U.S. patent application number 11/797633 was filed with the patent office on 2008-05-15 for process for implementing a method for the on-line sale of software product use licenses through a data network, and software component which allows carrying out said process.
This patent application is currently assigned to SEMANTIC COMPONENTS S.L.. Invention is credited to Alvaro Fernandez Gutierrez.
Application Number | 20080114695 11/797633 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38666936 |
Filed Date | 2008-05-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080114695 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gutierrez; Alvaro
Fernandez |
May 15, 2008 |
Process for implementing a method for the on-line sale of software
product use licenses through a data network, and software component
which allows carrying out said process
Abstract
Online sale of software product use licenses through a data
network by offering software products (SOFT) through vendor sites,
purchasing a license on-line on one of said vendor sites, and
activating said license on-line by a different licensing site. A
specific component (COMP) is provided with the software product
(SOFT) and identifying data (IDV) of the vendor site are
transmitted during the download of the software product (SOFT).
When the component (COMP) is executed in an equipment, the
component (COMP) locally accesses said data (IDV) and identifying
data (IDL) of the licensing site and activates the license by
setting up an on-line communication with the licensing site.
Inventors: |
Gutierrez; Alvaro Fernandez;
(Barcelona, ES) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STAAS & HALSEY LLP
SUITE 700, 1201 NEW YORK AVENUE, N.W.
WASHINGTON
DC
20005
US
|
Assignee: |
SEMANTIC COMPONENTS S.L.
Barcelona
ES
|
Family ID: |
38666936 |
Appl. No.: |
11/797633 |
Filed: |
May 4, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
705/59 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0601 20130101;
G06Q 30/0613 20130101; G06Q 50/184 20130101; G06Q 30/0185 20130101;
G06Q 30/0603 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/59 |
International
Class: |
H04L 9/00 20060101
H04L009/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 10, 2006 |
ES |
200602849 |
Claims
1. A method of selling on-line, through a data network, software
products use licenses, comprising: offering online, by a plurality
of vendor sites, each of said software products to be downloaded
on-line according to respective online downloading processes;
offering for purchase online a use license for one of said software
products offered by one of said vendor sites and downloaded
on-line; and activating online the use license purchased according
to the offering for purchase online the use license, by a licensing
site different from said vendor sites.
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
incorporating a software component with the software product;
executing by an equipment said software component together with
said software product for managing the activating the purchased use
license for said software product by the licensing site; and
associating a vendor site identifier to each of said on-line
downloading processes of the software product by the vendor sites,
wherein the executing software component locally accesses said
vendor site identifier, locally accesses identifying data of the
licensing site, and launches a process for the managing the
activating said purchased use license for the software product
based upon the vendor site identifier and the identifying data of
the licensing site.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the process for the
managing the activating said purchased use license for the software
product comprises setting up an on-line communication with said
licensing site during which said software component obtains from
said licensing site activation data necessary for activating said
purchased use license.
4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said identifying data
of said licensing site is incorporated with said software
product.
5. The method according to claim 2, wherein said identifying data
of said licensing site is incorporated with said software
component.
6. The method according to claim 3, wherein said software component
activates the purchased use license for said software product after
obtaining from the licensing site said activation data.
7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the offering for
purchase online, by the vendor site, the use license for the
software product comprises providing, from said vendor site, a
purchase receipt, and wherein said executing software component
further comprise locally accessing said purchase receipt and
transmitting the purchase receipt to said licensing site during
said on-line communication, and further comprising obtaining, by
the executing software component, said activation data, based upon
the purchase receipt.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the vendor site
provides the purchase receipt by transmitting the purchase receipt
to said licensing site prior to the obtaining by the executing
software component said activation data.
9. The method according to any of claims 1, further comprising:
setting up, by an acquisition site, an on-line communication with
one of said vendor sites; and performing, by the acquisition site,
said on-line downloading process for the software product as well
as said on-line purchase of the use license for said software
product.
10. The method according to claim 2, wherein the executing software
component further comprise locally accessing the vendor site
identifier, setting up an on-line communication with said vendor
site, and operating said on-line purchase of the use license for
said software product.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the executing
software component further comprises setting up an on-line
communication with said licensing site and transmitting the vendor
site identifier to said licensing site, and further comprising:
authorizing, by said licensing site, the on-line purchase of the
software product on said vendor site, based upon the vendor site
identifier; and purchasing the use license for said software
product according to the authorizing of the online purchase by the
licensing site.
12. The method according to claim 2, further comprising introducing
the vendor site identifier in a downloadable file downloaded
together with said software product during said online downloading
process.
13. The method according to claim 2, wherein said software product
is contained in a single downloadable file which is downloaded
during said on-line downloading process, and further comprising
introducing the vendor site identifier as file properties metadata
of said single downloadable file.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the introducing said
vendor site identifier as file properties metadata of said single
downloadable file is done in each of said vendor sites prior to
said software product online downloading process.
15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the introducing said
vendor site identifier as file properties metadata of said single
downloadable file is done during said on-line downloading
process.
16. The method according to claim 2, wherein the associating the
vendor site identifier comprises transmitting to a user, who
operates said on-line downloading process, a code which is
subsequently provided during the executing by the equipment said
software component.
17. The method according to claim 2, further comprising
intervening, by a single supervising site different from said
licensing site and from said vendor site, as an intermediary
function among said software component, said vendor site and said
licensing site.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said single
supervising site intervenes as an intermediary function in said
on-line downloading process of the software product.
