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Software copying system

  • US 5,805,699 A
  • Filed: 10/28/1996
  • Issued: 09/08/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A software copying system for duplicating software recorded in a master storage medium to a target storage medium in a legitimate -manner achieved through communications between an end user'"'"'s site that is requesting a license of copying the software and a central site that manages the license, the software copying system comprising:

  • contents identifier reading means for reading out a first identifier from the master storage medium, said first identifiers being uniquely assigned to the software program recorded in the master storage medium;

    storage medium identifier reading means for reading out a second identifier from the target storage medium, the second identifier being uniquely assigned to the target storage medium;

    signature generating means, disposed at the central site, for generating a first signature from the first identifier read out by said contents identifier reading means and the second identifier read out by said storage medium identifier reading means, the first signature serving as a certificate of a license to copy the software program;

    signature writing means for writing the first signature generated by said signature generating means into the target storage medium;

    signature generating/comparing means for generating a second signature, for a verification purpose, from the first identifier read out by said contents identifier reading means and the second identifier read out by said storage medium identifier reading means, and comparing the first signature stored in the target storage medium with the second signature; and

    data copying means for retrieving the software program out of the master storage medium and writing the software program into the target storage medium, when the first and second identifiers turned out to be identical as a result of the comparison performed by said signature generating/comparing means.

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