System and method for controlling access to protected information
First Claim
1. A method performed by a licensing server, communicating over a communications network with a program residing on a remotely located device, to provide access to one or more items of protected information, the method comprising:
- receiving an identifier from the program, the identifier being based at least in part on a characteristic of an entity to which access to the one or more items of protected information is linked, different such characteristics being usable to provide access to different ones of the one or more items of protected information;
generating license data for providing access to the one or more items of protected information, using at least the identifier, and a technique which does not use any additional characteristic of the entity; and
transmitting the license data over a communications network to a location accessible to the program.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus of encouraging distribution, registration, and purchase of free copyable software and other digital information which is accessed on a User'"'"'s System via a Programmer'"'"'s Program. Software tools which can be incorporated into a Programmer'"'"'s Program allow the User to access Advanced Features of the Programmer'"'"'s Program only in the presence of a valid Password which is unique to a particular Target ID generated on an ID-Target such as the User'"'"'s System. Advanced features will thus re-lock if the Password is copied to another ID-target. If a valid Password is not present, the User is invited to obtain one, and provided with the means of doing so, and of installing that Password in a place accessible to the User'"'"'s System on subsequent occasions. The present invention also provides Programmers with means to invoke business operations as well as computational operations with their programs, and thus to automatically obtain payment from Users who elect to obtain passwords.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method performed by a licensing server, communicating over a communications network with a program residing on a remotely located device, to provide access to one or more items of protected information, the method comprising:
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receiving an identifier from the program, the identifier being based at least in part on a characteristic of an entity to which access to the one or more items of protected information is linked, different such characteristics being usable to provide access to different ones of the one or more items of protected information; generating license data for providing access to the one or more items of protected information, using at least the identifier, and a technique which does not use any additional characteristic of the entity; and transmitting the license data over a communications network to a location accessible to the program. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for licensing access over a communications network to one or more items of protected information, the method comprising:
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a program, residing on a device remotely located from a licensing server, generating an identifier based at least in part on a characteristic of an entity to which access to one or more items of protected information is linked, different such characteristics being usable to provide access to different ones of the one or more items of protected information; receiving, at the licensing server, the identifier from the program; generating, at the licensing server, license data for providing access to the one or more items of protected information, using at least the identifier and a technique which does not use any additional characteristic of the entity; and transmitting, from the licensing server, the license data over a communications network to a location accessible to the program.
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30. A method for licensing access to protected information performed by a licensing server, communicating over a communications network with a program residing on remotely located devices, to provide access to protected information stored on said devices, the method comprising:
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receiving identifier data, the identifier data being based at least in part on one or more characteristics of an entity to which access to protected information is linked, different such characteristics corresponding to different levels of access to the protected information; generating license data for providing access to the protected information, using at least the identifier data and based on specific ones of the one or more characteristics corresponding to a specific level of access to the protected information, but not using any characteristic of the entity obtained from a source other than the entity; and transmitting the license data over a communications network to a location accessible to a program residing on a remotely located device.
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Specification