19. A computer readable medium storing a software component for
controlling an apparatus for managing activation of a use license
for a software product incorporating the software component when
said software product has been purchased online from a vendor site
through downloading the software product to the apparatus, by:
locally at the apparatus accessing identifying data of said vendor
site and identifying data of a licensing site; activating said use
license for the software product by obtaining from said licensing
site activation data necessary for activating said use license.
20. The computer readable medium according to claim 19, further
comprising incorporating said identifying data of the licensing
site, and wherein the locally at the apparatus accessing comprises
retrieving the licensing site identifying data.
21. The computer readable medium according to claim 19, further
comprising activating the use license for said software product
according to the activation data.
22. The computer readable medium according to claim 19, further
comprising locally at the apparatus accessing a purchase receipt of
the use license and transmitting said purchase receipt to said
licensing site for the obtaining said activation data from said
licensing site.
23. The computer readable medium according to claim 19, further
comprising setting up an on-line communication with said vendor
site and purchasing online the use license for said software
product.
24. The computer readable medium according to claim 19, further
comprising setting up an on-line communication with said licensing
site, and transmitting said identifying data of the vendor site to
said licensing site for authorizing by the licensing site the
on-line purchase on said vendor site.
25. The computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the
locally at the apparatus accessing said identifying data of the
vendor site comprises reading the vendor site identifying data from
a file.
26. The computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the
locally at the apparatus accessing said identifying data of the
vend or site comprises reading the vendor site identifying data
from file properties metadata of a file containing said software
product.
27. The computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the
locally at the apparatus accessing said identifying data of the
vendor site comprises requesting input of a code previously
transmitted to a user by said vendor site during the on-line
downloading of said software product.
28. The method according to claim 9, wherein the acquisition site
is a hosting server, and the method further comprises: acquiring,
by the hosting server, the software product from the one vendor
site; and granting, by the hosting server as a vendor site, rental
licenses for the software product according to the offering online
by the vendor sites the software product and offering for purchase
online the use license for the software product.
29. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:
registering the licensing site, the software products and
conditions for the offering online by the plurality sites the
software products and the software products use licenses, with the
supervising site; and registering the vendor sites with the
supervising site, wherein the supervising site intervenes as an
intermediary function, based upon the registering the licensing and
the vendor sites, in said on-line downloading process of the
software product, said online purchase of the use license for the
software product, or the managing the activating said purchased use
license for the software product, or any combinations thereof.
30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the supervising site
provides the software component to the licensing site for the
incorporating the software component with the software product.
31. The method according to claim 7, wherein the purchase receipt
contains the vendor site identifier and a type of the purchased use
license for the software product, in response to receipt of a
payment for the software product.
32. A method of selling on-line a software product use license
through a plurality of vendor sites, comprising: offering for
online downloading the software product, by the plurality of vendor
sites; selling online, by the plurality of vendor sites, a use
license for a software product downloaded into a device according
to the offering; and activating the use license for the downloaded
software product by a licensing site different from the vendor
sites.
33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising:
associating an identifier of one of the vendor sites, as a vendor
site identifier, with the downloaded software product; and
incorporating a software component with the downloaded software
product, wherein the activating the use license comprises executing
the software component to control the device by: authenticating the
one vendor site based upon the vendor site identifier, and
obtaining activation data for the use license from the licensing
site, based upon the authenticating the one vendor site.
34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the authenticating
the one vendor site by the executing software component comprises:
transmitting the vendor site identifier to the licensing site,
receiving a purchase authorization for the downloaded software
product from the licensing site, in response to the transmitting
the vendor site identifier, and purchasing the use license from the
one vendor site according to the purchase authorization from the
licensing site.
35. The method according to claim 33, further comprising providing
by the one vendor site a purchase receipt including the associated
vendor site identifier.
36. The method according to claim 34, wherein the downloaded
software product has a trial period.
37. The method according to claim 35, wherein the downloaded
software product is other than a demonstration version type.
38. The method according to claim 32, wherein a manufacturer of the
software product manages the licensing site.
39. An apparatus, comprising: a first server offering a software
product for online downloading, selling a use license for the
software product downloaded according to the offering; a second
server authorizing activation of the use license sold for the
downloaded software product; and a client communicating with the
first and second servers, downloading the software product and
purchasing the use license for the downloaded software product,
from the first server, and activating the use license for the
downloaded software product from the second server authorizing the
activation of the use license for the downloaded software
product.
40. The apparatus according to claim 39, further comprising a third
server providing a use license activator, wherein: the second
server incorporates the use license activator with the software
product, the first server associates a first server identifier with
the downloaded software product, and the activating the use license
by the client comprises executing the use license activator to
control the client by: authenticating the first server based upon
the first server identifier, and obtaining activation data for the
use license from the second server, based upon the authenticating
the first server.
41. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: setting
up, by an acquisition site, an on-line communication with one of
said vendor sites; and performing, by the acquisition site, said
on-line downloading process for the software product as well as
said on-line purchase of the use license for said software
product.
42. A computer readable medium storing a software product
incorporating a software component for controlling an apparatus for
managing activation of a use license for said software product when
said software product has been purchased online from a vendor site
through downloading the software product to the apparatus, by:
locally at the apparatus accessing identifying data of said vendor
site and identifying data of a licensing site; activating said use
license for the software product by obtaining from said licensing
site activation data necessary for activating said use license.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application is related to and claims priority to
Spanish Application No. 200602849 filed Nov. 10, 2006 and is
incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field
[0003] The invention is included in the field of on-line sales of
software products through a data network, for example, the
Internet.
