Licensing matrix

• US 20070143228A1
• Filed: 12/15/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hughes, Aidan, Jorden, Michael, Chicks, R.
• Application Number:
  US11/303,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20070143228A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/71
• 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 20/3829 involving key management

Abstract

A licensing system provides for enabling and disabling features based on the product key included with a software product. A distribution channel associated with the software product is identified. The distribution channel is identified according to a channel ID obtained from the product key. A set of default features associated with the application is also identified. The set of default features are modified to produce a new set of features for the application when the channel ID is associated with a modifier. The new set of features is applied to the software product such that a use experience and features of the software product is controlled by the product key.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media including computer-executable instructions thereon for enabling and disabling features of an application included in a software product according to a product key, comprising:

identifying a distribution channel associated with the software product, wherein the distribution channel is identified according to a channel ID obtained from the product key;

identifying a set of default features associated with the application;

modifying the set of default features to produce a new set of features for the application when the channel ID is associated with a modifier; and

applying the new set of features to the software product such that a use experience with the software product is controlled by the product key.

2. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein obtaining the channel ID from the product key further comprises converting the product key to binary data that includes the channel ID.

3. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise generating a matrix for determining the new set of features.

4. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 3, wherein an intersection within the matrix between a version associated with the application and the distribution channel corresponding to the channel ID, identifies the new set of features.

5. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 3, wherein the distribution channel is represented by a selected range of channel IDs.

6. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the set of default features is used for the use experience when a modifier is not associated with the channel ID.

7. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein a feature state is associated each feature of the application, the feature state corresponding to whether a feature is enabled or disabled based on the product key provided.

8. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein identifying a distribution channel associated with the software product further comprises obtaining the set of default features from a DPC file.

9. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the DPC file identifies the software product according to a product ID.

10. A licensing system, comprising:

an application that is available for installation onto a computing device, wherein the application is included in a software product;

a licensing file included in the software product, the licensing file comprising an identifier of the software product, detail data for identifying a distribution channel associated with the software product, and privileges associated with the application; and

a product key that is associated with the software product, wherein the product key provides a channel ID when the product key is entered, the channel ID identifying the distribution channel of the software product such that the privileges applied to the application are modified when indicated by the product key.

11. The licensing system of claim 10, wherein the privileges applied to the application affect a use experience for the application, such that the use experience is determined by the product key.

12. The licensing system of claim 10, wherein the detail data for identifying a distribution channel associated with the software product is associated with a channel range, the change range identifying a range of channel IDs that are associated with the distribution channel.

13. The licensing system of claim 12, wherein the privileges applied to the application are modified when a channel range modifier is associated with the channel range.

14. The licensing system of claim 13, wherein the channel range modifier provides at least one of a feature to enable for the application and a feature to disable for the application.

15. The licensing system of claim 10, wherein the distribution channel corresponds to at least one of the following:

a retail channel that distributes a trial version of the software product;

a retail channel that distributes a perpetual version of the software product, a bypass channel that distributes an enterprise version of the software product, a retail channel that distributes a home use version of the software product, and an OEM channel that distributes an OEM version of the software product.

16. The licensing system of claim 10, wherein when the product key is entered, the product key is parsed to produce the channel ID.

17. The licensing system of claim 16, wherein the product key is parsed using private/public key cryptography.

18. A computer-implemented method for enabling and disabling features of an application included in a software product according to a product key, comprising:

parsing the product key to obtain a channel ID;

identifying a set of default features associated with the application, wherein the set of default features are obtained from a licensing file;

constructing a matrix that identifies a new set of features for the application, wherein the new set of features represent the intersection between the channel ID and an identifier of the application;

modifying the set of default features to produce the new set of features for the application when the channel ID is associated with a modifier; and

applying the new set of features to the software product such that a use experience with the software product is controlled by the product key.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the new set of features is the same as the set of default features when a modifier is not associated with the channel ID.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the channel ID is included in a range of channel IDs, wherein the range of channel IDs includes the modifier when the version of the software product indicates that the use experience for the software product according to its product key is different from a use experience provided according to the set of default features.