SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A FLEXIBLE LICENSING SYSTEM FOR DIGITAL CONTENT

• US 20070203846A1
• Filed: 12/18/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Gokhale, Parag, Prahlad, Anand, Kavuri, Srinivas, Muller, Marcus, Ali-Ali, Muath, Madeira, Andre
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,262 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1014 to tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

A system and method for providing a flexible licensing system for digital content is described. In some cases, the system utilizes tokens or other valuations to facilitate the purchase or exchange of content.

Claims

1. A method of providing a licensed software product to a user, the method comprising:

receiving a request for the licensed software product from the user, wherein the request for the licensed software product contains a user profile, user system information, and information identifying the requested licensed software product; and

authorizing the user to receive the requested licensed software product upon;

determining that the user is associated with a sufficient number of tokens to receive the requested licensed software product;

determining that the user profile contains information indicating the user is an authorized user of the licensed software product; and

determining that the user system information and the information identifying the requested licensed software product indicate that the requested licensed software product is appropriate for the user system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the requested licensed software product to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tokens comprise tokens purchased by or on behalf of the user before the request for the licensed software product is received.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile information comprises SKU information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile information comprises a user identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user system information comprises a system configuration identifier.

7. A system of providing a licensed software product to a user, the system comprising:

means for receiving a request for the licensed software product from the user, wherein the request for the licensed software product contains a user profile, user system information, and information identifying the requested licensed software product; and

means for authorizing the user to receive the requested licensed software product upon;

determining that the user is associated with a sufficient number of tokens to receive the requested licensed software product;

determining that the user profile contains information indicating the user is an authorized user of the licensed software product; and

determining that the user system information and the information identifying the requested licensed software product indicate that the requested licensed software product is appropriate for the user system.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

means for identifying one or more tokens associated with the user that apply to the requested licensed software product;

means for determining that there are a sufficient number of tokens associated with the user that apply to the requested licensed software product.

9. A system of providing a user with rights to use digital content, the method comprising:

receiving a request for an item of digital content from the user, wherein the request for the item of digital content at least contains information identifying the user and information identifying the requested item of digital content;

determining whether the user is authorized to obtain the requested item of digital content based on the information identifying the user; and

upon determining that the user is authorized, transmitting the requested item of digital content to the user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the information identifying the user comprises user profile information.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the information identifying the user comprises historical information related to previous requests for digital content received from the user.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

upon determining that the user is not authorized, querying the user for additional information to authorize the user.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

upon determining that the user is not authorized, querying a system administrator for additional information to authorize the user.

14. A system of providing a user with rights to use digital content, the method comprising:

receiving a request for an item of digital content from the user, wherein the request for the item of digital content at least contains information identifying a system configuration associated with the user and information identifying the requested item of digital content;

determining whether the user is authorized to obtain the requested item of digital content based on the information identifying the system configuration associated with the user and the information identifying the requested item of digital content; and

upon determining that the user is authorized, transmitting the requested item of digital content to the user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the information identifying the system configuration associated with the user comprises user profile information.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the information identifying the system configuration associated with the user comprises historical information related to previous requests for digital content received from the user.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

upon determining that the user is not authorized, querying the user for additional information to authorize the user.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

upon determining that the user is not authorized, querying a system administrator for additional information to authorize the user.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

upon determining that the user is not authorized, proposing an alternative item of digital content to the user.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

upon determining that the user is not authorized, setting a flag on the received request to further verify the user before transmitting the requested item of digital content to the user.