Software licensing using certificate issued by authorized authority

• US 20070150418A1
• Filed: 12/27/2005
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ben-Zvi, Nir, Miller, Ronald, Ben-Menahem, Avi
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,181 B2
• 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]

Abstract

Software is governed by a digital license that specifies a certificate that must be present in order for the software (or certain features thereof) to be used. A root authority authorizes a license server to issue certificates that are called for in the digital license for an item of software. The software and the digital license are installed on a machine, and the machine enrolls with the license server to obtain the certificate. When the software is run, an enforcement component evaluates the license to determine what certificate is required, and then evaluates the certificate to determine whether it meets the requirements of a license. If the certificate is invalid, the enforcement component may disable the software, or may disable certain features of the software.

Claims

1. A method of distributing software comprising:

providing the software to an entity, said entity having a right to install an instance of the software on each of one or more machines;

providing to each of the one or more machines a license that permits a first mode of usage of an installed instance of the software if there is a certificate, issued by a license server associated with said entity, that is present on a one of said machines on which said installed instance of the software is running;

authorizing said entity to issue one or more certificates that are acceptable under terms of said license to permit usage of the software, said certificate being one of said certificates.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said authorizing comprises including in said license, by a manufacturer or a licensor of the software, an identity of said license server, or of a server to which said license server traces authority, said license including a signature of said manufacturer or said licensor, wherein the software comprises or is associated with an enforcement component that is enabled to determine whether said signature is an authentic signature of said manufacturer or licensor, and wherein a condition of permitting said first mode of usage of the software on said one of said machines is that said certificate be determined by the enforcement component to have been signed by the server whose identity is included in said license, or by a server that traces authority to the server whose identity is included in said license.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said certificate identifies said one of said machines, and wherein said license conditionally permits said first mode of usage of said installed instance of the software based at least in part on whether a comparison between (a) the machine on which said installed instance of the software is running, and (b) said certificate, satisfies a condition, said condition being either:

that the machine identified in said certificate is the same as the machine on which said installed instance of the software is running;

or

that the difference between the machine identified in said certificate and the machine on which said installed instance of the software is running is within a defined limit of tolerance.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing to said entity one or more media on which the software and said license are stored.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said certificate wherein said certificate is stored on a removable medium.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first mode of usage is a one of a plurality of modes, wherein a second mode of usage is one of said plurality of modes different from said first mode, and wherein said installed instance of the software runs on said one of said machines in said second mode if none of said certificates are installed on said one of said machines.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein usage of said installed instance of the software in said second mode prevents usage of at least one feature of the software that would be usable when said installed instance of the software is used in said first mode.

8. One or more computer-readable media encoded with computer-executable instructions to perform a method comprising:

evaluating a license installed on a machine to determine the identity of an entity identified in said license;

determining whether a certificate that is signed by said entity, or that traces authority back to said entity, is present on said machine;

making a determination of whether to allow an item of software to run in a first mode based at least in part on whether said certificate that is signed by said entity, or that traces authority back to said entity, is present on said machine, said first mode being one of a plurality of modes; and

allowing said item of software to run in either (a) said first mode, or (b) in a different one of said plurality of modes, based on said determination.

9. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein said certificate identifies said machine, and wherein said determination is further based on whether a comparison between (a) the machine on which said item of software is running, and (b) said certificate, satisfies a condition, said condition being either:

that the machine identified in said certificate is the same as the machine on which said item of software is running;

or

that the difference between the machine identified in said certificate and the machine on which said item of software is running is within a defined limit of tolerance.

10. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the one or more computer-readable media are further encoded with said license and said item of software, said license and said item of software being installable on said machine from said one or more computer-readable media.

11. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, further comprising:

determining that said certificate, and any certificates that are used to trace authority back to entity, have not been revoked.

12. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein a second mode is one of said plurality of modes different from said first mode, and wherein said item of software is allowed to run on said machine in said second mode if said certificate is not installed on said machine.

13. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein running said item of software in said second mode denies usage of at least one feature of software that is usable when said item of software is running in said first mode.

14. A system for applying one or more usage conditions to an item of software, the system comprising:

a component that makes a determination that an item of software is permitted to run in one of a plurality of modes and causes said item of software to run in said one of said plurality of modes, said component making said determination at least in part based on whether a certificate identified in a license is present on a machine on which said item of software is running, said license identifying said certificate based at least in part on an identity of an entity who either;

(1) signs said certificate, or (2) serves as a root authority for a signer of said certificate.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said certificate identifies said machine, and wherein said component makes said determination further based on whether a comparison between (a) the machine on which said item of software is running, and (b) said certificate, satisfies a condition, said condition being either:

that the machine identified in said certificate is the same as the machine on which said item of software is running;

or

that the difference between the machine identified in said certificate and the machine on which said item of software is running is within a defined limit of tolerance.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said item of software and said license are delivered to said machine on one or more computer-readable media.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said license is installed on said machine by said entity.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein said entity has an identity certificate that comprises a signature of a base authority, said base authority'"'"'s signature of said identity certificate representing said base authority'"'"'s delegation of authority to said entity to install and license said item of software on one or more machines, said machine being included within said one or more machines.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein a first mode is included in said plurality of modes, wherein a second mode is included in said plurality of modes and is different from said first mode, wherein said item of software is allowed to run in said first mode on said machine if said certificate identified in said license is present on said machine, and wherein said item of software is allowed to run in said second mode on said machine if said certificate is not installed on said machine.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein running said item of software in said second mode denies usage of at least one feature of software that is usable when said item of software is running in said first mode.