System and method for providing a flexible licensing system for digital content

• US 7,818,262 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2006
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Gokhale, Parag, Madeira, Andre D., Ali-Ali, Muath S., Prahlad, Anand, Kavuri, Srinivas, Muller, Marcus S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fischer; Andrew J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANDEL, MONICA A
• Application Number:
  US11/612,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20070203846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 705 50- 52, 705 57- 59
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1014 to tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

A system and method for providing a flexible licensing system for digital content is described. In some cases, the system utilizes tokens or other valuations to facilitate the purchase or exchange of content.

Claims

1. A method in a computing system of providing a licensed software product to a user, the method comprising:

receiving a request, at a server within the computing system, for the licensed software product from the user, wherein the request for the licensed software product contains a user profile, user system configuration information, and information identifying the requested licensed software product

wherein the user system configuration information corresponds to a system architecture for a user computer, and

wherein the user system configuration information includes a hardware configuration for the user computer, a software configuration for the user computer, or both a hardware configuration and a software configuration for the user computer;

authorizing, at the server within the computing system, the user to receive the requested licensed software product, wherein the authorizing includes;

determining that the user has a sufficient number of tokens to receive the requested licensed software product;

determining that the user profile contains information indicating the user is an authorized user of the licensed software product; and

determining that the requested licensed software product is compatible with system resources and configuration of the user computer based at least in part on the user system configuration information and the information identifying the requested licensed software product,

wherein the determining that the requested licensed software product is compatible with the system resources and configuration of the user computer includes comparing information regarding the requested licensed software product to the hardware configuration for the user computer, to the software configuration for the user computer, or to both the hardware configuration and the software configuration for the user computer; and

transmitting the licensed software product to the user computer after determining that the user is authorized to receive the requested licensed software product.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the requested licensed software product to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tokens comprise tokens purchased by or on behalf of the user before the request for the licensed software product is received.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile information comprises SKU information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile information comprises a user identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user system configuration information comprises a system configuration identifier.

7. A computing system for providing a user with rights to use digital content, the system comprising:

memory;

at least one processor, wherein the processor is programmed with

a reception component, where the reception component is configured to receive a request for an item of digital content from the user, wherein the request for the item of digital content at least contains information identifying a system configuration associated with a user computer for the user, information identifying the user, and information identifying the requested item of digital content;

wherein the system configuration includes a system architecture for the user computer, and

wherein the system configuration information includes a hardware configuration for the user computer, a software configuration for the user computer, or both a hardware configuration and a software configuration for the user computer;

an authorization component, wherein the authorization component is configured to determine whether the user is authorized to obtain the requested item of digital content based on the information identifying the system configuration information associated with the user computer and the information identifying the user,

wherein the determining of the authorization component includes determining whether the requested item of digital content is compatible with system resources and configuration of the user computer based at least in part on comparing information regarding the requested item of digital content to the hardware configuration for the user computer, to the software configuration for the user computer, or to both the hardware configuration and the software configuration for the user computer;

a transmission component, wherein the transmission component is configured to transmit the requested item of digital content to the user upon determining that the user is authorized; and

a recommendation component, wherein the recommendation component is configured to transmit a recommendation to the user for alternative digital content that is different than the requested digital content upon determining that the user is not authorized to receive the requested digital content.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the authorization component is configured to compare the information identifying the system configuration associated with the user to a configuration identifier within a license key associated with the requested digital content.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the recommendation component is configured to transmit the recommendation to the user for the alternative digital content upon determining that the system configuration associated with the user does not match a system configuration compatible for the requested digital content.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the transmission component is configured to automatically transmit alternative digital content to the user when the system configuration associated with the user does not support the requested digital content, wherein the alternative digital content is supported by the system configuration associated with the user.