponding user positions currently being occupied in each licence unit.