Software Licensing Method And System

• US 20080215468A1
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Double Trump International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Double Trump International, Inc.
• Inventors: Uri, Arad, Monsa-Chermon, Assaf Yossef
• Application Number:
  US11/794,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20080215468A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A software and/or content licensing method, which, in some embodiments, an intermediate entity brokers a plurality of software vendors to a single user, who can pay for only actual use of the software, through the single entity. In some embodiments, there is a cap. In some embodiments, offline use of the pay-per-use software is supported.

Claims

1. A method for determining a charge for using software, comprising:

(a) allowing execution of a software title by a user;

(b) tracking the user'"'"'s usage of the software;

(c) determining a charge to the user according to said tracked usage; and

(d) limiting said charge according to a cap.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein in (a) usage of a plurality of software titles is allowed, in (c) a charge is determined for using each of the software titles, and in (d) charging for each software title is limited by cap associated with this title.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein in (a) usage of a plurality of software titles is allowed, in (c) a charge is determined for using each of the software titles, and in (d) charging for a plurality of software titles together is limited by a common cap.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of software titles are owned by a plurality of software vendors.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein charging is only for tracked usage of software.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein allowing execution comprises allowing execution on an ongoing basis without requiring registration or activation of the software by the user.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least some of said tracking is carried out when the software is used during a time at which the user is not connected to a remote communication network.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein when charging reaches a cap the user is granted a free license for a software title.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the free license is permanent.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the cap is associated with a certain software title, and is similar to a price of same software title as offered by an entity associated with said tracking.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein the free license is limited in time.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the cap is associated with a certain software title, and is similar to subscription price of same title, as offered by an entity associated with said tracking.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the allowing in (a) is free of charge.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein after a user is charged a maximum of first agreed sum per month usage of software, if the payments accumulate to a second agreed sum, any further usage is free of charge.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein usage of different titles accumulate towards a single cap, allowing a free use of one of the titles.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein usage of different titles accumulate towards a single cap, allowing free use of all said different titles.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein the cap depends on the user'"'"'s usage of software.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein payments that accumulate faster have a lower cap than payments that accumulate more slowly.

19. A method according to claim 1, wherein usage of one user accumulates in favor of a cap of another user.

20. A method according to claim 1, wherein usage of one software title accumulates in favor of a free license on a different software title.

21. A method according to claim 1, comprising purchase of a perpetual license by said user using both credit accumulated by said usage and direct payment.

22. A software usage tracking system comprising:

(a) a local component associated with a software executing on a user'"'"'s machine, the local component comprising a tracking module operative to track usage of said software; and

(b) a remote component comprising;

(i) an input adapted to receive at least an indication of said usage;

(ii) a storage location having a cap value stored therein;

(iii) a calculator operative to calculate a charge based on said indication and said cap.

23. A system according to claim 22, wherein said local component is associated with a plurality of software titles installed on a user'"'"'s machine, and the input of the remote component is adapted to receive at least an indication of usage of each of said software titles, and identity of the software title associated with each usage.

24. A system according to claim 23, wherein said plurality of software titles are of a plurality of vendors.

25. A system according to claim 23, wherein the software includes at least 5 different titles.

26. A system according to claim 24, wherein said plurality of vendors includes at least 5 different vendors.

27. A system according to claim 23, wherein said storage location has stored therein multiple cap values and identity of software titles associated therewith.

28. A system according to claim 22, wherein said local component is adapted to carry out monitoring when the user is not connected to a remote communication network, and to send to the remote component at least an indication of the track usage when the user is connected to a remote communication network.

29. A method of charging a user for using software titles, the method comprising:

(a) allowing the user to use software titles of a plurality of different vendors;

(b) tracking user'"'"'s usage of said software titles; and

(c) charging the user by a single entity for the tracked usage.

30. A method according to claim 29, wherein said plurality of vendors include at least 5 vendors.

31. A method according to claim 29, wherein usage of each title is allowed upon installation.

32. A method according to claim 29, wherein the allowing of (a) is by providing the user'"'"'s machine with at least one license certificate;

and the number of license certificates is smaller than the number of software titles allowed for use by said certificate.

33. A method according to claim 29, wherein said software titles are made available to said user by at least two different distribution channels.

34. A method for using a software title comprising:

(a) connecting to a remote communication network to receive therethrough certain usage units for using software;

(b) consuming at least part of said usage units when disconnected from said communication network; and

(c) reconnecting to the remote communication network to be debited for consumed usage units.