[0004] According to an aspect of the embodiments, a process,
including an apparatus and computer readable medium thereof, of
on-line sale of software product use licenses through a data
network, are provided by: [0005] offering online each of said
software products to be downloaded online, by a plurality of vendor
sites; [0006] offering for purchase online a use license for one of
said software products offered by one of said vendor sites and
downloaded on-line; and [0007] authorizing activation of said use
license on-line by a licensing site different from said vendor
sites.
[0008] The embodiments also comprise a software component which
allows carrying out said process, including the apparatus and the
computer readable medium thereof.
[0009] In the sense of this description and of the attached claims,
software product refers to a product formed by a set of
instructions which can be loaded in the memory of a computer and
can be executed individually or in combination with another
software product. According to this definition, a computer program,
an installation program installing a program in the computer, a
package for updating a computer program, an installing file
downloading a computer program or an updating thereof on-line, a
computer program library, etc. are examples of software
products.
[0010] A site refers to any computer installation associated with a
data network service providing a virtual site connected to the data
network and able to exchange information and services on-line with
other sites through said data network. According to an aspect of an
embodiment, when the data network is Internet, the vendor sites and
licensing sites can be websites comprising a main webpage
identified by a URL address.
[0011] A software component is understood to refer to a set of
instructions which can be loaded in the memory of a computer and
incorporated in a software product to be executed together with the
latter and provide specific functions. According to this
definition, a dynamic library, a class or set of classes, a control
or class with a graphic interface, a set of functions or any other
type of software module are examples of software components.
[0012] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0013] Software manufacturing companies currently sell their
software products both by direct sales from their own websites and
by indirect sales through their distributors.
[0014] In the case of direct sales, the purchaser usually downloads
a software product from the software company's website and pays for
and obtains a use license on-line on said website. Another commonly
used option consists of the purchaser ordering the software product
on-line on the company's website and the latter sending the
software product by mail in the form of a CD or a DVD packed in a
box containing a serial number for obtaining a use license.
[0015] Indirect sales through distributors allow a software company
to multiply its sales channels and drastically reduce or even
eliminate its own sales structure. Currently, when the sale is
carried out indirectly through a shop or distributor, the software
product is distributed in the form of a physical carrier, such as a
CD or a DVD, packed in a box containing a serial number for
activating a use license. This distribution in the form of a
physical product is not very efficient compared to the on-line
downloading of the software product from a website because it uses
human and energy resources and raw materials.
[0016] Other on-line sales systems are known in which a software
company advertises its software products on several independent
websites which are not connected to it. The purchaser visits one of
those websites, selects one of the advertised software products and
is then automatically redirected to the software manufacturing
company's website where the purchaser can acquire the software
product on-line, like in the case of a direct sale set forth
previously. In compensation, the software manufacturing company
pays the owner of the independent website a commission for each
forwarding to its own website. These sales systems are not indirect
sales systems through distributors, rather they are similar to the
case of a direct sale set forth previously, with the only
difference that they allow advertising the products with a greater
reach through independent websites. The software manufacturing
company continues to support on its own website the necessary
structure for carrying out the whole sales process, including the
structure allowing downloading the software product, the payment
for and the granting of a use license.
SUMMARY
[0017] The applicant has designed a new method for the on-line sale
of software products through a data network in the form of a
method, an apparatus and computer readable medium thereof, for the
on-line sale of use licenses for the software products.
[0018] The new method of on-line sale designed by the applicant
combines the advantages of indirect sales through distributors
(multiplication of sales channels and reduction or elimination of
its own sales structure) with the advantages of direct sales (the
possibility of delivering the software product on-line, without a
physical carrier).
[0019] This new method of sale is based on separating, on different
sites (for example different websites), the process for acquiring
the software product, understood as the process by which the
purchaser carries out a commercial transaction for acquiring a use
license for said software product, from the process for activating
said use license for the software product, according to which the
purchaser obtains the serial number, keys or any other type of data
or program allowing the purchaser to use the software product in a
certain computer or computers.
[0020] According to this new method, each software product is
offered by a plurality of vendor sites for its on-line acquisition
from an acquisition site, and the process for activating a use
license for the software is carried out in a licensing site
different from said vendor sites. According to this method, the
on-line acquisition of the software product includes an on-line
download of said software product as well as the on-line purchase
of a use license on the vendor site which offered the software
product. The software product can be downloaded directly from the
vendor site itself offering said software product or from a
downloading site associated to said vendor site. The use license is
purchased on said vendor site, at the time of the download of the
software product or afterwards, when it is necessary to obtain a
use license for said software product. Once the use license has
been paid for, an on-line communication is set up with the
licensing site in order to activate it. Thus, in the sense of this
description and of the attached claims, it must be understood that
the use license which is purchased on said vendor site is an
inactive use license, which remains inactive until the activation
thereof by said licensing site. In other words, the purchased use
license does not authorize use of the software product until the
activation of said use license by the licensing site.
[0021] When the data network in which this method is implemented is
Internet, the licensing site is normally the website of a software
manufacturing company and the vendor sites are websites of
distribution companies which can be independent of the
manufacturing company. The advantage of this new method is that the
software manufacturing company multiplies the range for spreading
its software products and at the same time it is released from the
obligation of having to manage the downloading and the payment for
its software product.
