On-line try before you buy software distribution system
First Claim
1. An on-line system for demonstrating software programs to a potential purchaser of the programs, comprising:
- receive means for receiving from an electronically accessible system a software program to be demonstrated;
protection means for maintaining the software program in a locked state in order to prevent unauthorized duplication of the software program, the protection means comprising;
an image file loaded in a computer-readable medium and having an internal configuration of a specially formatted disk with the software program being stored therein; and
an image driver configured to prevent unauthorized access to the software program in the image file; and
sample means for enabling the software program for execution upon selection by a user, for allowing the user to subsequently sample the software program, for maintaining the software program in the locked state during the sampling of the software program in order to prevent unauthorized duplication of the software program, and for selectively disabling the sampling of the software program.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computer-based on-line system is provided for demonstrating software programs to a potential purchaser. The system receives from an on-line system a software program to be demonstrated, and maintains the software program in a locked state in order to prevent unauthorized duplication of the software program. The software program is enabled for execution upon selection by a user, and the user is allowed to subsequently operate or sample the software program. The system maintains the software program in the locked state during the sampling in order to prevent unauthorized duplication of the software program. The sampling of the software program is selectively disabled, such as when the user completes the sampling or if the system detects that the user is attempting to copy the sampled application.
332 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An on-line system for demonstrating software programs to a potential purchaser of the programs, comprising:
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receive means for receiving from an electronically accessible system a software program to be demonstrated; protection means for maintaining the software program in a locked state in order to prevent unauthorized duplication of the software program, the protection means comprising; an image file loaded in a computer-readable medium and having an internal configuration of a specially formatted disk with the software program being stored therein; and an image driver configured to prevent unauthorized access to the software program in the image file; and sample means for enabling the software program for execution upon selection by a user, for allowing the user to subsequently sample the software program, for maintaining the software program in the locked state during the sampling of the software program in order to prevent unauthorized duplication of the software program, and for selectively disabling the sampling of the software program. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A computerized on-line method for demonstrating software programs to a potential purchaser of the programs, comprising the steps executed by a computer of:
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receiving from an electronically accessible system a software program to be demonstrated; maintaining the software program in a locked state in order to prevent unauthorized duplication of the software program, the maintaining step using an image file having an internal configuration of a specially formatted disk with the software program stored therein, the maintaining step using an image driver configured to prevent unauthorized access to the software program in the image file; and enabling the software program for execution upon selection by a user, allowing the user to subsequently sample the software program, maintaining the software program in the locked state during the sampling of the software program in order to prevent unauthorized duplication of the software program, and selectively disabling the sampling of the software program. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computer program product, comprising:
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a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a computer to demonstrate on-line software programs to a potential purchaser of the programs, the computer readable program code means in the computer program product comprising; receive means for causing the computer to receive from an electronically accessible system a software program to be demonstrated; protection means for causing the computer to maintain the software program in a locked state in order to prevent unauthorized duplication of the software program, the protection means comprising; an image file having an internal configuration of a specially formatted disk with the software program stored therein; and an image driver configured to prevent unauthorized access to the software program in the image file; and sample means for causing the computer to enable the software program for execution upon selection by a user, allow the user to subsequently sample the software program, maintain the software program in the locked state during the sampling of the software program in order to prevent unauthorized duplication of the software program, and selectively disable the sampling of the software program.
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Specification