Software license server with geographic location validation

• US 20060059100A1
• Filed: 04/14/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital River Incorporated (Danube Private Holdings II, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Digital River Incorporated (Danube Private Holdings II, LLC)
• Inventors: Ronning, Joel A., Efergan, David, Olson, Pete, Rauf, Amir
• Granted Patent: US 8,732,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1077 Recurrent authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/12 Protecting executable software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]

Abstract

A computer software license management system wrapper for use in a local computer is described. The software wrapper includes a wrapper interface that provides controlled access to a computer software application file. The software application file is encapsulated by security software code to protect it from unauthorized access. The software wrapper also includes a software license key identifying a license policy specifying a use limitation within a geographic boundary. In addition, the software wrapper includes a license validation mechanism that periodically determines compliance with the license policy. The license validation mechanism permits access by another process operating on the local computer through the wrapper interface in response to a valid license confirmation signal received from the license server. A license server that utilizes and an electronic storefront that sells software license wrappers having software use limitations within a geographic boundary also are described.

Claims

1. A computer software license server, comprising:

a communication module for utilizing pre-existing communication infrastructure to provide a communication link between the license server and a remote computer, the communication module receiving a software license key and a current Internet Protocol (IP) address of the local computer;

a geographic location cross reference to IP address database;

a license database having a plurality of license policies, each license policy being uniquely identified by a corresponding software license key, at least one license policy specifying a use limitation for a software application within a geographic boundary; and

a license validation mechanism configured to cause the communication module to send a valid license confirmation signal to the remote computer via the communication link, in response to;

(i) identifying a current geographic location for the received current IP address by performing a reverse IP address lookup in the geographic location database, (ii) retrieving a specific geographic boundary use limitation from the license database based on the received software license key, and (iii) determining that the current geographic location is within the specific geographic boundary.

2. The license server of claim 1 wherein the license validation mechanism is configured to cause the communication module to send a invalid license confirmation signal to the remote computer via the communication link, in response to:

(i) identifying a current geographic location for the received current IP address by performing a reverse IP address lookup in the geographic location database, (ii) retrieving a specific geographic boundary use limitation from the license database based on the received software license key, and (iii) determining that the current geographic location is outside the specific geographic boundary.