LICENSING VERIFICATION FOR APPLICATION USE

• US 20130031642A1
• Filed: 07/27/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dwivedi, Sanjeev, Kadam, Sunil
• Granted Patent: US 8,800,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/29
• 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 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level

Abstract

Techniques involving detection of misuse of digital licenses pertaining to application use. An identification of unsigned applications or other use-protected applications enabled for use at a user device is obtained. The identification of such applications is directed to a licensing authority to seek digital license renewal for using the applications. A renewed digital license is received if the provided identification of use-protected applications corresponds to what is authorized by the licensing authority for use at the user device. In other embodiments, verification information may be provided to protect the identification of unsigned applications from tampering, such as information indicative of whether the identification of unsigned applications originated at the user device in which the use-protected applications are used, and indicative of whether the identification of the unsigned applications is a copy of a previous identification of the unsigned applications.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining an identification of use-protected applications enabled for use at a user device;

providing the identification of use-protected applications with a license renewal request to an address of a licensing authority; and

receiving a renewed digital license if the provided identification of use-protected applications corresponds to what is authorized by the licensing authority for use at the user device.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the use-protected applications comprise unsigned applications that have not been or are no longer digitally signed.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1:

further comprising providing verification information that is indicative of whether the identification of use-protected applications originated at the user device in which the use-protected applications are used, and indicative of whether the identification of the use-protected applications is a copy of a previous identification of the use-protected applications; and

wherein receiving a renewed digital license further comprises receiving the renewed digital license if the identification of use-protected applications originated at the user device, and the identification of use-protected applications is not a copy of a previous identification of the use-protected applications.

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 3, further comprising encrypting at least some of the verification information and the identification of use-protected applications using a secure key stored at the user device and known to the licensing authority.

5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 3, wherein the verification information comprises a timestamp obtained from a secure clock at the user device, and wherein the timestamp provides a time relating to when the identification of use-protected applications is provided.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 3, wherein:

the verification information comprises a first identifier generated at the user device that is indicative of at least some components in which the user device is composed, and a second identifier identifying the user device; and

providing the identification of use-protected applications with a license renewal request comprises providing at least the first and second identifiers.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 6, wherein:

the verification information comprises a timestamp obtained from a secure clock at the user device that provides a time relating to when the identification of use-protected applications is provided; and

providing the identification of use-protected applications further comprises providing at least the timestamp.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 7, further comprising encrypting at least the identification of use-protected applications, the timestamp, and the second identifier that identifies the user device.

9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 6, further comprising receiving at least the second identifier in response to a first communication with the licensing authority.

10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising determining that a temporary grant of an existing digital license has expired or is expected to expire, and in response providing the license renewal request to the address of a licensing authority.

11. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which are executable by a computer system by performing steps comprising:

collecting information including an identification of one or more unsigned applications used on a client device, a timestamp associated with the delivery of the one or more unsigned applications from the client device; and

a machine identifier identifying the client device on which the one or more unsigned applications are used;

encrypting the information with a key available at the client device;

obtaining a hardware identifier derived from a plurality of components of the client device;

associating the hardware identifier with the encrypted information to construct at least one data package; and

transmitting the data package for determination of whether any of the one or more unsigned applications at the client device is unauthorized based on at least the timestamp relative to a prior timestamp and the hardware identifier relative to a prior hardware identifier for the client device.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein:

encrypting the information with a key available at the client device comprises encrypting the information into an encrypted blob data type; and

associating the hardware identifier with the encrypted information comprises associating the hardware identifier with the encrypted information to construct a blob data type including the hardware identifier and the encrypted information.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising embedding the key in an operating system.

14. A computer-implemented method for renewing an application license, comprising:

transmitting, via a transmitter, the application license providing a permission for a user device to execute one or more licensable applications, for a limited period of time, that would otherwise be unauthorized for use on the user device without the application license;

receiving, via a receiver, in connection with expiration of the application license, a record of unsigned applications on the user device that have not been digitally signed;

comparing the record of unsigned applications on the user device with a stored record of unsigned applications that the application license permitted the user device to execute; and

renewing the application license if the record of unsigned applications on the user device corresponds to the stored record of unsigned applications that the user device has been permitted to execute.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising receiving, via the receiver, verification information indicative of whether the record of unsigned applications originated at the user device in which the unsigned applications are used, and indicative of whether the record of the unsigned applications is a copy of a previous record of the unsigned applications.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising comparing the information indicating whether the record of unsigned applications originated at the user device to a stored identifier of a device in which the application license was previously granted, and wherein renewing the application license further comprises renewing the application license if the information indicating whether the record of unsigned applications originated at the user device matches the stored identifier.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15:

wherein the information indicative of whether the record of the unsigned applications is a copy of a previous record of the unsigned applications comprises a timestamp;

further comprising comparing the timestamp to a last known timestamp; and

wherein renewing the application license further comprises renewing the application license if the timestamp is later in time than the last known timestamp.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the record of unsigned applications and at least some of the verification information received is encrypted, and further comprising decrypting the record of unsigned applications and at least some of the verification information using a key corresponding to that used to encrypt the record of unsigned applications and at least some of the verification information.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the application license comprises a developer license having privileges including executing unsigned applications.