Method and apparatus for enforcing software licenses

• US 8,781,971 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Serlet, Bertrand, Garst, Gerald Blaine Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Agwumezie, Charles C
• Application Number:
  US13/784,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20130179989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 705/59
• US Class Current: 705/59
• 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 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/468 Specific access rights for resources, e.g. using capability register
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for enforcing software licenses for resource libraries such as an application program interface (API), a toolkit, a framework, a runtime library, a dynamic link library (DLL), an applet (e.g., a Java or ActiveX applet), or any other reusable resource. The resource library can be used by authorized end user software programs. A “per-program” licensing scheme for a resource library can allow a resource library to be licensed only for use with particular software programs.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a manner in which a software application accesses an application programming interface (API), wherein the software application executes on a computing device and the API is available on the computing device, and the method comprises:

receiving, from the software application executing on the computing device, a request to access the API;

extracting, from the API, first license information that identifies whether all software applications executing on the computing device are permitted to access the API;

identifying, based on the first license information, that not all software applications executing on the computing device are permitted to access the API; and

in response to identifying;

extracting, from the software application, second license information that identifies whether the software application is permitted to access the API,

determining, based on the second license information, that the software application is permitted to access the API, and

in response to determining;

granting the software application access to the API.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the API comprises a toolkit, a framework, a runtime library, a dynamic link library, or an applet, and the request to access the API is generated by a calling function or an object associated with the software application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the software application is permitted to access the API comprises utilizing a function, a key, and a text string associated with the software application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the text string includes one or more use terms, and the key is unique to the software application and the use terms.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first license information comprises a site license for the computing device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein extracting the second license information from the software application comprises reading from a data segment of the software application a license key string and a license agreement string.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein extracting the second license information from the software application comprises receiving a transmission of the second license information from the software application.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor included in a computing device, cause the computing device to control a manner in which a software application accesses an application programming interface (API), by carrying out steps that include:

receiving, from the software application executing on the computing device, a request to access the API;

extracting, from the API, first license information that identifies whether all software applications executing on the computing device are permitted to access the API;

identifying, based on the first license information, that not all software applications executing on the computing device are permitted to access the API; and

in response to identifying;

extracting, from the software application, second license information that identifies whether the software application is permitted to access the API,

determining, based on the second license information, that the software application is permitted to access the API, and

in response to determining;

granting the software application access to the API.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the API comprises a toolkit, a framework, a runtime library, a dynamic link library, or an applet, and the request to access the API is generated by a calling function or an object associated with the software application.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein determining that the software application is permitted to access the API comprises utilizing a function, a key, and a text string associated with the software application.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the text string includes one or more use terms, and the key is unique to the software application and the use terms.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the first license information comprises a site license for the computing device.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein extracting the second license information from the software application comprises reading from a data segment of the software application a license key string and a license agreement string.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein extracting the second license information from the software application comprises receiving a transmission of the second license information from the software application.

11. A system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a storage device storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to control a manner in which a software application accesses an application programming interface (API), by carrying out steps that include;

receiving, from the software application executing on the system, a request to access the API;

extracting, from the API, first license information that identifies whether all software applications executing on the system are permitted to access the API;

identifying, based on the first license information, that not all software applications executing on the system are permitted to access the API; and

in response to identifying;

extracting, from the software application, second license information that identifies whether the software application is permitted to access the API,

determining, based on the second license information, that the software application is permitted to access the API, and

in response to determining;

granting the software application access to the API.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the API comprises a toolkit, a framework, a runtime library, a dynamic link library, or an applet, and the request to access the API is generated by a calling function or an object associated with the software application.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein determining that the software application is permitted to access the API comprises utilizing a function, a key, and a text string associated with the software application.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the text string includes one or more use terms, and the key is unique to the software application and the use terms.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the first license information comprises a site license for the system.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein extracting the second license information from the software application comprises reading from a data segment of the software application a license key string and a license agreement string.