Method and apparatus for regulating the use of licensed products

• US 6,169,976 B1
• Filed: 07/02/1998
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Entrust Incorporated (Entrust Corp.)
• Original Assignee: enCommerce, Inc. (Entrust Corp.)
• Inventors: Colosso, Juan Carlos
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chung, Chang Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/109,608
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 380/4, 705/51, 705/55, 705/56, 705/59
• US Class Current: 705/59
• 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]

Abstract

In one aspect, a method for activating, installing, and regulating use of a licensed product is disclosed. A customer licenses or buys a licensed product from a distributor. The distributor registers information describing the customer, the licensed product, and other information about the transaction at a database maintained by the licensor, manufacturer, or developer of the licensed product. The licensor communicates information describing the transaction to the customer, and the distributor ships media containing the licensed product to the customer. The customer connects to the database through a server and requests the licensed product to be activated, providing the information that describes the transaction in its request. In response, the server of the licensor generates encrypted key information that uniquely identifies the customer, the licensed product, and a license level or other information about the maximum permitted extent of use of the licensed product. The customer installs the licensed product and provides the key information during the installation process. The licensed product is then executed and the appropriate license level is enforced based on the key information.

Claims

1. A method for regulating use of a licensed product, comprising the steps of:

registering a sale of the licensed product by storing sales information licensee and the licensed product;

generating access information that uniquely identifies the licensee and the licensed product;

sending, to a remote location that is separate from the licensee, a message that identifies the licensed product and which authorizes the delivery of the licensed product to the licensee;

in response to receiving a request from the licensee to activate the licensed product, in which the request contains the access information,

generating key information based on the sales information, wherein the key information comprises information identifying the licensee, an installation key and an encrypted activation key;

communicating the installation key and the encrypted activation key to the licensee; and

allowing the licensee to access or use the licensed product only after providing the installation key, the encrypted activation key and a portion of the sales information to the licensed product.

2. The method recited in claim 1, in which the step of allowing the licensee to access or use the licensed product comprises the step of allowing the licensee to install and use the licensed product only when the licensee provides key information matching the sales information.

3. The method recited in claim 2, further comprising the step of selectively installing a particular set of additional modules, wherein the particular set of additional modules are identified by the key information.

4. The method recited in claim 1, in which the step of registering a sale includes the steps of:

receiving the sale information from the remote location; and

storing the sales information in a server that is logically separate from the remote location and the licensee.

5. The method recited in claim 4, in which the step of communicating the key information includes the step of sending the key information to the licensee in an electronic mail message.

6. The method recited in claim 4, in which the step of communicating the key information to the licensee includes the step of displaying the key information on a client interface.

7. The method recited in claim 1, in which the step of registering a sale includes the step of storing the sales information in a server in a network separate from the licensee, and further including the step of communicating the access information over the network.

8. The method of recited in claim 7, wherein the step of communicating access information over the network system includes the step of:

sending a unique user identifier to a client associated with the licensee over the network; and

sending a unique password to the client,

in which the user identifier and password are used by the licensee to connect to a web application running on a web server separate from the licensee and in which the sales information is stored.

9. The method recited in claim 7, in which the step of sending the access information over the network includes the step of sending a unique product serial number to a client associated with the licensee over the network, in which the product serial number contains a representation of a root domain name associated with the client.

10. The method recited in claim 1, in which the step of generating the key information further includes the step of verifying that the access information matches the sales information.

11. The method recited in claim 1, in which the step of registering the sale of the licensed product includes the steps of:

receiving the sales information over a network at a web application program of a web server separate from the licensee;

in response to receiving the sales information,

generating access information based on the sales information using the web application program;

creating a client account in a database of the web server based on the sales information; and

storing at least a portion of the access information in the client account.

12. The method recited in claim 11, in which the step of generating access information includes the steps of:

generating a product serial number based on the sales information;

generating a login identifier, wherein the login identifier is used by the licensee to connect to the web application over the network; and

storing, as the access information, the product serial number in association with the login identifier.

