Activation code system and method for preventing software piracy

Abstract

A system and method for preventing piracy of a given software application limits the number of times that such software application is activated. A given software application must be activated in order to become fully functional. The user must provide a unique software identification code, relating to the specific software which the user is attempting to activate, to a remote provider. The remote provider determines the number of times that such specific software has already been activated, and provides an activation code to the user unless the number of activations exceeds a predetermined threshold. Once activated, the software becomes fully operational, and the user is allowed complete access to its functions.

1 . A computer usable medium having computer readable code comprising:
 a) software that requires an activation code to activate at least part of the functionality of the software;   b) program code that requires an identification code which identifies the software;   c) program code that enables the software to receive an activation code for activating at least part of the functionality of the software, said activation code representing that the number of times that said software has been previously activated on distinct user systems in a manner that is independent of the identity of the user is less than a predetermined threshold, said predetermined threshold being at least two.   
   
   
       2 . The computer usable medium of  claim 1  wherein the program code that requires the identification code does so by requiring entry of the identification code to identify the particular copy of the software to be activated. 
   
   
       3 . The computer usable medium of  claim 1  further comprising program code that enables the particular copy of the software to initiate contact with a remote service provider and to communicate said identification code to said remote service provider. 
   
   
       4 . The computer usable medium of  claim 3  wherein said remote service provider examines the identification code in order to determine the number of times that the software has been activated on distinct user systems. 
   
   
       5 . The computer usable medium of  claim 4  wherein said number of times that said software has been activated on distinct user systems is updated each time that the activation code for such software is provided. 
   
   
       6 . A method of protecting against software piracy, said method including the steps of:
 a) configuring a software to enable it to receive an activation code for activating at least part of the functionality of said software;   b) distributing said software, said software requiring an activation code to activate at least part of the functionality thereof and wherein said software further has a unique identifier associated therewith to uniquely identify such software;   c) providing an activation code when the number of times that said software has been previously activated on distinct user systems in a manner that is independent of the identity of the user is less than a predetermined threshold, said predetermined threshold being at least two.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said software is further configured to initiate contact with a remote service provider and to communicate said identification code to said remote service provider. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said remote service provider examines the identification code in order to determine the number of times that said software has been activated on distinct user systems. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said number of times that said software has been activated on distinct user systems is updated each time that the activation code for such software is provided. 
   
   
       10 . A remote service provider comprising:
 a) a data storage element that records the amount of activations for an authorized copy of software, wherein said amount of activations pertains to the number of times that the authorized copy of software has been activated, each authorized copy of software having an identification code associated therewith;   b) a processing element that examines the amount of activations recorded in the data storage element associated with an identification code in order to determine the number of times that the particular authorized copy of software associated with such identification code has been activated and wherein an activation code is provided for activating the authorized copy of software when the number of times that it has been previously activated on distinct user systems in a manner that is independent of the identity of the user is less than a predetermined threshold, said predetermined threshold being at least two.   
   
   
       11 . The remote service provider of  claim 10  wherein the processing element updates the amount of activations on distinct user systems recorded for an authorized copy of the software each time that the activation code for such authorized copy of the software is provided. 
   
   
       12 . The remote service provider of  claim 10 , wherein said activation code is provided by said processing element.