Method and system for single reactivation of software product licenses

• US 20060026604A1
• Filed: 07/30/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Liu, Yue, Pandya, Ravindra Nath, Hughes, Aidan T., Gunyakti, Caglar, Tan, Xiaoxi, Hatlelid, Kristjan
• Granted Patent: US 7,379,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/331
• 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: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction

Abstract

A method for reactivation of software products includes activating a first software product associated with a reactivation policy group. A hardware identifier derived from the computer hardware configuration is bound with the first software product activation. A second software product is activated having an associated reactivation binding list. Reactivation is requested for the first software product and an updated hardware identifier is associated with a reactivation policy group of the first software product. The second software product may be spared the request for reactivation if the second product can be associated with the reactivation of the first software product given the binding list is compatible with the reactivation policy group.

Claims

1. A method for reactivation of software products, the method comprising:

requesting activation of a first software product, wherein the first software product hosts a reactivation policy group;

associating a first hardware identifier with the first software product;

requesting activation of a second software product, wherein the second software product has a binding list;

associating the second software product with the first hardware identifier if the binding list of the second software product indicates a compatibility with the first software product;

requesting a reactivation event of the first software product;

ascribing the reactivation event of the first software product to the second software product, thereby avoiding a request for reactivation event of the second software product.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the second software product with the first hardware identifier comprises a binding list indicating compatibility with at least one of the reactivation policy group and the first software product.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein compatibility with the reactivation policy group is indicated by comparison of a current hardware identifier with the first hardware identifier against a hardware change tolerance associated with the reactivation policy group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting activation of a first software product further comprises requesting activation of a first software product on a computer, the computer having the first hardware identifier stored in memory.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the hardware identifier comprises a representation of a hardware configuration at a time of activation of the first software product.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the representation comprises a hash value of component identifiers installed on the computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a reactivation policy group identifier is stored in memory in association with the first hardware identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting activation of a first software product further comprises hosting a reactivation policy group comprising a hardware change tolerance which triggers a reactivation event if the hardware change tolerance is exceeded and the first software product is accessed.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a second hardware identifier with the reactivation policy group after reactivation the first software product.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second hardware identifier represents a hardware configuration at the time of the reactivation of the first software product.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting a reactivation event of the first software product comprises:

accessing the first software application;

comparing a current hardware identifier against the first hardware identifier to produce a hardware difference indication; and

requesting areactivation data transaction if the hardware difference indication is greater than a hardware change tolerance associated with the reactivation policy group.

12. A method to reactivate multiple software applications, the method comprising:

requesting an activation of a first application and associating a first hardware identifier with a reactivation policy group, the first application owning the reactivation policy group;

requesting an activation of at least one additional application and associating the at least one additional application with the first hardware identifier if the at least one additional application is compatible with the reactivation policy group;

requesting a reactivation of any one of the applications; and

determining that a reactivation of remaining applications is unnecessary if the remaining applications are associated with the reactivation policy group.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

associating a second hardware identifier with the reactivation policy group after reactivation of any one of the applications.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein associating the at least one additional application with the first hardware identifier further comprises:

using a reactivation binding list to associate the at least one additional application with the first application if a current hardware configuration identifier is within a tolerance of the first hardware identifier wherein the tolerance is associated with the reactivation policy group.

15. A system comprising:

a processor having access to memory, the memory having instructions which, when executed, perform the method comprising;

comparing a current hardware identifier against a first hardware identifier when a first software application is accessed, the first hardware identifier associated with a reactivation policy group upon activation of the first software application;

requesting a reactivation of the first application if the current hardware identifier exceeds a threshold of difference from the first hardware identifier;

associating the current hardware identifier with the reactivation policy group;

determining that a reactivation of at least one other software application is unnecessary if the at least one other software application is bound with the reactivation policy group via a bonding list of the at least one other software application.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first hardware identifier is stored in a trusted store.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first hardware identifier comprises a hash value.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the binding list of the at least one other software application lists a first software application identifier.

19. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

requesting activation of a first software product, wherein the first software product hosts a reactivation policy group;

associating a first hardware identifier with the first software product;

requesting activation of a second software product, wherein the second software product has a binding list;

associating the second software product with the first hardware identifier if the binding list of the second software product indicates a compatibility with the first software product;

requesting a reactivation event of the first software product;

ascribing the reactivation event of the first software product to the second software product, thereby avoiding a request for reactivation event of the second software product.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the step of associating the second software product with the first hardware identifier comprises a binding list indicating compatibility with at least one of the reactivation policy group and the first software product.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the step of requesting activation of a first software product further comprises hosting a reactivation policy group comprising a hardware change tolerance which triggers a reactivation event if the hardware change tolerance is exceeded and the first software product is accessed.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising the step of associating a second hardware identifier with the reactivation policy group after reactivation the first software product.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the second hardware identifier represents a hardware configuration at the time of the reactivation of the first software product.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the step of requesting a reactivation event of the first software product comprises:

accessing the first software application;

comparing a current hardware identifier against the first hardware identifier to produce a hardware difference indication; and

requesting a reactivation data transaction if the hardware difference indication is greater than a hardware change tolerance associated with the reactivation policy group.

25. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

requesting an activation of a first application and associating a first hardware identifier with a reactivation policy group, the first application owning the reactivation policy group;

requesting an activation of at least one additional application and associating the at least one additional application with the first hardware identifier if the at least one additional application is compatible with the reactivation policy group;

requesting a reactivation of any one of the applications; and

determining that a reactivation of remaining applications is unnecessary if the remaining applications are associated with the reactivation policy group.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, further comprising the step of:

associating a second hardware identifier with the reactivation policy group after reactivation of any one of the applications.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the step of associating the at least one additional application with the first hardware identifier further comprises:

using a reactivation binding list to associate the at least one additional application with the first application if a current hardware configuration identifier is within a tolerance of the first hardware identifier wherein the tolerance is associated with the reactivation policy group.