Secure Transfer Of Product-Activated Software To A New Machine Using A Genuine Server

• US 20080276321A1
• Filed: 05/02/2007
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gunyakti, Caglar, Svancarek, Mark K.
• Application Number:
  US11/743,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20080276321A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1079 Return
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Systems and methods for secure transfer of product-activated software are disclosed. A user may request a license transfer from an original machine to a new machine. The request cause the machine identity and proof of purchase from the original machine to be sent to an activation service. The activation service may add the proof of purchase to a transfer list and mark as invalid the existing association between the original machine identity and the proof of purchase. The activation service may push the transfer list to a genuine service, which may issue a revocation certificate to the original machine. The proof of purchase may then be applied to the new machine. The activation service may create a new association between the identity of the new machine and the proof of purchase, and deliver a perpetual license certificate to the new machine.

Claims

1. A system for transferring a license from an original machine to a new machine, the system comprising:

an activation service; and

a genuine service,

wherein (i) the activation service receives a request to transfer a software license from a first machine to a second machine, adds a proof of purchase associated with the license to a transfer list, marks as invalid an existing association between the proof of purchase and a hardware identity associated with the first machine, and provides the transfer list to the genuine service, (ii) the genuine service issues a revocation certificate to the first machine indicating that a previous activation of the software on the first machine has been revoked, and notifies the activation service of the revocation, and (iii) the activation service creates an association between the proof of purchase and a hardware identity associated with the second machine, and delivers a perpetual license certificate to the second machine.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transfer request harvests a hardware identity and proof of purchase from the first machine and provides them to the activation service.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the genuine service receives a series of genuine service requests from the first machine, and, after the genuine service receives the transfer list from the activation service, the genuine service issues the revocation certificate to the first machine in response to one of the genuine service requests.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the activation service accepts the license transfer request based on business rules implemented in connection with the activation service.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the activation service receives a confirmation from the first machine that the license has been revoked on the first machine.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the activation service receives a request from the second machine to associate the proof of purchase with the hardware identity associated with the second machine.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an online digital locker having the proof of purchase stored thereon, wherein the proof of purchase is transferred from the digital locker to the second machine.

8. A method for transferring a license from an original machine to a new machine, the method comprising:

receiving a request to transfer a software license from a first machine to a second machine;

issuing a revocation certificate to the first machine indicating that a previous activation of the software on the first machine has been revoked; and

delivering a perpetual license certificate to the second machine to enable the software to be run on the second machine.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

marking as invalid an existing association between a proof of purchase associated with the license and a hardware identity associated with the first machine.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

adding a proof of purchase associated with the license to a transfer list; and

pushing the transfer list between a license-issuance service and a license-revocation service.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

creating an association between the proof of purchase and a hardware identity associated with the second machine.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the transfer request causes a machine identity and proof of purchase to be harvested from the first machine.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a series of genuine service requests from the first machine; and

issuing the revocation certificate to the first machine in response to one of the genuine service requests.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

creating an association between the proof of purchase and a hardware identity associated with the second machine;

receiving a series of genuine service requests from the first machine; and

after creating the association between the proof of purchase and the hardware identity associated with the second machine, issuing the revocation certificate to the first machine.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a confirmation from the first machine that the license has been revoked on the first machine.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a request from the second machine to associate the proof of purchase with the hardware identity associated with the second machine.

17. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transferring the proof of purchase to the second machine from an online digital locker having the proof of purchase stored thereon.

18. A system for transferring a license from an original machine to a new machine, the system comprising:

a license-issuance service; and

a license-revocation service,

wherein the license-issuance service receives a request to transfer a software license from a first machine to a second machine, the license-revocation service issues a revocation certificate to the first machine indicating that a previous activation of the software on the first machine has been revoked, and the license-issuance service delivers a perpetual license certificate to the second machine to enable the software to be run on the second machine.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the license-issuance service comprises first computer-executable instructions executing on a first computer, said first computer-executable instructions for receiving the request to transfer the software license from the first machine to the second machine, and for delivering the perpetual license certificate to the second machine;

and

wherein the license-revocation service comprises second computer-executable instructions executing on a second computer, said second computer-executable instructions for issuing the revocation certificate to the first machine.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first computer and the second computer are the same computer.