Systems and methods for using machine attributes to deter software piracy in an enterprise environment

• US 7,644,442 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tan, Xiaoxi, Miller, Ronald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): GERGISO, TECHANE
• Application Number:
  US11/089,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20050182732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,748 Days
• Field of Search: 713/193, 705/59, 705/56, 709/229, 726/31, 726/26
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/107 License processing; Key processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs

Abstract

A method, system and computer-readable medium for deterring software piracy in a volume license environment. A volume license key embedded within a volume license file is received. The volume license key has first data derived from at least one machine attribute of the environment. The volume license file is authenticated using second data derived from at least one machine attribute of the environment. A software package associated with the volume license key is then activated on at least one computing device in the environment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of deterring software piracy in a volume license environment, comprising:

collecting at least one machine attribute from each of at least three computing devices of the volume license environment and hashing the collected machine attributes to form a first data;

receiving a volume license key embedded within a volume license file, the volume license key including the first data;

authenticating the volume license file using a second data derived from the collected machine attributes of the volume license environment; and

activating a software package associated with the volume license key on at least one of the at least three computing devices in the volume license environment in response to authenticating the volume license file;

wherein the volume license key and volume license file are associated with the software package for installation on a plurality of computing devices including the at least three computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the collected machine attribute attributes are hardware identifier identifiers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said authenticating step further comprises determining that the second data matches the first data within a predetermined tolerance.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting a time stamp indicating a time at which the machine attribute attributes were collected.

5. A system for deterring software piracy in a computing environment including a plurality of computing devices, the system comprising:

at least three computing devices;

a computer processor, the processor;

receiving a software package associated with a volume license key that is embedded within a volume license file, the volume license key including a first data, the first data having a hashed value derived from at least one machine attribute collected from each of the at least three computing devices of the computing environment;

executing an authentication routine for deriving a second data from the collected machine attribute attributes of the computing environment and comparing the second data to the first data; and

executing an activation routine for activating the software package on at least one of the at least three computing devices according to the volume license key and in response to authenticating the volume license file;

wherein the volume license key and volume license file are associated with the software package for installation on the plurality of computing devices including the at least three computing device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the authentication routine further determines that the second data matches the first data within a predetermined tolerance.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the first data further has a time stamp corresponding to when the first data was derived.

8. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, the instructions when executed by a processor causing the processor to implement a method of deterring software piracy in a volume license environment, the method comprising:

collecting at least one machine attribute from each of at least three computing devices of the volume license environment and hashing the collected machine attributes to form a first data;

receiving a volume license key embedded within a volume license file, the volume license key including the first data;

authenticating the volume license file using a second data derived from the collected machine attributes of the volume license environment; and

activating a software package associated with the volume license key on at least one of the at least three computing devices in the volume license environment in response to authenticating the volume license file;

wherein the volume license key and volume license file are associated with the software package for installation on a plurality of computing devices including the at least three computing device.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the collected machine attribute attributes are hardware identifiers.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein said authenticating step further comprises determining that the second data matches the first data within a predetermined tolerance.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises collecting a time stamp indicating a time at which the machine attribute attributes were collected.