Method and system for prevention of piracy of a given software application via a communications network
First Claim
1. A method of preventing piracy of a given software application comprising the steps of:
- assigning a unique identification code to each authentic copy of such software application;
installing the software application in a data storage element on a user'"'"'s computer;
configuring the software application to require service data to activate at least part of its functionality;
requiring the user to communicate user data to a remote service provider, the user data being derived, at least in part, from the identifying data that identifies the user, and being derived, at least in part, from the unique identification code;
archiving identifying data received from a user for each unique identification code if no such identifying data has previously been archived for such unique identification code;
comparing received identifying data associated with a unique identification code with previously archived identifying data corresponding to the same unique identification code if such identifying data has previously been archived;
selectively transmitting service data to the user'"'"'s computer when no such identifying data has previously been archived for such unique identification code;
selectively transmitting service data to the user'"'"'s computer when the received identifying data is consistent with previously archived data for the same unique identification code; and
receiving the transmitted service data within the data storage element of the user'"'"'s computer to activate at least part of the functionality of the software application.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for preventing piracy of a given software application which makes use of a communications network, such as the Internet. A given software application, when initially installed on a user system, is non-functional until activated by a remote service provider. The user must provide the remote service provider with user data, such as the user'"'"'s personal identity information and the unique software identification code relating to the specific software. User data is compared to archived data to determine if the user is a pirator of the software. If the user is not a pirator, then the remote service provider transmits service data, such as an activation code, to the user system. Once activated, the software becomes fully operational, and the user is allowed complete access to its functions.
17 Citations
55 Claims
-
1. A method of preventing piracy of a given software application comprising the steps of:
-
assigning a unique identification code to each authentic copy of such software application;
installing the software application in a data storage element on a user'"'"'s computer;
configuring the software application to require service data to activate at least part of its functionality;
requiring the user to communicate user data to a remote service provider, the user data being derived, at least in part, from the identifying data that identifies the user, and being derived, at least in part, from the unique identification code;
archiving identifying data received from a user for each unique identification code if no such identifying data has previously been archived for such unique identification code;
comparing received identifying data associated with a unique identification code with previously archived identifying data corresponding to the same unique identification code if such identifying data has previously been archived;
selectively transmitting service data to the user'"'"'s computer when no such identifying data has previously been archived for such unique identification code;
selectively transmitting service data to the user'"'"'s computer when the received identifying data is consistent with previously archived data for the same unique identification code; and
receiving the transmitted service data within the data storage element of the user'"'"'s computer to activate at least part of the functionality of the software application. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method of preventing piracy of a given software application comprising the steps of:
-
assigning a unique identification code to each authentic copy of such software application;
installing the software application in a data storage element on a user'"'"'s computer;
configuring the software application to require service data to activate at least part of its functionality;
requiring the user to communicate user data to a service provider, the user data being derived, at least in part, from the identifying data that identifies the user, and being derived, at least in part, from the unique identification code;
archiving identifying data received from a user for each unique identification code if no such identifying data has previously been archived for such unique identification code;
comparing received identifying data associated with a unique identification code with previously archived identifying data corresponding to the same unique identification code if such identifying data has previously been archived, and if so, determining whether such previously archived data is consistent with newly-received identifying data for the same unique identification code. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. A method of preventing piracy of a given software application comprising the steps of:
-
assigning a unique identification code to each authentic copy of such software application;
installing the software application in a data storage element on a user'"'"'s computer;
configuring the software application to require service data to activate at least part of its functionality;
requiring the user to communicate user data to a service provider, the user data being derived, at least in part, from the identifying data that identifies the user, and being derived, at least in part, from the unique identification code;
comparing received identifying data associated with a unique identification code with previously archived identifying data corresponding to the same unique identification code if such identifying data has previously been archived;
selectively communicating service data to the user when the received identifying data is consistent with previously archived data for the same unique identification code; and
receiving the communicated service data wherein said service data is used to activate at least part of the functionality of the software. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
35. A system for preventing piracy of a given software application, said software application having a unique identification code associated therewith, and said software application requiring service data to activate at least part of the functionality of said software application, said system comprising:
-
a user computer system on which a user desires to operate the software application, said user system being connected to a communications network to transmit user data and to receive said service data, said user data being derived at least in part from identifying data which identifies the user, and being derived at least in part from said unique identification code;
a remote service computer system connected to said communications network to receive user data transmitted over the communications network from the user computer system, said remote service computer system configured to performing the following steps;
archiving identifying data received from a user for each unique identification code if no such identifying data has previously been archived for such unique identification code;
comparing received identifying data associated with a unique identification code with previously archived identifying data corresponding to the same unique identification code if such identifying data has previously been archived;
selectively transmitting service data to the user'"'"'s computer system when no such identifying data has previously been archived for such unique identification code;
selectively transmitting service data to the user'"'"'s computer system when it is determined that the received identifying data is consistent with previously archived data for the same unique identification code. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
-
-
44. A method of preventing piracy of a given software application comprising the steps of:
-
assigning a unique identification code to each authentic copy of such software application;
installing the software application in a data storage element on a user'"'"'s computer;
configuring the software application to require service data to activate at least part of its functionality;
requiring the user to communicate user data to a service provider, the user data being derived, at least in part, from the identifying data that identifies the user, and being derived, at least in part, from the unique identification code;
archiving identifying data received from a user for each unique identification code if no such identifying data has previously been archived for such unique identification code;
comparing received identifying data associated with a unique identification code with previously archived identifying data corresponding to the same unique identification code if such identifying data has previously been archived;
selectively communicating service data to the user when no such identifying data has previously been archived for such unique identification code;
selectively communicating service data to the user when the received identifying data is consistent with previously archived data for the same unique identification code. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
-
Specification