Method and system for limiting software updates

• US 7,331,063 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hatlelid, Kristjan Eric, Gunyakti, Caglar
• Primary Examiner(s): Revak; Christopher
• Application Number:
  US10/836,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20050246537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/30
• 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 21/12 Protecting executable software

Abstract

A method of detecting pirated software includes receiving a request for a software update by a client computer and providing to the client computer a test to be performed. The test is performed on the client computer against the client software application. The client computer may be denied a software update as a result of the test finding an illegitimate copy of the client software. The invention may be practiced in a network environment where a server transfers a test program for a client to execute upon request of a software update. The test performs an integrity check and denies the request for a software update if the client software is found to be illegitimate.

Claims

1. A method of detecting pirated software at a server, the method comprising:

receiving a request, from a client computer, for a software update to a software product resident on a client computer;

determining, at the server, a test to be performed against the software product in the client computer, the test comprising executable code;

sending the test to the client computer;

executing the code of the test at the client computer;

sending results of the test to the server for evaluation, the results of the test used by the server to determine if the software product in the client computer is a legitimate copy; and

denying the client computer the software update if the client computer fails the test as evaluated by the server computer, wherein the test detects pirated software.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request for a software update comprises the server receiving the software update request over a network wherein the server hosts piracy detection software.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of performing the test at the client computer comprises performing a runtime integrity check of a client software program.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the runtime integrity test comprises one or more of running an executable present in client software, performing a cyclical redundancy code test, performing a hash value test and verifying a digital signature.

5. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method on a server computer, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a client computer for a software product update;

determining a test to be performed against the software product in the client computer, the test comprising executable test code;

downloading the test code from the server computer to the client computer, the text code executing in the client computer;

receiving results of the test performed by the client computer, the results of the test used by the server computer to determine if the software product in the client computer is a legitimate copy;

determining whether the client computer software product has been altered by evaluating the test results; and

determining whether to permit the software update dependent on the evaluation of the test results.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, the method further comprising denying the software update if the results of the test indicate that the software product has been altered.

7. A system for detecting pirated software, the system comprising:

a network for transmitting messages between a server and a client;

a server computer having software updates for client computers, wherein the server resides on the network;

a client computer residing on the network, wherein the client computer requests an update of client software from the server; and

wherein a test is performed by the client computer against the client software, wherein the test comprises executable software product test code that is executable on the client computer;

wherein test results from execution of the software product test code are sent to the server computer for a determination of whether the client software is pirated, and wherein the client computer is denied the update of client software if the test results fail to pass in the server computer.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the test downloaded from the server into the client computer is designed to perform a runtime integrity check of a client software program.