LICENSE ENFORCEMENT

• US 20100211488A1
• Filed: 07/18/2008
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ITI Scotland Limited (Scottish Government)
• Original Assignee: ITI Scotland Limited (Scottish Government)
• Inventors: Hochfield, Barry, McSpadden, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US12/669,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20100211488A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management

Abstract

A brand protection feature reader and/or writer instrument (6) that is adapted to perform a pre-determined number of operations, for example authentication of a brand protection feature, and prevent subsequent operations from being performed if the pre-determined number of operations is exceeded. A counter (70) may be provided for counting the number of operations performed, thereby to determine if the pre-determined number of operations is exceeded.

Claims

1. A brand protection feature reader and/or writer apparatus operating using a processor, wherein said apparatus is adapted to perform a pre-determined number of operations and prevent subsequent operations from being performed if the pre-determined number of operations is exceeded.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operation is at least one of:

authentication of a brand protection feature and issuing or registration of a brand protection feature.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising a counter for counting the number of operations performed, thereby to determine if the pre-determined number of operations is exceeded.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 operable to co-operate with a remotely located counter to count the number of operations performed, thereby to determine if the pre-determined number of operations is exceeded.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the counter is decremented from a pre-determined maximum number of operations, thereby to determine if the pre-determined number of operations is exceeded.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the counter is incremented to a pre-determined maximum number of operations, thereby to determine if the pre-determined number of operations is exceeded.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pre-determined number of operations and the number of operations performed are monitored within a secure application module (SAM).

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the SAM is removable from the apparatus.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the SAM is further adapted to perform or take part in an authentication and/or registration operation.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 comprising at least one more SAM for performing or taking part in an authentication and/or registration operation.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pre-determined number of operations is changeable.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 adapted to receive a command to change the number of available operations.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 adapted to receive the command from a remote location.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 adapted to receive the command using secure messaging.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising means for warning when the instrument is within a defined number of the predetermined number of operations.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined number of operations is associated with a brand owner and/or an instrument and/or a user and/or an operation and/or a brand protection feature or security feature.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of predetermined numbers of operations is defined, each pre-determined number associated with a different brand owner and/or user and/or operation and/or brand protection feature or security feature.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein each of the predetermined numbers of operations is associated with its own dedicated counter.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 18 adapted to identify which counter to use by obtaining data from the instrument and/or a user and/or from a tag.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising means for re-setting or refreshing the predetermined number of operations in the event that the number of actual operations approaches or exceeds the predetermined number.

21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein the predetermined number is re-set or refreshed on receipt of payment from a user.

22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 adapted to read and/or write one or more of one dimensional or two dimensional bar codes;

RFID tags;

fluorescent tags.

23. A brand protection management system (BPMS) adapted to collect authentication data from one or more apparatuses operating using a processor, wherein said one or more apparatuses is adapted to perform a pre-determined number of operations and prevent subsequent operations from being performed if the pre-determined number of operations is exceeded.

24. A method, operated using a processor, for collecting revenue for using a brand protection management system comprising monitoring the number of operations performed by one or more brand protection feature reader and/or writer apparatuses in the system and charging on the basis of the number of operations performed.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24 comprising setting a pre-determined number of allowed operations;

providing one or more instruments operable to limit the number of operations that can be performed, and collecting revenue based on that pre-determined number.