Installing protected software product using unprotected installation image
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for installing a protected software product using an unprotected installation image, comprising:
- loading a master installation image encoded on and loaded locally from a computer-readable medium to initiate an installation process on a client computer system to effect installation of the protected software product, the master installation image including (i) a master installation executable, (ii) the unprotected installation image comprising a damaged unprotected version of a software executable that is deliberately and irreversibly corrupted so that it will not run and cannot be decompiled, and (iii) a protected version of the software executable;
in response to initiating the installation process, installing the damaged unprotected software executable into the client computer system;
deleting the damaged unprotected software executable from the client computer system after installing the unprotected software and before terminating the installation process; and
writing the protected version of the software executable to a memory of the client computer in place of the unprotected software executable that is deleted from the client computer system, to complete installation of the protected software product.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An installation image for installing an unprotected software product is used to install a protected version of the same product. A protected version of the executable file is embedded in a new installation image with the original installation image, in which the unprotected version of the executable file is damaged so as to be unusable and unreadable. The new installation image causes the original installation image to operate, installing the damaged installation file and other data files. The new installation image then replaces the damaged installation file with the protected installation file.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for installing a protected software product using an unprotected installation image, comprising:
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loading a master installation image encoded on and loaded locally from a computer-readable medium to initiate an installation process on a client computer system to effect installation of the protected software product, the master installation image including (i) a master installation executable, (ii) the unprotected installation image comprising a damaged unprotected version of a software executable that is deliberately and irreversibly corrupted so that it will not run and cannot be decompiled, and (iii) a protected version of the software executable; in response to initiating the installation process, installing the damaged unprotected software executable into the client computer system; deleting the damaged unprotected software executable from the client computer system after installing the unprotected software and before terminating the installation process; and writing the protected version of the software executable to a memory of the client computer in place of the unprotected software executable that is deleted from the client computer system, to complete installation of the protected software product. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions comprising:
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initiating an installation process on a client system for installation of a protected software executable; in response to initiating the installation process, installing a damaged unprotected software executable included in a first installation image into the client computer system, the damaged unprotected software executable deliberately and irreversibly corrupted so that it will not run and cannot be decompiled; deleting the unprotected software executable from the client system after installing the unprotected software arid before terminating the installation process; and writing the protected software executable to a memory of the client computer in place of the unprotected software executable that is deleted from the client computer system, to complete installation of the protected software product. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification