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.

1 - 42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . A method of activating from a second site a use license for a software product purchased from a first site by a user programmable electronic device, the second site different from the first site, the method comprising:
 the first site generating first software product purchase receipt information and transmitting at least a first portion of the purchase receipt information to the user programmable electronic device and transmitting at least a second portion of the purchase receipt information to the second site,   the user programmable electronic device transmitting at least a part of the at least first portion of the purchase receipt information to the second site,   the second site processing the purchase receipt information it receives from the first site and from the user programmable electronic device to activate the use license of the software product for use in the user programmable electronic device.   
     
     
         44 . A method according to  claim 43 , wherein the at least first portion of the purchase receipt information and the at least second portion of the purchase receipt information is the same. 
     
     
         45 . A method of activating from a second site a use license for a software product purchased from a first site by a user programmable electronic device comprising hardware, the second site different from the first site, the method comprising:
 the first site generating first software product purchase receipt information and transmitting at least a first portion of the purchase receipt information to the user programmable electronic device and transmitting at least a second portion of the purchase receipt information to the second site, and   the user programmable electronic device transmitting to the second site at least a part of the at least first portion of the purchase receipt information and also identification data of the hardware,   the second site processing the purchase receipt information it receives from the first site and from the user programmable electronic device and also the identification data of the hardware to activate the use license of the software product for use in conjunction with a user programmable electronic device comprising the hardware.   
     
     
         46 . A method according to  claim 45 , wherein the at least first portion of the purchase receipt information and the at least second portion of the purchase receipt information is the same. 
     
     
         47 . A method according to  claim 45 , wherein the hardware is an electronic storage media. 
     
     
         48 . A method according to  claim 45 , wherein the identification data of the hardware is a serial number of the hardware. 
     
     
         49 . A method according to  claim 45 , wherein the hardware is a hard drive and identification data is a serial number of the hard drive. 
     
     
         50 . A method of activating a use license for a demonstration software product stored within a user programmable electronic device, the method comprising executing in the user programmable electronic device executable instructions incorporated in the demonstration software product, the executable instructions 1) establishing communication between the user programmable electronic device and a first site to facilitate the purchase of the use license and 2) establishing communication between the user programmable electronic device and a second site different from the first site to facilitate an activation of the use license through the second site. 
     
     
         51 . A method according to  claim 50 , further comprising executable instructions that when executed in the user programmable electronic device prompts a user during a test period of the demonstration software product to initiate the process of activating the use license via a graphical display of the user programmable electronic device.