13. The method of recited in claim 12, in which the step of generating a login identifier includes the steps of:

generating a user identifier that is based on a root domain name of a client associated with the licensee; and

generating a password;

wherein a combination of the user identifier and password is used by the client as the login identifier to connect to the web application over the network.

14. The method recited in claim 13, in which the step of generating a product serial number includes the step of generating a product serial number that contains information representing a root domain name associated with the client.

15. The method recited in claim 14, in which the step of generating a product serial number includes the step of generating a product serial number that contains information representing a license characteristic.

16. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a request to activate the licensed product includes the steps of:

receiving a login identifier from a client that is based on the access information;

receiving a product serial number from the client;

when the login identifier is valid, connecting the client to an application program that generates the key information.

17. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the step of generating the key information includes the step of generating an encrypted installation key that contains a representation of information identifying the licensed product.

18. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the step of generating the key information includes the step of generating an encrypted activation key that contains a representation of a license level, in which the license level represents a restriction on allowed users of the licensed product.

19. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for regulating use of a licensed product, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

registering a sale of the licensed product by storing sales information that uniquely identifies a licensee and the licensed product;

generating access information that uniquely identifies the licensee and the licensed product;

sending, to a remote location that is separate from the licensee, a message that identifies the licensed product and which authorizes the delivery of the licensed product to the licensee;

in response to receiving a request from the licensee to activate the licensed product, in which the request contains the access information,

generating key information based on the sales information, wherein the key information comprises information identifying the customer, an installation key and an encrypted activation key;

communicating the installation key and the encrypted activation key to the licensee; and

allowing the licensee to access or use the licensed product only after providing the installation key, the encrypted activation key and a portion of the sales information to the licensed product.

20. A method for regulating use of a licensed product, comprising the steps of:

receiving at a licensor of the licensed product, sales information from a distributor of the licensed product, wherein the sales information uniquely identifies a licensee of the licensed product and the licensed product;

generating, at the licensor, a connection identifier value that uniquely identifies the licensee, wherein the connection identifier value is used by the licensee to connect to the licensor;

generating, at the licensor, a unique product identifier value that uniquely identifies the licensed product;

sending the connection identifier value and the unique product identifier value from the licensor to the licensee;

in response to receiving a request from the licensee to activate the licensed product, in which the request contains the connection identifier value and the unique product identifier value,

generating an installation key and an encrypted activation key, wherein the installation key and the encrypted activation key can be used to install and activate the licensed product; and

sending the installation key and the encrypted activation from the licensor to the licensee, wherein the licensee can install and activate the licensed product only after providing the installation key and the encrypted activation key to the licensed product.

21. A method for regulating use of a licensed product, comprising the steps of:

receiving at a first source, sales information from a second source, wherein the sales information includes an electronic address associated with a third source and information that identifies the licensed product;

generating, at the first source, a unique connection identifier value that uniquely identifies the third source, wherein the connection identifier value is used by the third source to connect to the first source;

generating, at the first source, a unique product identifier value that uniquely identifies the licensed product;

sending the unique connection identifier value and the unique product identifier value from the first source to the third source;

receiving at the first source a first message from the third source, requesting to activate the licensed product, wherein the first message includes the connection identifier value;

receiving at the first source a second message from the third source, wherein the second message includes the unique product identifier value;

in response to receiving the second message from the third source,

generating an installation key and an encrypted activation key, wherein the installation key and the encrypted activation key can be used to install and activate the licensed product; and

sending the installation key and the encrypted activation from the first source to the third source, wherein the third source is allowed to use the licensed product only after executing an installation program and providing the installation program with the installation key, the encrypted activation key and the electronic address associated with the third source, wherein the third source can install and activate the licensed product only after providing the installation key and the encrypted activation key to the licensed product.