JP4101897B2 - Software licensing device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a software license issuing apparatus that issues a software license using a network.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, networks such as personal computer communication for accessing a center (server) via a telephone line and WWW (World Wide Web) using the Internet have become widespread, and homes and workplaces are being connected through such networks. is there.
[0003]
In addition, it is becoming possible to communicate with many people by creating a virtual city space in the center using personal computer communication and going back and forth. Furthermore, by using a virtual reality system equipped with a position sensor and a small display, it is becoming possible to experience a virtual three-dimensional space created on a computer (terminal).
[0004]
In such a background, the following software distribution system using a network is known. In this software distribution system, encrypted software is stored in a personal computer communication or a CD-ROM and distributed to users. The user sends information for identifying software to be used from the distributed software and information for payment by a card or the like to a software company using a communication line. Then, the software company issues key information dedicated to the user for decompressing the software to the user. The user installs the encrypted software on the user's own terminal using this key information. In this way, the user can use the software.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in this software distribution system, since one piece of key information is issued exclusively to each user for each piece of software, installed software cannot be exchanged between each user. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to reprint software sold to a certain user to other users, and it is difficult to distribute the software at a low cost.
[0006]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a software license issuing apparatus having a software resale function.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A software distribution system of the present invention that achieves the above object is a software licensing system that grants permission to use software to terminals connected via a network.
(1) Trading acceptance means for accepting the establishment of an agreement for the sale and purchase of software from the terminal (2) Licensing that grants the use permission of the software to the terminal from which the software is purchased upon the conclusion of the agreement for the sale and purchase of the software Means are provided.
[0008]
Here, the “terminal” does not mean only a single terminal, but also includes a collection of a plurality of terminals connected by, for example, a LAN. In the following, these are expressed as terminals or users without distinction.
In the present invention, an agreement for buying and selling software is received by the buying and selling accepting means, and the license granting means gives permission to use the software to the terminal from which the software is purchased. It is possible to exchange existing software (licensed for use) with software owned by another user, or sell software owned by one user to another user. Therefore, software sold to a certain user can be resold to other users, and the software can be distributed at low cost.
[0009]
Here, after the license issuing means confirms that the use of the software at the terminal from which the software is sold becomes impossible, the license is granted to the terminal from which the software is purchased. It is effective to be a thing.
After confirming that the software can no longer be used on the terminal from which the software is sold, if you give permission to use the software to the terminal from which you purchased the software, Unauthorized use at the terminal is surely prevented, and software distribution can be performed smoothly.
[0010]
Further, it is preferable to include a license information disclosing unit that creates license information that indicates the correspondence between the terminal and the software name that is permitted to use the terminal, and that transmits the license information to the terminal in response to a request.
With such license information disclosure means, each user can easily know the user who has the software he wants when buying and selling software. Therefore, software sales and purchases become active, and accordingly, software can be distributed at a lower cost.
[0011]
Furthermore, it is preferable to include a fee management means for managing the software sales and brokerage fees.
Providing a fee management means for managing software sales and brokerage fees and brokerage fees improves the efficiency of a system for paying costs associated with the delivery of software licenses.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an operation flow of a software distribution system including an embodiment of a software license issuing apparatus of the present invention.
Hereinafter, the overall operation of the software distribution system of the present embodiment will be summarized along FIG. 1, and then the details of each operation will be described.
[0013]
As shown in FIG. 1A, the terminal 1 of the user A and the terminal 2 of the user B are connected to the center (server) 3 as to the user and software that the user has (licensed for use). Each user A, B confirms the software possessed by the other party. When the partner who has the software he wants can be confirmed, the users A and B exchange information through the center 3 such as using the bulletin board information of the center 3 as shown in FIG. Agree to buy and sell software licenses. When the software license sales / agreement can be agreed, as shown in FIG. 1C, the users A and B apply to the center 3 to exchange the software licenses between the users A and B. Then, the center 3 issues key information 6 and 7 necessary for using the software that the other party has so far to the users A and B, respectively.
[0014]
This realizes resale of the software once sold.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a communication line is connected between the terminal (user) and the center. Here, for simplicity, only one terminal is shown.
The center 3 manages license information 3a for a large number of users who are subscribed to this system and makes it available to each user. The center 3 publishes bulletin board information 3b which is a message from each user.
[0015]
For example, the user A operates his / her terminal 1, obtains license information from the center 3 via the communication line 4, and displays it on his / her terminal 1.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of license information displayed on the terminal 1.
In the license information 3a, a user name and a software name purchased by the user are associated with each other in the form of a list, and the user who has the software he wants can be confirmed by the license information 3a. Here, it is assumed that the user A confirms that the user B has the software he wants.
[0016]
Then, the user A operates the terminal 1 to post a message on the bulletin board information 3b of the center 3 to the user B that he / she wants to exchange his / her software with the software he / she has. To do. Alternatively, when user A knows user B, it may negotiate directly with user B. Here, for example, it is assumed that an agreement that the software A held by the user A and the software B held by the user B are exchanged is established between the users A and B through such communication.
[0017]
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a flow of application for license exchange and license re-issuance.