[0022] Said new method provides that the purchaser can purchase the
use license on-line on the vendor site at the same time the
purchaser downloads the software product and, subsequently or
simultaneously, carry out the process for activating the use
license by communicating with the licensing site. It also provides
that the purchaser can download a demonstration version of the
software product from the vendor site that can only be used in a
trial period after which it is necessary to obtain a use license.
In this case, the use license is purchased from the vendor site
on-line after downloading the software product, at the time in
which the purchaser decides to purchase the use license, and then
the purchaser can carry out the process for activating the license
by communicating with the licensing site.
[0023] In both cases, after the distribution companies have
collected payment made by the purchaser, they pay an agreed amount
to the manufacturing company for the sale of the use license for
the software product.
[0024] Said new method also provides an especially advantageous
configuration in which a supervising entity is created which,
through a supervising site which can set up on-line communications
with the acquisition site, the vendor site and the licensing site,
ensures that the sales process is carried out in suitable
conditions. A manufacturing company and a distribution company can
thus register in the supervising entity an agreement according to
which the former authorizes the latter to offer its software
product under certain conditions. The manufacturing company can
withdraw its authorization in the event of non-compliance with the
agreement. The supervising entity can also register and authorize
the user purchasers of the system. Likewise, the supervising entity
can intervene in the different sales processes to ensure that they
are carried out in suitable conditions; for example, it can verify
that the distribution company is authorized by the manufacturing
company to sell the product, that the distribution company pays the
manufacturing company the part specified in the agreement for the
sale of software products, that the purchaser is a registered and
authorized user, that the manufacturing company really has the
power to grant use licenses for the software product, etc.).
[0025] The implementation of this new method for the on-line sale
of software products, or more specifically the method for the
on-line sale of use licenses for software products, has a series of
technical problems which make it difficult to carry out.
[0026] In the first place, after having downloaded the software
product on-line from the vendor site offering it or from a
downloading site associated to the latter, the method requires that
said vendor site can be identified in a reliable manner.
Furthermore, this identification information of the vendor site
must be available at the time that the end user decides to purchase
the use license for the software product the purchaser has
downloaded, a time which may not coincide with the download of the
software product, but with the installation of the latter in
equipment or with the expiration date of a demonstration version of
the software product or with the expiration date of the temporary
use license purchased previously.
[0027] Furthermore, the possibility of identifying the vendor site
before the activation of the use license is essential because the
licensing site has to be able to collect from said vendor site the
part of the sale corresponding to it, but it must also have the
certainty that the identified vendor site is really the one who has
carried out the sale and is an authorized site. It is also
necessary to be able to assure the purchaser that the purchaser
will be able to activate the use license on the licensing site
after purchasing it on a vendor site.
[0028] Secondly, the method requires a standard implementation that
can be generalized for all types of software products. It must
specifically be prevented that a licensing site which wants to sell
its software products through this method has to adapt a software
product for each vendor site.
[0029] One example purpose of the invention is to provide a process
for implementing said new method of on-line sale designed by the
applicant, which allows providing the licensing site, in a safe and
effective manner, with the identifying data of the vendor site
which has offered the software product for its on-line download and
in which a use license has been purchased, such that the
identifying data of the vendor site can be provided at the time in
which the end user needs to activate the use license for the
software product, and all of the above such that a licensing site
can distribute its software product according to this method of
sale without needing to adapt the software product for each vendor
site.
[0030] The embodiments can be achieved by a process (including an
apparatus and computer readable media thereof) of an on-line sale
by: [0031] incorporating a software component to each of said
software products offered by a vendor site, said software component
executable together with said software product and managing the
activation of a use license for said software product; [0032]
associating a transmission of identifying data of the vendor site
offering said software product to each of said on-line
downloading-process of one of said software products; [0033]
wherein said software component, when executed together with said
software product in an equipment, is able to locally access said
identifying data of the vendor site and to access identifying data
of the licensing site, and launches a process for activating said
use license for the software product comprising setting up an
on-line communication with said licensing site during which said
software component obtains from said licensing site activation data
necessary for activating said use license.
[0034] The technical problems set forth are solved due to the fact
that the identifying data of the vendor site are transferred during
the software product downloading process, and to the fact that the
software product incorporates said software component, which does
not need to be customized for each vendor site, and is able to
locally retrieve, in the equipment where the software product is
being executed, the identifying data of the vendor site and of the
licensing site. This solution further allows preserving the own or
existing copy protection system of existing software products,
given that the component can be incorporated in the software
product and executed without interfering with said protection
system. Nevertheless, as will be seen below in the description of
several embodiments of the invention, the process for activating
the use license applied by the component is by itself a copy
protection system.
[0035] When the data network in which the method of sale according
to the invention is Internet, the identifying data of the vendor
site which are transmitted during the downloading process comprise
the location of said vendor site in the network in the form of its
URL address.
[0036] In the process according to the invention, setting up a
communication between two sites must be understood as including
both a direct communication between the two sites and an indirect
communication through an intermediate site. Thus, for example, the
communications set up by the software component with the vendor
site or with the licensing site, from the equipment in which the
software product is installed, can be carried out through an
intermediate site without this affecting the principle of the
invention. Indeed, what is important is that the software component
locally accesses identifying data of the vendor site and of the
licensing site, and from this data it is able to locate these sites
in the network on one hand and on the other hand to provide the
licensing site with data referring to the vendor site through which
the download has been carried out and in which a use license has
been purchased. The software component preferably communicates
directly with the vendor site and directly with the licensing site.
