Method and device for detecting if a computer file has been copied and method and device for enabling such detection

• US 20110167276A1
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Courtay, Olivier
• Granted Patent: US 8,490,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1011 to devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/126 Interacting with the operating system

Abstract

A method of detecting whether a computer file has been copied, the computer file comprising a software program and having an inode number. The inode number of the computer file is retrieved by the software program. From the computer file, a stored inode number is read, the stored inode number being the inode number of a file system from which the computer file should not be copied. The retrieved inode number and the read inode number are compared and it is determined that the computer file has been copied if the retrieved inode number does not match the read inode number. Also provided are a method of enabling detection of the copying of a computer file, and devices and software program products corresponding to the methods.

Claims

1. A method of detecting whether a computer file has been copied, the computer file comprising a software program and having an inode number, the method comprising the steps, at a device executing the software program, of

retrieving the inode number of the computer file;

reading a stored inode number, the stored inode number being the inode number of a file system from which the computer file should not be copied;

comparing the retrieved inode number and the read inode number; and

determining that the computer file has been copied if the retrieved inode number does not match the read inode number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored inode number is read from the computer file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer file is a license file for a software application, the steps of the method being performed during execution of the software application by the device, the method further comprising the step of stopping the execution of the software application upon determination that the license file has been copied.

11. A software program product having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor performs the method of any of claims 1.

3. The method of step 1, wherein the read inode number is encrypted using an encryption key and the method further comprising the step of encrypting, using the encryption key, the retrieved inode number so as to enable the comparison.

4. The method of step 1, wherein the read inode number is encrypted using an encryption key and the method further comprising the step of decrypting, using a corresponding decryption key, the retrieved inode number so as to enable the comparison.

6. A method of enabling detection of copying of a computer file by a software program comprised in the computer file, the method comprising the steps, at a device, of:

creating the computer file, thereby associating the computer file with an mode number;

retrieving the mode number of the created computer file; and

storing the retrieved mode number.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the retrieved mode number is stored in the computer file.

12. A software program product having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor performs the method of any of claims 6.

8. A device for detecting whether a computer file has been copied, the computer file comprising a software program and having an mode number, the device comprising a processor for, when executing the software program:

retrieving the mode number of the computer file;

reading a stored mode number, the stored mode number being the mode number of a file system from which the computer file should not be copied;

comparing the retrieved mode number and the read mode number; and

determining that the computer file has been copied if the retrieved mode number does not match the read mode number.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further for executing a software application and for stopping the execution of the software application upon determination that the computer file has been copied.

10. A device for enabling detection of copying of a computer file by a software program comprised in the computer file, the device comprising a processor for:

creating the computer file;

retrieving an mode number of the created computer file; and

storing the retrieved mode number.