The user A operates the terminal 1 and sends the ID of the user A and the license A (exchange license information) 41 for the software A to the center 3. Similarly, the user B operates the terminal 2 and sends the ID of the user B and the license B (exchange license information) 42 for the software B to the center 3. Upon receiving the applications of the users A and B, the center 3 re-issues a license B ′ (new license information) 43 suitable for the terminal 1 relating to the software B to the terminal 1 of the user A, and the user B The license A ′ (new license information) 44 suitable for the terminal 2 is re-issued to the terminal 2 of FIG.
[0018]
FIG. 5 shows the invalidation of the use of the software A sold to the user B by the user A and the validation of the use of the software B purchased from the user B when the user A and B buy and sell the software A and B. It is a figure which shows the flow for performing.
The software management data 51 shown in FIG. 5 is management data for managing software running on the terminal 1, and is stored in an area in the disk of the terminal 1 that cannot be confirmed by the user A. When software such as software A is activated by operating the terminal 1, the software A first refers to the software management data 51. If the referenced software management data 51 and the unique data of the software A do not match, the execution of the software A is not performed. In this way, the validity of the software license information is checked by writing the software management data, which is the license management information, in a location that cannot be determined by the user.
[0019]
The uninstall command 53 is activated by the operation of the terminal 1 of the user A. The uninstall command 53 is a command for invalidating (uninstalling) use of the software A by the user A. When the terminal 1 is operated and the uninstall command 53 is activated, the software management data 51 is changed to data for invalidating the use of the software A by the user A by the uninstall command 53. Further, a key code 54 certifying that use of the software A by the user A has been invalidated is sent from the terminal 1 to the center 3.
[0020]
The center 3 confirms that the software A has been uninstalled from the user A by using the key code 54, and passes the key code for using the software A to the user B. On the other hand, the user B performs the same uninstallation for the software B, and notifies the center 3 from the terminal 2 of the user B that the uninstallation is completed. Then, the center 3 sends a key code 56 for installing the software B purchased by the user A to the terminal 1 of the user A.
[0021]
As described above, the software management data 51 is stored in an area of the terminal 1 that cannot be confirmed by the user A. The software management data 51 is stored in the software B by the key code 56 sent to the terminal 1. The data is changed to enable the use of. As a result, the user A can use the software B.
In FIG. 5, the flow for disabling the use of the software A on the user A side and the use of the software B is shown. However, the user B side is similar to the user A side, The use of software B is invalidated and the use of software A is validated. In this way, if an uninstall command is provided to invalidate the use of software, and confirmation information for uninstall is generated during uninstallation, the use of the software on the seller side becomes impossible when buying and selling software. The center can confirm the information, and the center can receive the confirmation information and install the software on the buyer side. Therefore, uninstallation and installation are surely performed for the user, and illegal use of sold software can be prevented.
[0022]
FIG. 6 is a diagram for charging the difference between the sales of software A and B and the fee generated when the users A and B buy and sell the software A and B.
The center 3 shown in FIG. 6 calculates the difference and fee between the amount 61 of software A owned by the user A and the amount 62 of software B owned by the user B, and the necessary fee is paid to the payment account 63 of each user A, B. , 64. As a result, the cost for exchanging the licenses of the users A and B can be covered, and a profit is also given to those who operate the center 3.
[0023]
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, information on software trading is displayed on the bulletin board. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is not limited to this, but in a virtual space (Michael Benedict, NTT Publishing) using virtual reality. A place for buying and selling software may be provided to exchange software buying and selling information. By exchanging information on software trading at such a place, it is possible to distribute a lot of software among many users at a low cost.
[0024]
In this embodiment, the case where the software A and B owned by the users A and B are exchanged with each other has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and one software is one-way from the user A to the user B. It may be buying and selling.
[0025]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, software can be distributed at low cost.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an operation flow of a software distribution system including an embodiment of a software license issuing apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a communication line is connected between a terminal (user) and a center.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of license information displayed on the terminal 1;
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a flow of a license exchange application and a license re-issue.
FIG. 5 shows the invalidation of the use of the software A sold to the user B by the user A and the use of the software B purchased from the user B by the user A when buying and selling the software A and B by the users A and B. It is a figure which shows the flow for performing.
FIG. 6 is a diagram for charging a difference between a software A and B transaction and a fee that are generated when the users A and B buy and sell the software A and B;
[Explanation of symbols]
1, 2 Terminal 3 Center 3a License information 3b Bulletin board information 4, 5 Communication line 6, 7 Key information 41 License A
42 License B
43 License B '
44 License A '
51 Software management data 53 Uninstall command 54, 56 Key code 61, 62 Amount 63, 64 Payment account

Claims (3)

In a software licensing device that gives permission to use software to terminals connected via a network,
Trading acceptance means for accepting the establishment of an agreement to buy and sell software from the terminal;
The software is received by receiving confirmation information indicating that an uninstall command for uninstalling the software has been executed at the terminal of the software distribution source from the terminal of the distribution source in response to the conclusion of the software sales agreement. A software license issuing apparatus comprising: license issuing means for granting the use permission of the software to a terminal to which the software is purchased after confirming invalidation at the terminal of the distribution source . 2. A license information disclosing means for generating license information indicating a correspondence between a terminal and a software name that has been permitted to use the terminal, and transmitting the license information to the terminal in response to a request. Software licensing device. 2. The software license issuing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising fee management means for managing software sales and brokerage fees and brokerage fees .

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