WO1994017650A2 - Procede et systeme de gestion de l'utilisation de logiciels - Google Patents

Procede et systeme de gestion de l'utilisation de logiciels Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1994017650A2
WO1994017650A2 PCT/GB1994/001204 GB9401204W WO9417650A2 WO 1994017650 A2 WO1994017650 A2 WO 1994017650A2 GB 9401204 W GB9401204 W GB 9401204W WO 9417650 A2 WO9417650 A2 WO 9417650A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
software
printing
information
units
storage media
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB1994/001204
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO1994017650A3 (fr
Inventor
Peter Stanley Hobday
Original Assignee
The Solicitor's Law Stationery Society Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by The Solicitor's Law Stationery Society Limited filed Critical The Solicitor's Law Stationery Society Limited
Priority to AU68520/94A priority Critical patent/AU6852094A/en
Publication of WO1994017650A2 publication Critical patent/WO1994017650A2/fr
Publication of WO1994017650A3 publication Critical patent/WO1994017650A3/fr

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F21/00—Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
    • G06F21/10—Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material ; Digital rights management [DRM]
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F21/00—Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
    • G06F21/60—Protecting data
    • G06F21/606—Protecting data by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
    • G06F21/608—Secure printing
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
    • G07F17/0014—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F2221/00—Indexing scheme relating to security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
    • G06F2221/21—Indexing scheme relating to G06F21/00 and subgroups addressing additional information or applications relating to security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
    • G06F2221/2135—Metering