However, it can be provided that in the process for activating the
license, the software component communicates directly with the
vendor site, it provides it with the identifying data of the
licensing site and then the communication with the licensing site
is carried out directly through the vendor site. In this case, the
process for activating the license would be carried out in the
vendor site, but it is really the licensing site which is providing
on-line the necessary data for activating the license through the
vendor site. On the contrary, it can be provided that the software
component communicates directly with the licensing site and that
the communication with the vendor site to make the purchase is
carried out through the licensing site. As will be seen below, it
can also be provided that a supervising site intervenes as an
intermediary in the different on-line communications.
[0037] The process according to the invention provides that the
identifying data of the licensing site can be incorporated in the
software product or in the software component. This last solution
offers the advantage that the software manufacturing company can
have a licensing site different from its main site, therefore the
management of the former is facilitated. To that end, the software
product incorporates therein, as usual, identifying data including
the URL address of the main webpage of said company, whereas the
software component incorporates therein the identifying data of the
licensing site. Another advantage is that a single software
component serves to integrate the identifying data of the licensing
site in all the software products.
[0038] Preferably, after obtaining said activation data from the
licensing site, the software component activates a use license for
said software product. Therefore, the entire process for activating
the license, leading to the release of the software product so that
it can be used, is advantageously done by the software component
itself.
[0039] Preferably, said on-line purchase on a vendor site of a use
license for the software product preferably comprises a
transmission of a purchase receipt from said vendor site, and when
said software component is executed in said equipment, it locally
accesses said purchase receipt and transmits it to the licensing
site during the on-line communication during which the software
component obtains said activation data from said licensing site. A
guarantee that the purchase has been made on one of the authorized
vendor sites is thus offered to the licensing site in a
particularly efficient and robust manner. The purchase receipt
advantageously includes identifying data of the vendor site. Said
on-line purchase also preferably comprises setting up an on-line
communication between said vendor site and said licensing site,
during which said vendor site transmits a purchase receipt to said
licensing site. In this way, the licensing site knows that the use
license has been purchased and can claim payment of its
corresponding part, without needing to wait until the purchaser had
installed the software product in an equipment.
[0040] In one embodiment of the process according to the invention,
an acquisition site sets up an on-line communication with one of
said vendor sites, during which said on-line software product
downloading process as well as the on-line purchase of the use
license for the software product are carried out. This embodiment
generally corresponds to the case in which a purchaser downloads a
final commercial version of the software product, i.e. a version
with no demonstration period, instead of a demonstration version
and then the use license must be purchased together with the
download. The purchaser obtains the activation of the use license
when the software product is installed, when the software component
communicates with the licensing site during the process for
activating the license.
[0041] In another embodiment, which is generally applied to the
case in which a purchaser downloads a demonstration version of the
software product, when the software component is executed in said
equipment, it locally accesses the identifying data of the vendor
site and sets up an on-line communication with said vendor site,
during which said software component operates the on-line purchase
of the use license of said software product. Therefore, the
software component only launches the process for the on-line
purchase of a use license when the user so decides, for example, by
responding to an invitation of the software component itself when
the test period of the demonstration version has concluded.
Preferably, when the software component is executed in said
equipment, it sets up an on-line communication with said licensing
site, during which it communicates said identifying data of the
vendor site to said licensing site so that said licensing site
authorizes the on-line purchase of the software product use license
on said vendor site, therefore the purchaser has the certainty that
the sale is authorized by the licensing site and therefore the
purchaser will be able to subsequently activate the use
license.
[0042] Several solutions according to the invention can be provided
for transmitting the identifying data of the vendor site. In a
first solution, said identifying data are introduced in a
downloadable file which is downloaded by the acquisition site
together with the software product during the downloading process
in the on-line communication set up by the acquisition site with
the vendor site. In a preferred second solution, the software
product is contained in a single downloadable file which is
downloaded by the acquisition site during the downloading process,
in the on-line communication set up by the acquisition site with
the vendor site, and the transmission of identifying data of the
vendor site is carried out by introducing said identifying data as
file properties metadata of said downloadable file. Introducing
said identifying data of the vendor site as file properties
metadata of said downloadable file can be done in each of the
vendor sites before the software product downloading process, but
it is preferably done at the time in which the acquisition site
downloads said downloadable file during the downloading process.
Another solution includes the transmission of identifying data of
the vendor site by transmitting a code to a user operating the
software product downloading process, said code being subsequently
provided to the software component when it is executed in said
equipment. This code can be provided, for example, by means of an
on-screen display or by sending it by e-mail.
[0043] In an advantageous embodiment, the intervention of a single
supervising site, different from the licensing sites and from the
vendor sites, is provided. Said single supervising site intervenes
as an intermediary in the different communications between the
sites participating in the on-line sale, for the purpose of
ensuring that said sale is carried out in suitable conditions. The
software product downloading process from a vendor site can thus
comprise setting up an on-line communication with said supervising
site. Likewise, the process for the on-line purchase or the process
for activating the license, launched by the software component when
it is executed in said equipment, can comprise setting up an
on-line communication with said supervising site. The process
according to the invention can also comprise setting up an on-line
communication between the vendor site and said supervising site, as
well as setting up an on-line communication between the licensing
site and said supervising site.
[0044] The invention also relates to the software component used in
the described process, which is an essential element for
implementing said process according to the invention.
