Process for implementing a method for the on-line sale of software products and the activation of use licenses through a data network

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 software product that is purchasable from a first site by a user programmable electronic device where the software product is to be downloaded, wherein the use of the software product in the user programmable electronic device requires a use license, the software product comprising executable instructions that when executed in the user programmable electronic device 1) accesses from the user programmable electronic device identifying data of the first site, 2) accesses from the user programmable electronic device identifying data of a second site that is authorized to activate the use license of the software product, the second site different than the first site, and 3) establishes communication between the user programmable electronic device and the second site for the purpose of activating by use of the second site the use license. 
     
     
         44 . The software product of  claim 43  further comprising executable instructions that when executed activates the software product use license in the user programmable electronic device. 
     
     
         45 . The software product of  claim 43  further comprising executable instructions that when activated transfers to the second site the identifying data of the first site. 
     
     
         46 . The software product of  claim 43  wherein the identifying data of the second site is incorporated in the software product. 
     
     
         47 . The software product of  claim 43  wherein the executable instructions establish communication between the user programmable electronic device and the second site through a third party site. 
     
     
         48 . The software product of  claim 43  further comprising executable instructions that when executed 1) determine if use license purchase receipt information exists locally in the user programmable electronic device, and 2) establish communication with the second site only upon determining that use license purchase receipt information exists. 
     
     
         49 . The software product of  claim 43  further comprising executable instructions that when executed 1) determine if use license purchase receipt information exists locally in the user programmable electronic device, 2) obtain hardware identifying data of the user programmable electronic device, and 3) transfer to the second site the use license purchase receipt information and hardware identifying data. 
     
     
         50 . The software product of  claim 49  further comprising executable instructions that when executed obtain from the second site use license activation data that includes the hardware identifying data. 
     
     
         51 . The software product of  claim 50  further comprising executable instructions that when executed receive and verify an electronic signature of the second site that was generated by use of a private key owned by the second site, the software product having access to the electronic signature public key. 
     
     
         52 . The software product of  claim 43  further comprising executable instructions that when executed locally access the identifying data of the first site from a file installed in the user programmable electronic device. 
     
     
         53 . The software product of  claim 43  further comprising executable instructions that when executed 1) access the identifying data of the first site by generating an on-screen display to prompt a user entry at the user programmable electronic device of the first site identifying data, and 2) subsequently read the user entered first site identifying data. 
     
     
         54 . The software product of  claim 43  further comprising executable instructions that when executed first determines if a use license locally exists on the user programmable electronic device prior to establishing communication with the second site. 
     
     
         55 . The software product of  claim 43  wherein the identifying data of the first site and the second site are incorporated in the software product. 
     
     
         56 . The software product of  claim 43  wherein the identifying data of the first site is included in one or more file properties metadata fields of the software product. 
     
     
         57 . The software product of claim  72  wherein in the Microsoft Windows environment the metadata fields are visible from the File>Document Properties menu. 
     
     
         58 . The software product of  claim 43  wherein the identifying data of the first site is a URL address of the first site. 
     
     
         59 . The software product of  claim 43  wherein the identifying data of the second site is a URL address of the second site. 
     
     
         60 . A method of activating a use license for a software product downloadable from a first site to a user programmable electronic device comprising:
 purchasing on-line from the user programmable electronic device the use license from the first site;   downloading into the user programmable electronic device the software product, the software product comprising executable instructions; and   activating on-line by use of the executable instructions the use license from a second site different from the first site.   
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 60  further comprising associating an identifier of the first site with the software product and authenticating the first site based on the identifier prior to activating the use license from the second site. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 60  wherein identifying data of the second site is incorporated in the software product. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 60  wherein the identifying data of the first site is incorporated in the software product. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 60  wherein the executable instructions establish communication between the user programmable electronic device and the second site indirectly through a third party site. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 60 , further comprising providing a graphical interface on the user programmable electronic device to permit user intervention in the use license activation process via the graphical interface. 
     
     
         66 . The software product of  claim 43 , further comprising executable instructions that when executed permit user intervention in the use license activation process via a graphical interface of the user programmable electronic device.