35. A method of using a software comprising:

(a) locating software marked as being available for execution upon installation;

(b) installing the software;

(c) using the software; and

(d) connecting to a remote communication network for being debited for usage made and being further allowed to use software similarly marked.

36. A method of allowing a user to use software titles from multiple vendors;

the method comprising;

(a) providing the user with a non-permanent license certificate for using software titles from multiple vendors; and

(b) using said titles by said user based on said license certificate.

37. A licensing method, wherein (a) a remote component sends a license certificate to a local component, the license certificate permitting to run software, (b) the local component sends to the remote component information on software usage of the software by the user;

(c) the remote component reacts to the information in one or more of the following ways;

(i) sending another license certificate to the local component;

(ii) billing the user for usage made;

(iii) disallowing further use of software by the user.

38. A method according to claim 37, wherein the other license certificate in (i) allows free use of software.

39. A method according to claim 38, wherein said free use is permanent.

40. A method according to claim 38, wherein said free use is time limited.

41. A method according to claim 38, wherein said free use is limited to a certain amount of usage units.

42. A method according to claim 37, wherein more than one license certificate is sent to the client.

43. A method according to 37, wherein at least one of the license certificates sent to the client provides permanent free use of one or more software titles.

44. A method according to 37 wherein at least one of the license certificates sent allows the use of multiple software titles in a per-pay-use method.

45. A software usage tracking system comprising a local component associated with a software executing on a user'"'"'s machine and a remote component, wherein:

(a) the local component comprising

(i) a tracking module operative to track usage of said software;

(ii) a report enforcing module, operative to require the user to allow reporting of said usage to the remote component; and

(b) the remote component comprising an input adapted to receive at least an indication of said usage.

46. A system according to claim 45, wherein the report enforcing module requires the user to connect to a remote communication network.

47. A system according to claim 45, wherein the report enforcing module operates a predetermined period after last time the user was connected to the remote communication network.

48. A system according to claim 47, wherein said predetermined period is a month.

49. A system according to claim 45, wherein the report enforcing module operates when not yet reported tracked usage of the software reaches a certain limit.

50. A system according to claim 45, wherein said reporting is by a tamper-detecting connection to said remote component.

51. A method of allowing a user to use software titles, the method comprising:

(a) registering a user with a single registering entity; and

(b) said entity allowing the user to use software titles of a plurality of different vendors responsive to said registration.

52. A method according to claim 51, wherein said registering comprises generating a license certificate for a user associated with a hardware fingerprint of a user machine.

53. A method according to claim 51, wherein said registering comprises generating a license certificate for said user and associated with a hardware fingerprint of a user machine.

54. A method according to claim 51, wherein said registering comprises generating a license certificate for said user and associated with an identification of said user.

55. A method according to claim 51, wherein said allowing comprises allowing use of said titles from multiple user machines.

56. A method according to claim 55, wherein said machines are from a limited set of machines.

57. A method according to claim 55, wherein said machines can be arbitrary.

58. A method according to claim 51, wherein said allowing comprises providing multiple charging plans to said user.

59. A method of charging a user for use of a software, comprising:

(a) transmitting to a user computer a limited usage unit certificate;

(b) allowing usage on said computer base don said certificate; and

(c) charging said user for actual use independent of a number of usage units in said certificate.

60. A method according to claim 59, wherein said transmitting of said certificate is hidden from said user.

61. A software usage tracking system comprising a local component associated with a software title executing on a user'"'"'s machine and a remote component, wherein:

(a) the local component comprises (i) a tracking module operative to track usage of said software; and

(b) the remote component comprises;

(i) an input adapted to receive at least an indication of said usage;

(ii) a license generator adapted to generate both perpetual and limited usage license certificates for said local component.

62. A software usage tracking system comprising a local component associated with a software title executing on a user'"'"'s machine and a remote component, wherein:

(a) the local component comprises;

(i) a tracking module operative to track usage of said software;

(ii) a certificate request module which generates requests to said remote component; and

(iii) a certificate installation module which installs a certificate on said user machine without requiring activity by said user; and

(b) the remote component comprises;

(i) an input adapted to receive at least an indication of said usage;

(ii) a license generator adapted to generate one or more license certificates for said local component based on said usage; and

(iii) a license certificate transmitter adapted to send said generated certificate to said local component over a public network.