[0045] These together with other aspects and advantages which will
be subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and
operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed,
reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part
hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0046] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for the on-line sale
of software products use licenses and corresponding processes,
according to the embodiments of the invention;
[0047] FIG. 2 is a flow chart of implementing a software component,
according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0048] FIG. 3 is a flow chart of purchasing a use license,
implemented by the software component, according to an embodiment
of the invention; and
[0049] FIG. 4 is a flow chart of purchasing and activating a use
license, implemented by the software component, according to an
embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0050] FIG. 1 shows the basic process of a new method for the
on-line sale of software product use licenses, according to an
embodiment of the invention, including embodiment variants.
[0051] In this example, the data network in which the process is
installed is the Internet. The system is made up of a plurality of
manufacturing companies each having a licensing website, a
plurality of distribution companies each having a vendor website
where a software product 12 of the manufacturing companies are
offered, and a plurality of computers connected to Internet forming
potential acquisition sites for the on-line acquisition of software
products offered by the vendor sites. The invention also provides
the possibility that the acquisition sites are hosting servers
which acquire and install the software product 12 to then later
grant rental licenses to a plurality of users having access to said
server.
[0052] The software product(s) (SOFT) 12 are typically computer
programs, being able to be entire programs, an installation program
which installs a computer program or downloads the installation
files from a computer program, upgrades or updates of programs that
are already installed, etc. These software products 12 shall
hereinafter be generically referred to as programs 12.
[0053] The manufacturing companies adhering to the online sale of
software product use license system (hereinafter referred to as
system) in order to be able to sell their programs incorporate with
their program 12 a software component (COMP) 14 that is specific
for the system. The software component 14 operation can be
identical for all of manufacturing companies. To distinguish
between different licensing and/or vendor sites, modifiable
properties of the component 14 that can be modified during
programming are used. The software component 14 shall hereinafter
simply be referred to as component 14.
[0054] The component 14 refers to the encapsulated group of classes
and processes with their corresponding properties, which allows by
interface or integration thereof in a third party application and
within the execution environment of said application, the execution
of certain functionalities which are predefined in the component.
It can be presented in the form of an executable file or dynamic
library which is included or invoked from a third party
application, during the design of said application. According to an
aspect of the embodiment, component incorporation refers to
interfacing and/or integrating. The ways of including a component
within an application may vary according to the programmer or the
environment in which the application is programmed, the following
ways of doing so being the most common examples: [0055] including
the component from a graphic menu. The programmer drags the
component (graphic representation thereof) from the toolbox of the
programming environment and inserts the component in the form of
the application. From that moment on, the programmer has access to
the component properties and can modify them and/or invoke the
methods that have been described in the component. [0056] including
the component from source code. The programmer includes the code
lines necessary for invoking the component (whether it is in
library or executable form) within the source code block belonging
to a form of the application. From that moment on the programmer
has access to the component properties and can modify them and/or
invoke the methods which have been described in the component.
[0057] One skilled in the art of programming can implement the
processes of including and using the component with a program,
therefore it is not considered necessary to further describe
them.
[0058] The component interacts with the program, for example, by a
series of functions or methods. In this example, the two most
important methods, which will be described below, are the method
which allows carrying out the purchase of a license on-line (FIG.
1, reference 302) and the method which allows activating a license
(FIG. 1, reference 601).
[0059] During the purchasing process, the component shows a series
of displays (graphical interface) for selecting the type of use
license which is desired to be acquired and/or introducing the data
needed to purchase the license.
[0060] The use license which the user purchases can be of several
types. For example, it can be an indefinite license giving the
purchaser the right to use the program for an indefinite time
period, or a temporary license allowing use of the program for a
limited time period. The use license also may or may not include
the right for the user to update the program with the new versions
thereof launched in the future. Therefore, for example, a temporary
use license may allow the use of the program for one year, together
with the new program updates that come out during that same
year.
[0061] The system is preferably supervised by a single supervising
site controlled by a supervising entity. Although the system
embodiments are not limited to such a configuration and a plurality
of supervising sites can be provided. The manufacturing companies
which adhere to the system request the supervising site to register
their licensing site, identify the programs which they wish to sell
on-line and define the condition for the sale thereof. The
distribution companies that wish to offer on their sites the
programs of the manufacturing companies request in the supervisor
site to register their vendor site. A licensing site and a vendor
site can agree, in the supervising site, on the conditions of the
sale of a program, for example, the sale price and the part that
will correspond to each of them. According to an embodiment, the
supervising site provides the component to the licensing sites so
that the component can be incorporated with the programs. The
vendor sites can obtain the programs directly from each licensing
site, or through the supervising site (as the case may be), and
host the programs for downloading on-line by the purchasers.
[0062] In addition to the component supplied to the licensing sites
so that the component can be incorporated with their programs, the
supervising site may also provide specific applications which are
installed in the licensing sites and in the vendor sites for
implementing the different communications of the sale process,
which will be described below. These applications are not described
in detail, as a person skilled in the art would have no difficulty
in carrying the communications.
[0063] The incorporation of a single supervising site in the system
is advantageous because it offers system reliability insurance to
the different participants in the sale process. However, the system
may also work without the intervention of a supervising site.
[0064] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for the on-line sale
of software products use licenses and corresponding processes,
according to the embodiments of the invention. The user operates
from a computer 40 having a communication interface 10 for
communicating with Internet and a storage containing a local
license database 41. In this example, the communication interface
10 of the computer 40 itself form the acquisition site from which a
program SOFT is acquired on-line and the computer 40 forms the
equipment where the program SOFT will be executed. However, process
according to the invention is also applied to the case in which the
program SOFT is acquired on-line operating from one computer and
then said program SOFT is installed and executed in another
computer. The other elements involved in this example are a vendor
site 20, a licensing site 30 and a supervising site 50, which as
mentioned above is optional, each of them provided with a main
webpage, respectively 22, 32, 52, and a database, respectively 21,
31, 51.
