Data processing: financial – business practice – management – or co – Business processing using cryptography – Usage protection of distributed data files
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-22
2001-06-05
Trammell, James P. (Department: 2764)
Data processing: financial, business practice, management, or co
Business processing using cryptography
Usage protection of distributed data files
C705S051000, C705S057000, C705S058000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243692
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to software distribution, particularly electronic software distribution.
2. State of the Art
Electronic software distribution, or ESD, is technology that enables software publishers and resellers to use the Internet as a direct channel to customers. ESD provides a fast, efficient alternative to the distribution of shrink-wrapped software products in retail stores. ESD follows one of two models, either Buy-Before-You-Try (Buy/Try) or Try-Before-You-Buy (Try/Buy). Try/Buy is technologically more complex but is favored by buyers and is advantageous for sellers as well.
A software tool for Try/Buy “self-wrapping” of software programs is sold by Preview Software, the present assignee- Using this tool, a software program is “injected” with a code module that performs trial protection and enables electronic purchase of the software program. The injected software program and related files are then packed as a program archive, or setup file set, using a conventional installation tool such as InstallShield™ installation software. A secondary setup executable is added outside the program archive and functions to install distribution information and instructions.
The foregoing process may be more clearly understood with reference to
FIG. 1. A
program executable has added to it trial and commerce information, resulting in a modified executable. The modified executable and other files are processed by an installer tool to produce a setup file set, e.g., setup.exe, that is a ready-to-install Try/Buy application.
Various other competing and incompatible Try/Buy ESD technologies have emerged, offered by such technology providers as TestDrive Software, Release Software and TechWave, Inc. ESD merchants have aligned themselves with different ones of these technology providers. As a result, software publishers have faced either choosing one technology provider and ignoring merchants aligned with other technology providers, or producing multiple different versions of a software title for different channels, resulting in considerable expense and duplication of effort.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention, generally speaking, provides for secure electronic software packaging using a setup-external unlocking module. As a result, a software publisher can produce a single ESD-ready version of a software title that may later be prepared for distribution through multiple different ESD channels by adding channel-specific unlocking modules. Duplication of the injection process prior to the packing of the setup file set is eliminated and great flexibility is achieved. Preferably, the single ESD-ready version allows for trial of the software, e.g., a free 30-day trial. Software publishers are incentivized to produce trial versions of their software for marketing purposes. Once such a trial version of a software title has been produced, no further modifications are required on the part of the software publisher in order to distribute the software through various different channels. In one embodiment, the software publisher produces a trial version of a software title using a technology provider tool to inject the program executable with “guard code” referred to herein as a protection module. The protection module allows the program to be run only in accordance with trial parameters specified by the software publisher. The protection module will typically lack commerce capabilities required in order to purchase the software, i.e., obtain unlimited usage of the software or at least usage beyond the original trial period. After the software has been injected with the protection module, a conventional installation tool is used to produce a setup file set. At this point, the BOB can be downloaded and tried but cannot be purchased. That is, unlike competing technologies, the BOBs at his point are fully functional trial versions that can be tested and tried without adding purchase capabilities.
To ready a BOB for use beyond trial, a technology provider tool is used to add an unlocking module to the BOB, together with a secondary license file, adding necessary commerce parameters. The unlocking module and secondary license file are added outside the BOB (i.e., the setup file set), which cannot be readily penetrated. In one embodiment, the unlocking module has both trial monitoring capabilities and commerce capabilities. The augmented software program may then be delivered from a server that functions as part of a BOB farm where a collection of wrapped software programs (Bags of Bits, or BOBs) are maintained. In operation, when the software program is installed and run, the protection module checks whether a unlocking module is present. If not, the protection module handles trial protection. If an unlocking module is present, the protection module uses a defined mechanism for communication between the protection module and the unlocking module to authenticate the unlocking module. If the unlocking module is authenticated, the protection module then cooperates with the unlocking module. Through the unlocking module, the software program may be tried and then unlocked at any time. In a typical embodiment, unlocking is predicated upon transmitting payment to a payment clearinghouse and receiving authorization. Alternatively, the unlocking module may read and verify an electronic license that the end-user has purchased, or communicate with a license server that stores electronic licenses and dispenses authorization to execute software programs.
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Floyd Michel
Horstmann Cay S.
Burns Doane Swecker & Mathis L.L.P.
Preview Software
Rosen Nicholas David
Trammell James P.
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