METHODS OF LICENSING SOFTWARE PROGRAMS AND PROTECTING THEM FROM UNAUTHORIZED USE

• US 20090089881A1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABBYY Development LLC
• Original Assignee: ABBYY Development LLC
• Inventors: Indenbom, Eugene
• Granted Patent: US 9,336,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/128 involving web programs, i.e. using technology especially used in internet, generally interacting with a web browser, e.g. hypertext markup language [HTML], applets, java

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for controlling use of a software licensed product is provided. The method comprises tracking a usage of the software licensed product by a plurality of user computers within an intranet; and for all but one instance of the usage of the software licensed product, terminating the usage of the software license product.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the unauthorized use of software, the method comprising:

distributing software in an unactivated condition; and

forcing the user of the software to perform a trial activation thereof as a condition precedent to use of the software;

wherein said trial activation does not require proof of purchase of the software.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the trial activation comprises a data exchange between a software and activation server facilitated through electronic, or human communication means.

3. A method for installing software licenses on a plurality of user computers, the method comprising:

provisioning a local license server with a license package; and

configuring the local license server to act as a proxy between each user computer and a remote activation server to activate licensed software or digital content on the user computers on a schedule using the license package, wherein the license package is digitally signed by an authorized vendor.

4. A method for controlling use of a software licensed product, the method comprising:

tracking a usage of the software licensed product by a plurality of user computers within an intranet; and

for all but one instance of the usage of the software licensed product, terminating the usage of the software license product.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said tracking is based on a mechanism whereby each software licensed product sends notifications reporting its use to the other user computers in the intranet.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising selecting the one instance as that instance for which no response packet is received.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein upon termination of an instance of a software licensed product, a license violation notification is sent to a user of said software licensed product.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said notifications reporting use are sent using a multicast/broadcast protocol.

9. A method for preventing the unauthorized use of a software licensed product, the method comprising:

encrypting protected data associated with the software licensed product, wherein the encrypted protected data can be decrypted by a licensing module on a user device, and wherein an encryption key used to encrypt executable code is based on the code comprising the licensing module itself; and

distributing the encrypted protected data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the encryption key comprises a message digest of the code comprising the licensing module.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the encryption key comprises a checksum of the code comprising the licensing module.

12. A method for upgrading a software licensed product, the method comprising:

during an upgrade operation to upgrade the software licensed product, checking if a serial number corresponding to the previous version of the software licensed product exists in an activation database for the software licensed product; and

if the serial number does exist in said database, then allowing the upgrade operation to proceed, otherwise terminating said update operation.

13. A method for activating a software licensed product, the method comprising:

receiving a telephone call from a user wishing to activate the software licensed product;

prompting the user to input license information;

routing the telephone call to an activation server based on the license information; and

playing audio comprising an activation code for the software licensed product to the user.

14. A method for activating a software licensed product, the method comprising:

receiving a fax message from a user wishing to activate the software licensed product;

extracting license information from the fax message based on optical character recognition techniques;

sending the extracted license information to an activation server; and

sending a reply fax message containing an activation code for the software licensed product to the user.

15. A method for controlling the unauthorized use of digital content, the method comprising:

determining the existence of a basic license that allows the use of basic digital content; and

if the basic license is found, then allowing the user to use a premium content license that allows the use of premium digital content.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the basic license allows for the use of a basic content.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the premium content license allows for the use of an additional content.

18. A method for controlling the unauthorized use of the software licensed product, the method comprising:

assigning the date of a first license activation for the software licensed product as its start date;

storing the start date in an activation code for the software licensed product or the license itself; and

forming a digital signature of the activation code or the license itself.

19. The method of claim number 18, further comprising verifying the start date based on the digital signature and determining a time usage restrictions based on the said start date.

20. The method of claim number 19, where the time usage restriction is a relative time period beginning at the said start date.