[0065] The user sets up communication with the vendor site 20 from
the acquisition site 10. This communication can be direct
communication 101 or indirect communication 901 through the
supervising site 50. In the latter case, the supervising site 50
deals with authenticating the identity of the acquisition site 10
as a user of the system, or it must register the user if the user
is new, and may also set up a communication 802 with the vendor
site 20. The user chooses a program SOFT offered on the vendor site
20 and downloads the program SOFT into the acquisition site 10
during direct communication 101. Identifying data IDV of the vendor
site 20, for example, including the URL address of the vendor site
20, are transmitted along with the download. The transmission of
this identifying data IDV can be done in different ways.
[0066] Preferably, the program SOFT is contained in a single
downloadable file and the data IDV are included as metadata of this
file. The inclusion of these data IDV as metadata of the
downloadable file is usually done on each vendor site, before the
download or during the download. The metadata of a file are data
containing formal information of the file, such as the name, size,
file type, modification date, owner, etc. For example, in the
MICROSOFT WINDOWS environment, these metadata are visible from the
File>Document Properties menu in the graphical interface of
WINDOWS applications. The location containing these metadata in the
file has several fields which are currently free or can be free,
and which are used by the process according to the embodiments of
the invention for storing the data IDV. It is also possible to
define new properties for a file, for example, by using the
MICROSOFT DSOFile.dll library. When this preferred solution is
used, the data IDV are read by the component COMP as metadata of
the file containing the program SOFT, as shown in 201 in FIG.
1.
[0067] An alternative solution for transmitting the data IDV
includes storing them in an independent file that is downloaded
together with the program SOFT. In this case, said independent file
is installed in the equipment 40 together with the program SOFT and
the data IDV are read by the component COMP in said independent
file, as is shown in 202 in FIG. 1.
[0068] Another alternative solution includes the vendor site 20
providing the user with a code IDV, for example, by an on-screen
display or by sending an e-mail, during the program SOFT
downloading process, and the user then furnishes said code IDV to
component COMP at the request of the latter, as is shown in 203 in
FIG. 1.
[0069] If the user downloads a program SOFT of the type not having
a trial period, the user purchases the program SOFT by an on-line
payment P on the vendor site 20, during the communication 101, and
in exchange receives a purchase receipt R containing, either
explicitly or by reference, identifying data of the vendor site 20
and information on the type of license acquired. Therefore, both
the IDV, for example, containing the URL address of the vendor site
20, and the purchase receipt R have been transmitted in this case
from the vendor site 20 to the acquisition site 10. The
transmission of the purchase receipt R can be done in the form of
an independent file downloaded together with the program SOFT and
it is then read by the component COMP, as is shown in 301 in FIG.
1, or by a code furnished to the user, for example, by an on-screen
display or by sending an e-mail, which is then furnished to the
component COMP at the request of the latter, as is shown in 303 in
FIG. 1.
[0070] If the user downloads a program SOFT of the demonstration
version type, which is operative for only the trial period, then
the purchase P is not made during the communication 101. In this
case there is no purchase receipt R; only the data IDV, for
example, containing the URL address of the vendor site 20, are
transmitted from the vendor site to the acquisition site 10.
[0071] When the program SOFT is executed in the computer 40,
component COMP is executed performing the actions shown in FIG. 2.
First, 2a verifies if in the local license database 41 there is a
use license for the program SOFT. If the license exists, 2b
verifies if it is valid. If it is valid, 2c authorizes the use of
the program. If it is not valid, 2d proposes a connection with the
vendor site 20 to purchase a license. The component COMP locally
accesses the identifying data IDV of the vendor site 20, which for
example includes the URL address of the vendor site, by one of the
processes 201, 202 or 203 explained above. If the user agrees, 2e
launches the process for purchasing a license described below and
shown in FIG. 3. If, at 2a, the license does not exist, 2f verifies
if the purchase receipt R exists, which is accessed locally by one
of the processes 301 or 303 explained above. If the purchase
receipt R exists, 2g launches the process for obtaining and
activating the license described below and shown in FIG. 4. If the
purchase receipt R does not exist, 2h evaluates if a demonstration
period for the program SOFT has expired. If the demonstration
period has expired, 2d proposes a connection with the vendor site
20 to purchase a license, as described in the foregoing.
[0072] The process for purchasing a use license according to an
embodiment of the invention is shown schematically in FIG. 3. In
this process, the component COMP carries out the following basic
actions. First, 3a locally accesses the data IDV to obtain, for
example, the URL of the vendor site 20, by one of the processes
201, 202 or 203 explained above. Then, 3b sets up a communication
304 (902, 801 as the case may be) with the licensing site 30 and
transmits the data IDV to the licensing site 30. The licensing site
30 checks that the vendor site 20 corresponding to the data IDV is
authorized to sell the use license or authenticates the vendor site
identifiers provided by the component (COMP) and, if it is
authorized, returns a purchase authorization to the component COMP,
after which 3c the component COMP sets up a communication 302 with
the vendor site 20 and notifies the vendor site 20 that the
component COMP wishes to initiate a process for purchasing a
license. During this communication 302, the user can intervene
through the graphical interface of the component COMP and choose
the type of license most suited to the purchaser. Then, 3d chooses
the type of license the component COMP wishes to purchase and 3e
makes a purchase by an on-line payment P, in exchange receiving at
3f the purchase receipt R. In this example, the component COMP
itself sets up the communication 302 with the vendor site 20. As an
alternative, it can be provided that the component COMP shows in
the graphical user interface a link to the URL address of the
vendor site 20 and allows the user to set up the communication 302
through the browser of the purchaser's computer 40. Optionally,
instead of setting up direct communication 302 with the vendor site
20, the component COMP can do this by indirect communication 902
with the supervising site 50 in communication with the vendor site
20 via the setup communication 802.
