Licensing verification for application use
First Claim
1. A method performed by a licensing authority, the method comprising:
- receiving, by the licensing authority, a license renewal request generated by a computing device, wherein the computing device is configured to distinguish between signed use-protected applications and unsigned use-protected applications such that (i) use-protected applications that are signed are permitted to be used based on being signed and such that (ii) use of use-protected applications that are not signed requires a license from the licensing authority, wherein the license renewal request was generated by the computing device;
having determined that a license renewal was necessary and in response having identified one or more use-protected applications as unsigned,having formed a set of one or more identifiers of the respective identified unsigned use-protected applications, andhaving generated the license renewal request to include the set of one or more identifiers; and
based on the set of one or more identifiers of the unsigned use-protected applications, granting a license renewal for the computing device that is provided to the computing device by the licensing authority, the license renewal controlling whether the computing device will prohibit or permit use of the one or more unsigned use-protected applications on the computing device.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques involving detection of misuse of digital licenses pertaining to application use. An identification of unsigned applications or other use-protected applications enabled for use at a user device is obtained. The identification of such applications is directed to a licensing authority to seek digital license renewal for using the applications. A renewed digital license is received if the provided identification of use-protected applications corresponds to what is authorized by the licensing authority for use at the user device. In other embodiments, verification information may be provided to protect the identification of unsigned applications from tampering, such as information indicative of whether the identification of unsigned applications originated at the user device in which the use-protected applications are used, and indicative of whether the identification of the unsigned applications is a copy of a previous identification of the unsigned applications.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method performed by a licensing authority, the method comprising:
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receiving, by the licensing authority, a license renewal request generated by a computing device, wherein the computing device is configured to distinguish between signed use-protected applications and unsigned use-protected applications such that (i) use-protected applications that are signed are permitted to be used based on being signed and such that (ii) use of use-protected applications that are not signed requires a license from the licensing authority, wherein the license renewal request was generated by the computing device; having determined that a license renewal was necessary and in response having identified one or more use-protected applications as unsigned, having formed a set of one or more identifiers of the respective identified unsigned use-protected applications, and having generated the license renewal request to include the set of one or more identifiers; and based on the set of one or more identifiers of the unsigned use-protected applications, granting a license renewal for the computing device that is provided to the computing device by the licensing authority, the license renewal controlling whether the computing device will prohibit or permit use of the one or more unsigned use-protected applications on the computing device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method performed by a computing device, the method comprising:
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managing use-protected applications by distinguishing between signed use-protected applications and unsigned use-protected applications, wherein use-protected applications that are signed are permitted to be used based on being signed, and wherein use of use-protected applications that are not signed requires a license from a licensing authority; responsive to a determination that the license has expired or is going to expire, identifying use-protected applications on the computing device that are not signed, and forming a plurality of identifiers of the respective use-protected applications identified as not being signed; providing a license renewal request to a licensing authority, the license renewal request comprising the plurality of identifiers; and according to whether or not a renewed digital license is obtained responsive to the license renewal request, either prohibiting or permitting use of the identified use-protected applications on the computing device, wherein whether a renewed digital license is to be provided by the licensing authority depends on the identifiers of the unsigned use-protected applications received by the licensing authority. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. One or more storage apparatuses coupled with a computing device comprising a processor, the one or more storage apparatuses storing information to configure the processor, when the computing device is in operation, to perform a process, the process, when the computing device is operating, comprising:
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managing execution of use-protected applications on the computing device such that whether signed use-protected applications are permitted to be used or executed depends on verification of respective signatures thereof and whether unsigned use-protected applications are permitted to be used or executed depends on whether the computing device is storing a valid license that enables the unsigned use-protected applications to be used or executed; responsive to a determination that a valid license for the unsigned use-protected applications is to be obtained, identifying one or more of the use-protected applications on the computing device that are not signed, and generating a license request comprised of one or more identifiers of the respective one or more use-protected applications identified as not being signed; providing the license request to a licensing authority, the license request comprising the one or more identifiers; and receiving a valid license from the licensing authority in response to the license request, wherein the received valid license enables the unsigned use-protected applications to be used or executed, and wherein the licensing authority determined to provide the license based on the one or more identifiers of the unsigned use-protected applications received by the licensing authority in the license request. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification