Licensing the use of software on a particular CPU

• US 7,552,341 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Ling Tony, Benaloh, Josh
• Primary Examiner(s): Smithers; Matthew B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fields; Courtney D
• Application Number:
  US10/931,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20060059571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,756 Days
• Field of Search: 726/30, 726/26, 713/187
• US Class Current: 713/187
• 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 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2109 Game systems

Abstract

Software is licensed for use on a particular computing device, such as a gaming console or a multimedia console. An unlocking code is provided from a distribution service to the computing device (either directly or via a user), which in turn, unlocks the appropriate software or portion of software for use with the associated computing device. The software may reside on a computer-readable medium, such as a CD-ROM or DVD disk, that is being used in conjunction with the computing device. The unlocking code may be provided directly to the user in private (e.g., via email or a mobile phone) or in public (e.g., published on a website). Portions of the software that may be unlocked include a particular level of a game or other features (such as additional characters or weapons), or a working or more advanced version of an application that was otherwise provided as a demo or older version. The unlocking code may be based on a unique identifier of the computing device and an identifier associated with the software seeking to be accessed. Thus, the code may only be used by the computing device having that unique identifier. This prevents unauthorized or unlicensed computing devices from using the software.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to an application, the method comprising:

determining an activation code based on a unique identifier of a computing device on which the application is to be run, an encrypted machine key different from and corresponding to said unique identifier and stored in a read only memory of the computing device, and an application identifier associated with the application, wherein said encrypted machine key is assigned by a manufacturer of said computing device during manufacturing of the computing device and said activation code is determined remotely from the computing device; and

providing the activation code to the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the application has already been activated on the computing device prior to determining the activation code, and only determining the activation code in the absence of the application having already been activated on the computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting payment for the application prior to determining the activation code.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the activation code comprises signing the unique identifier of the computing device and the application identifier with a private key.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising activating the application on the computing device responsive to the activation code.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein activating the application comprises using a public key to verify the unique identifier and the application identifier and verifying that the retrieved unique identifier and the retrieved application identifier match the unique identifier of the computing device and the application identifier associated with the application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the activation code comprises determining a machine key corresponding to the unique identifier of the computing device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining a hash based on the machine key and the application identifier.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising activating the application on the computing device responsive to the activation code.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein activating the application comprises receiving a fixed portion of the hash, determining a locally computed hash, and verifying that the same fixed portion of the locally computed hash matches the same portion of the received hash.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising launching the application on the computing device prior to determining the activation code.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting the activation code at the computing device prior to determining the activation code.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the activation code in a memory device associated with the computing device.

14. A method for providing access to an application, the method comprising:

launching an application on a computing device;

receiving an activation code for the application, the activation code being determined remotely from the computing device and being based on a unique identifier of the computing device, a randomly generated machine key assigned by a manufacturer of said computing device during manufacture of the computing device and encrypted on the computing device and stored in a read only memory of the computing device and different from and corresponding to said unique identifier, and an application identifier associated with the application, the activation code being determined at least in part by computing a hash based on the machine key and the application identifier; and

activating the application based on the activation code.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing payment for the activation code prior to receiving the activation code.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining if the application has already been activated on the computing device prior to receiving the activation code, and only receiving the activation code in the absence of the application having already been activated on the computing device.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein activating the application comprises using a public key to verify a unique identifier and an application identifier from signed data and verifying that the retrieved unique identifier and the retrieved application identifier match a unique identifier of the computing device and an application identifier associated with the application.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein activating the application comprises receiving a fixed portion of the hash, determining a locally computed hash, and verifying that the same fixed portion of the locally computed hash matches the same portion of the received hash.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving the fixed portion of the hash comprises receiving a plurality of user typeable characters corresponding to the fixed portion of the hash.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising storing the activation code in a memory device associated with the computing device.

21. An activation control system, comprising:

an activation handler for receiving a request for an activation code for an application to run on a computing device; and

an activation code generator for determining the activation code based on a unique identifier of the computing device on which the application is to be run, a machine key different from and corresponding to said unique identifier, and an application identifier associated with the application, wherein said machine key is assigned by a manufacturer of said computing device during manufacture of the computing device and is encrypted on the computing device and stored in a read only memory of the computing device and wherein the activation code generator is disposed remotely from the computing device.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the activation code generator provides the activation code to the computing device.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising a payment system for collecting payment for the application.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the activation code generator signs the unique identifier of the computing device and the application identifier with a private key.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the activation code generator determines a machine key corresponding to the unique identifier of the computing device.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the activation code generator determines a hash based on the machine key and the application identifier, and forwards the hash to the computing device.

27. A computing device, comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU) for launching an application on the computing device, requesting and receiving an activation code for the application, and activating the application based on the activation code, the activation code being determined remotely from the computing device and being based on a unique identifier of the computing device, a machine key assigned by a manufacturer of said computing device during manufacture of the computing device and different from and corresponding to said unique identifier and encrypted on the computing device, and an application identifier associated with the application;

a read only memory storing the machine key; and

a memory device for storing the activation code.

28. The computing device of claim 27, wherein the CPU is adapted to receive payment instructions from an input device, and provide payment to a remote payment system.

29. The computing device of claim 27, wherein the CPU is adapted to determine if the application has already been activated on the computing device prior to requesting the activation code, and only requesting the activation code in the absence of the application having already been activated on the computing device.

30. The computing device of claim 27, wherein the CPU is adapted to activate the application by using a public key to verify a unique identifier and an application identifier from signed data and verifying that the retrieved unique identifier and the retrieved application identifier match a unique identifier of the computing device and an application identifier associated with the application.

31. The computing device of claim 27, wherein the CPU is adapted to activate the application by receiving a hash, determining a locally computed hash, and verifying that at least a portion of the locally computed hash matches at least a portion of the received hash.

32. The computing device of claim 31, wherein the hash is based on a machine key of the computing device and an application identifier associated with the application.