Automated system for management of licensed software

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for providing a system for automatically tracking use of a software and also for determining whether the software is validly licensed and enabling or disabling the software accordingly. Exemplary systems involve attaching a licensing system module to a software application. Records of valid licenses are stored in the database maintained by the software provider. The licensing system module transparently forms a license record inquiry message. The message is transparently sent to the database over a public network, such as the Internet, to determine whether a valid license record exists in the database for the software application. The database forms and returns an appropriate response message that is interpreted by the licensing system module. The software application can then be appropriately enabled or disabled by the licensing system module. The receipt of the license record inquiry can be recorded in the database to monitor software use.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A system for enabling licensed software, the system comprising: a client module that is attachable to a software application, which software application is loaded on a computer having access to a public network; and 
 a license server containing software application license records, which license server is accessible over the public network; wherein    the client module communicates with the license server over the public network to determine the existence of a license record corresponding to the software application.    
     
     
         2 . The system claimed in    claim 1   , wherein the client module enables the software application if a license record corresponding to the software application on the computer exists.  
     
     
         3 . The system claimed in    claim 1   , wherein the client module disables the software application if no license record corresponding to the software application on the computer exists.  
     
     
         4 . The system claimed in    claim 1   , wherein the license server comprises an agent module for communicating with the client module, and a database for storing license records.  
     
     
         5 . The system as claimed in    claim 1   , wherein the public network is the Internet.  
     
     
         6 . The system claimed in    claim 4   , wherein a portion of the communication between the client module and the agent module is encrypted.  
     
     
         7 . The system as claimed in    claim 6   , wherein the client and agent modules use a shared key to initialize encryption engines contained in the client and agent modules, which encryption engines operate using the shared key.  
     
     
         8 . The system claimed in    claim 1   , wherein the client module temporarily enables the software application if no license record corresponding to the software application is found.  
     
     
         9 . The system claimed in    claim 1   , wherein the client module periodically communicates with the license server over the public network to determine the existence of a license record corresponding to the software application.  
     
     
         10 . The system claimed in    claim 9   , wherein the periodic communication is initiated pursuant to an interrupt.  
     
     
         11 . The system claimed in    claim 10   , wherein the periodic communication is initiated pursuant to expiration of a watchdog timer.  
     
     
         12 . The system claimed in    claim 1   , wherein communication between the client module and the license server is transparent to a user using the software application.  
     
     
         13 . The system claimed in    claim 3   , wherein the system prompts a user with a message informing the user of the lack of a license and supplies the user with information for procuring a license.  
     
     
         14 . The system claimed in    claim 3   , wherein the system initiates a Web homepage session whereby a user can purchase a license for the software application.  
     
     
         15 . The system claimed in    claim 12   , wherein the system automatically updates the license records in the license server pursuant to a license purchase.  
     
     
         16 . The system claimed in    claim 1   , wherein the license server tracks communications received from the client module.  
     
     
         17 . The system claimed in    claim 16   , wherein the license server generates billing information from tracked data.  
     
     
         18 . The system claimed in    claim 1   , wherein the client module is attached to a pre-compiled version of the software application whereby a single executable client application is created by compilation.  
     
     
         19 . The system claimed in    claim 1   , wherein the client module is attached to a compiled version of the software application.  
     
     
         20 . The system claimed in    claim 19   , wherein the client module validates licenses for a plurality of software applications on the computer.