System and Method for Piracy Reduction in Software Activation

• US 20100325051A1
• Filed: 06/18/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Etchegoyen, Craig Stephen
• Application Number:
  US12/819,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20100325051A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/54
• 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 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A method for reducing piracy in software activation may be implemented on a computer readable medium storing software instructions that execute the method, which includes steps for receiving a media identifier of a media and a device identifier from a first remote device executing the media, the device identifier being based on a combination of a user-configurable parameter and a non-user-configurable parameter of the first remote device, granting a usage license for the media to the first remote device, correlating the usage license with the media identifier and the device identifier, generating a sale metric for the media based on a number of usage license granted, determining a piracy metric of the media based on availability of illegal copies of the media, and charging a publisher of the media a fee based on the sale and piracy metrics.

Claims

1. A method for media activation, comprising:

receiving a media identifier of a media and a device identifier from a first remote device executing the media, the device identifier being based on a combination of at least one user-configurable parameter and at least one non-user-configurable parameter of the first remote device;

granting a usage license for the media to the first remote device;

correlating the usage license with the media identifier and the device identifier;

generating a sale metric for the media based on a number of usage license granted;

determining a piracy metric of the media based on availability of illegal copies of the media; and

charging a publisher of the media a fee based on the sale and piracy metrics.

2. The method claim 1, wherein determining the piracy metric comprises determining the availability of illegal copies of the media on a public network.

3. The method claim 2, wherein determining the piracy metric comprises estimating a number of illegally downloaded copies of the media on a peer-to-peer network.

4. The method claim 2, wherein determining the piracy metric comprises estimating a number of illegally downloaded copies of the media using torrent based application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the media comprises one or more items selected from the list consisting of music, software applications, movies, and books.

6. The method claim 1, wherein the at least one non-user-configurable parameter is based on a carbon degradation characteristic of a computer chip of the device.

7. The method claim 1, wherein the at least one non-user-configurable parameter is based on a carbon degradation characteristic of a computer chip of the device.

8. The method claim 1, wherein the at least one non-user-configurable parameter is based on a silicone degradation characteristic of a computer chip of the device.

9. The method claim 1, wherein the at least one user-configurable parameter comprises one of hard disk volume name, user name, device name, user password, and hard disk initialization date for the device.

10. The method claim 1, wherein the device identifier is generated by utilizing at least one irreversible transformation of the at least one user-configurable parameter and the at least one non-user-configurable parameter of the device.

11. The method claim 1, wherein the device identifier is generated by utilizing a cryptographic hash function on the at least one user-configurable parameter and the at least one non-user-configurable parameter of the device.

12. A computer readable medium having stored thereon, computer executable instructions that, if executed by a device, causes the device to perform a method comprising:

receiving a software identifier of a software and a device identifier from a first remote device executing the software, the device identifier being based on a combination of at least one user-configurable parameter and at least one non-user-configurable parameter of the first remote device;

granting a usage license for the software to the first remote device;

correlating the usage license with the software identifier and the device identifier;

generating a sale metric for the software based on a number of usage license granted;

determining a piracy metric of the software based on availability of illegal copies of the software; and

charging a publisher of the software a fee based on the sale and piracy metrics.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein determining the piracy metric comprises determining the availability of illegal copies of the software on a public network.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining the piracy metric comprises estimating a number of illegally downloaded copies of the software on a peer-to-peer network.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining the piracy metric comprises estimating a number of illegally downloaded copies of the software using torrent based application.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the at least one non-user-configurable parameter is based on a carbon degradation characteristic of a computer chip of the device.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the at least one non-user-configurable parameter is based on a silicone degradation characteristic of a computer chip of the device.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the at least one user-configurable parameter comprises one of hard disk volume name, user name, device name, user password, and hard disk initialization date for the device.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the device identifier is generated by utilizing at least one irreversible transformation of the at least one user-configurable parameter and the at least one non-user-configurable parameter of the device.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the device identifier is generated by utilizing a cryptographic hash function on the at least one user-configurable parameter and the at least one non-user-configurable parameter of the device.