[0073] The process for obtaining and activating the license
according to an embodiment of the invention is schematically shown
in FIG. 4. In this process, the component COMP carries out the
following basic actions. First, 4a obtains the purchase receipt R,
which is accessed locally by one of the processes 301 or 303
explained above. The component COMP also locally access 4b hardware
identifying data IDHW in the computer 40. These data IDHW are, for
example, the serial number of the hard drive where the program SOFT
is installed, which is read by the component COMP by the process
501 indicated in FIG. 1. The component COMP also obtains the
identifying data of the licensing site IDL, for example, the URL
address of the licensing site, reading the IDL by the process 401
indicated in FIG. 1. According to an aspect of the embodiments, the
data IDL is incorporated in the component COMP itself. Then, 4d
sets up a communication 601 with the licensing site 30 and notifies
the licensing site that the component COMP wishes to initiate a
license activation session. In the communication 601, the component
COMP at 4e sends the hardware identifying data IDHW and the
purchase receipt R and in exchange receives at 4f a license file LF
including the hardware identifying data IDHW, such that the license
file LF will only be valid for the use of the program SOFT in said
computer 40, and an electronic signature SG done with the private
key owned by the licensing site 30. The component COMP owns the
electronic signature public key and verifies at 4g such signature.
If the electronic signature SG is correct, at 4h the component COMP
adds the license file LF to the license database 41, where the
component COMP stores the information of the different processes
for purchasing and activating licenses in which it has been
involved. If the electronic signature SG is not correct, at 41 the
license file LF is rejected.
[0074] Optionally, instead of setting up direct communication 601
with the licensing site 30, the component COMP may do so by
indirect communication 902 with the supervising site 50, which in
turn sets up communications 801, 802 with the licensing site 30 and
with the vendor site 20, which can also communicate with one
another. All this is possible due to the fact that the component
COMP knows the identifying data of the supervising site, for
example, a URL address of the supervising site 50, and is able to
provide the identifying data of the vendor and licensing sites, for
example, the URL addresses of the licensing site 30 and of the
vendor site 20, contained respectively in the data IDL and IDV
which the component COMP accesses locally.
[0075] It can also optionally be provided to set up on-line
communication 701 between the vendor site 20 and the licensing site
30, during which they exchange information relating to the
acquisition of the software product SOFT. For example, this on-line
communication 701 allows the licensing site 30 to know that the
software product SOFT has been downloaded and/or paid for from a
specific and authorized vendor site 20 before the purchaser,
through the software component COMP, makes contact with said
licensing site 30 to activate a use license. When a use license of
software product SOFT has been purchased in an authorized vendor
site 20, in said on-line communication 701 the vendor site 20 sends
a copy of the purchase receipt R to the licensing site 30.
[0076] The embodiments have been described with respect to a
process, including an apparatus and computer readable medium
thereof, of on-line sale of a software product use license, by:
[0077] offering online, by a plurality of vendor sites, a software
product to be downloaded on-line according to respective online
downloading processes; [0078] selling, or offering for purchase
online, a use license for said software product offered by one of
said vendor sites and downloaded on-line; and [0079] activating
said purchased use license on-line by a licensing site different
from said vendor sites.
[0080] The embodiments also comprise a software component as a use
license activator for carrying out said process, including an
apparatus and a computer readable medium thereof, by incorporating
the software component with the software product; executing by an
equipment said software component together with said software
product for managing the activating a purchased use license for
said software product by the licensing site; and associating a
vendor site identifier to each of said on-line downloading
processes of the software product by the vendor sites, wherein the
executing software component locally accesses said vendor site
identifier, locally accesses identifying data of the licensing
site, and launches a process for managing the activating said
purchased use license for the software product based upon the
vendor site identifier and the identifying data of the licensing
site. According to an aspect of the embodiments, the IDV and IDL
can be any identifying information uniquely identifying a vendor
site 20 and a licensing web site 30, respectively, and can be
generated or provided by the vendor site 20, the licensing web site
30, the software product (SOFT) 12, the component (COMP) 14, or any
combinations thereof.
[0081] The described examples of preferred embodiments can be
implemented in software (as stored or encoded on any known computer
readable media, such as, without limitation, a compact disk, a
Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), memory, a carrier wave or
electromagnetic signal, etc.) and/or in any computing or
information processing hardware, for example, a programmable
computing device. For example, the embodiments can be implemented
in a programmable electronic device that can store, retrieve,
output (for example, display) and process data). For example, the
embodiments can be implemented in any type of programmable
computing apparatus, such as (without limitation) a personal
computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a server and/or a
client computer in case of a client-server network architecture, or
networked computers in a distributed network architecture.
[0082] The many features and advantages of the embodiments are
apparent from the detailed specification and, thus, it is intended
by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of
the embodiments that fall within the true spirit and scope thereof.
Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily
occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the
inventive embodiments to the exact construction and operation
illustrated and described, and accordingly all suitable
modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within
the scope thereof.
* * * * *