Methods, systems, signals and media for encouraging users of computer readable content to register

• US 7,512,991 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2001
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lau, James Sheung
• Primary Examiner(s): Simitoski; Michael J
• Application Number:
  US10/015,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20020091943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,666 Days
• Field of Search: 705/51, 705/52, 705/53, 705/412, 705/57, 705/59, 705 77- 79, 713/190, 713/191, 713/193, 726/33, 726/31, 726/32
• US Class Current: 726/32
• 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 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

A method and system for encouraging users of computer readable content to register. The method involves embedding in the computer readable content, instruction codes operable to direct a processor circuit to automatically establish a connection to a server, when the content is in use by the processor circuit, to transmit registration information to the server and operable to control further use of the content by the processor circuit in response to a key received from the server.

Claims

1. A method for encouraging users of computer readable content to register, the method comprising:

executing instruction codes embedded in said computer readable content, when said content is in use by a processor circuit, to automatically establish a connection to a server to transmit registration information to said server and to control subsequent use of said content by said processor circuit in response to a key received from said server, wherein

the instructions codes include self-executing application code,

said content is non-functional descriptive content, and

controlling subsequent use of said content comprises maintaining a count of the number of times a warning about deleting files is presented to a user of the processor circuit.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein controlling comprises deleting files produced by functional descriptive content in said computer readable content when said count exceeds a threshold value.