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

• US 20050182732A1
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, Ronald W., Tan, Xiaoxi (Michael)
• Granted Patent: US 7,644,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• 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:

receiving a volume license key embedded within a volume license file, wherein the volume license key has first data derived from at least one machine attribute of the environment;

authenticating the volume license file using second data derived from at least one machine attribute of the environment; and

activating a software package associated with the volume license key on at least one computing device in the environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine attribute is a hardware identifier.

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 the at least one machine attribute of the environment and hashing the machine attribute to form the first data.

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

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data is further derived from a plurality of machine attributes of the computing environment.

7. The method of claim 1, 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 one computing device.

8. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 1.

9. A system for deterring software piracy in a computing environment, comprising:

a software package associated with a volume license key that is embedded within a volume license file, wherein the volume license file has first data derived from a machine attribute of the computing environment;

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

an activation routine for activating the software package according to the volume license key and in response to authenticating the volume license file.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the authentication routine further determines that the second data matches the first data within a predetermined tolerance.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein first data has a hashed value derived from the machine attribute.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first data further has a time stamp corresponding to when the first data was derived.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second data are derived from a plurality of machine attributes.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of deterring software piracy in a volume license environment, the method comprising:

receiving a volume license key embedded within a volume license file, wherein the volume license key has first data derived from at least one machine attribute of the environment;

authenticating the volume license file using second data derived from at least one machine attribute of the environment; and

activating a software package associated with the volume license key on at least one computing device in the environment.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the machine attribute is a hardware identifier.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein said authenticating step further comprises determining that the second data matches the first data within a predetermined tolerance.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises collecting the at least one machine attribute of the environment and hashing the machine attribute to form the first data.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises collecting a time stamp indicating a time at which the machine attribute was collected.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the first data is further derived from a plurality of machine attributes of the computing environment.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, 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 one computing device.