System and method for unlimited licensing to a fixed number of devices

Abstract

A method and system providing access to electronic content includes receiving a request to access the electronic content from a user device, accessing a unique ID of the user device, and comparing the unique ID to a list of authorized user devices. The unique ID is used to determine if the user device is an authorized user device. If the user device is authorized, access is provided to the electronic content. If the user device is not authorized, determining if a maximum number of authorized user devices is reached. The user device is converted to an authorized user device, if the maximum number is not reached. If the maximum number of authorized user devices is reached, the user can be denied access to the electronic content or the system can request de-authorization of one of the authorized user devices to convert the user device to an authorized user device.

1 . A system for allowing access to electronic content, comprising:
 a user device configured to render the electronic content;   a unique ID permanently stored on the user device and uniquely identifying the user device;   a licensing server in communication with the user device and resolving requests for the electronic content; and   an authorization database storing a list of authorized unique IDs;   wherein the licensing server is configured to access the authorization database to determine whether the user device is an authorized user device based on the unique ID of the user device and to permit the fulfillment of the request for electronic content only to user devices that the authorization database indicates are authorized.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a cookie storing the unique ID. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the unique ID is encrypted. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a last accessed user device; and   a unique ID of the last accessed user device, permanently stored on the last accessed user device;   wherein the unique ID of the last accessed user device is the only unique ID stored in the cookie.   
     
     
         5 . A method for allowing access to electronic content comprising:
 receiving a request for access to the electronic content from a user device;   receiving a unique ID permanently stored on the user device and uniquely identifying the user device;   comparing the unique ID to a list of authorized user devices;   determining whether the user device is one of the authorized user devices using the unique ID;   responsive to determining that the user device is not one of the authorized user devices, performing a determination, further comprising:
 determining whether a maximum number of the authorized user devices is reached; 
 responsive to determining that the maximum number is not reached, converting the user device to the authorized user device; 
 responsive to determining that the maximum number is reached, optionally denying the user device access to the electronic content; and 
   responsive to determining that the user device is the authorized user device, providing access to the electronic content.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 determining whether the user device has a token;   providing access to the electronic content responsive to determining that the user device has the token;   responsive to determining that the user device does not have the token, determining whether the maximum number of authorized user devices is reached;   adding the user device to an authorization database responsive to determining that the maximum number is not reached; and   providing the token to the user device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising: storing the unique ID in a cookie. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising: encrypting the unique ID. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of storing the unique ID of a last accessed user device. 
     
     
         10 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the unique ID includes a hardware identifier. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the unique ID includes a canonical name. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the licensing server determines whether the user device is an authorized user device by comparing the unique ID to the list of authorized unique IDs. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the unique ID includes a hardware identifier. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the unique ID includes a canonical name. 
     
     
         17 . A method for allowing access to electronic content comprising:
 receiving a request for access to the electronic content from a user device;   incident to the request, receiving a unique ID permanently stored on the user device and uniquely identifying the user device;   resolving the request for access to the electronic content by consulting an authorization database storing a list of authorized unique IDs to determine whether the user device is an authorized user device based on the received unique ID of the user device,   conditioned on the authorization database indicating the user device is an authorized user device, indicating the request for electronic content should be fulfilled.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the unique ID includes a hardware identifier. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the unique ID includes a canonical name.