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a method and system for controlling the use of software, to allow users access to software which would otherwise be expensive to purchase.
  • This invention aims to alleviate or avoid these problems and so allow other users to access such software.
  • a system for allowing use of software which comprises information on a plurality of documents each having a number o ⁇ units allocated thereto, the system comprising electronic storage media storing said information; output apparatus for printing or enabling the printing o ⁇ a selected document and electronic control apparatus capable of accessing said information stored within said electronic storage media; the electronic storage media including record means which is accessed to determine whether or not the software may be used for printing or enabling the printing of a selected document, the record means comprising a counter for recording a number of units, the arrangement being such that the printing or enabling of the printing of a selected document is only permitted if the number of units held in the counter is sufficient relative to the number o ⁇ units allocated to the selected document.
  • electric storage media e.g. a floppy disc
  • the electronic storage media comprising software which comprises information on a plurality of documents and record means for use in determining whether or not the software may be accessed by the user to print or enable the printing of a selected document.
  • a method of allowing use of software comprising information on a plurality of documents in which the use of the software to print or enable the printing of a selected document is controlled by record means which is accessed to determine whether or not the said use of the software is permitted and in which the record means is altered upon said use of the software.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic diagram, illustrating apparatus used in a preferred form ot the invention.
  • Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the content of record means used in a preferred form of the invention.
  • Figure 1 illustrates a system comprising memory means 1 for storing details of a large number of documents. This may be in the form of a floppy disc, hard disc or other electronic storage media.
  • Printing means 2 in the form of a conventional office printer, e.g. a laser printer, is also provided and is operated under the control of control means 3 such as electronic apparatus capable of accessing information held on the memory means, e.g. a conventional computer or word processor as typically used in an office tor preparing letters etc.
  • Figure 1 also illustrates record means 4. As will be described further below, this may form part of the memory means 1 or may form part of the control means 3 or, indeed, it may be a separate device or form part of some other apparatus.
  • the information held in the record means determines whether or not a selected document stored in the memory means 1 may be printed.
  • the control means 3 receives instructions to print a document from a user 6, e.g. via a conventional keyboard, the control means 3 checks the information held in the record means 4 to determine whether or not the document may be printed. Furthermore, when a - - selected document is printed, the information held in the record means is altered or updated as a consequence of this.
  • the memory means stores details of a large number, e.g. 200 or more, different forms as typically used, for instance, by a firm of solicitors. Access to the information held in the memory means 1 is, however, controlled by the record means A.
  • the record means A includes a counter 5 which may be credited with a number of units and which is decremented when particular forms are printed. Thus, in order to be able to print a form, the counter 5 must hold sufficient units, or credits, to allow that form to be printed.
  • the printing of a single form may require just one unit although more complex forms, or those requiring more than one sheet of paper, may require more than one unit.
  • the control means 3 On receiving a print instruction, the control means 3 thus checks whether the counter 5 holds sufficient units to allow the instruction to be carried out. If sufficient units are held in the counter 5, the print instruction is implemented and the contents of the counter 5 decremented by the appropriate number of units (which will depend on which forms are printed and how many copies are printed).
  • Such a system allows the scrtware holding the information required to print a large number of forms to be provided free of charge, or at nominal cost, the user only being charged for the number oi units 'credited' to the counter 5. The user may, therefore, estimate how many units they will use in a given month and thus purchase the sottware with this number ot units credited to the counter.
  • the software is used to print forms, the number of units held in the counter will decrease accordingly and when it reaches zero, or a predetermined level, e.g. 1CH of its initial count, a warning is given that no more forms may be printed or that very few units are left.
  • the predetermined level may be a negative number if, for instance, the user is allowed to go 'overdrawn' to a given level or number of units or the system may be arranged so that the word 'SPECIMEN' is printed across any forms printed after the count has beed reduced to zero.
  • This is conveniently done by the supplier 7 issuing the user with a password over the telephone 8 which, when entered into the control means 3, automatically 'credits' the counter with the required number of units.
  • the supplier may have details of the various users, together with details of their password held on computer.
  • the supplier enters the details into his computer and this generates a new password which can then be relayed to the user over the telephone.
  • the new password is entered into the user's system, it re-sets the information in the record means as appropriate (having checked the details already held therein) and credits the counter with the required number of units.
  • the password should preferably include information identifying the following:
  • the record means should also hold corresponding information so that when the password is entered into the system, the details in the password can be compared with those held in the record means to check that they match, before the specified number of units are credited to the counter 5.
  • Other factors may, of course, be included to increase the security of the system.
  • the system uses a restrictive device within the software to control access to the information or program held in the software.
  • the device refers to the record means, which contains a number of units, before allowing access to the software facilities.
  • the 'cost' of using the facilities is compared with the number of units within the record means and access to the software is only allowed if sufficient units are available. If access to the software is allowed, the number of units held by the record means is reduced by the 'cost' of that particular access.
  • the system is equally attactive to all users, irrespective of their size, as there is no major financial outlay involved in obtaining the system, the cost being dependent only on the degree of use.
  • the income to the supplier is a direct function of the degree of use of the system.
  • the cost of each access is determined simply by setting the number of units required for specific types of use. Certain types of use may be supplied free ot charge by setting their unit charge at zero.
  • F) general price increases can be achieved simply by increasing the cost of purchasing units.
  • G) credit control can be exercised at the time of issuing passwords by supplying only a limited number of credits prior to payment being received.
  • the system, electronic storage media and method described above may all be used individually for allowing use of software in accordance with the payment for credits as described above.

Abstract

Système de gestion de l'utilisation de logiciels comportant des informations sur un grand nombre de documents à chacun desquels est attribué un certain nombre d'unités, qui comprend des supports d'information électroniques (1) pour le stockage d'informations, un appareil de sortie (2) servant à imprimer un document sélectionné, et un appareil de commande électronique (3) apte à accéder aux informations stockées dans les supports d'information électroniques (1). Les supports d'information électroniques comprennent un dispositif d'enregistrement (4) pouvant être sollicité afin de déterminer si le logiciel peut être utilisé pour imprimer un document sélectionné. Ledit dispositif d'enregistrement (4) comprend un compteur servant à enregistrer les unités de sorte que l'impression du document sélectionné ne soit autorisée que si le nombre d'unités présentes dans le compteur est suffisant par rapport au nombre d'unités affectées au document sélectionné.
PCT/GB1994/001204 1993-06-03 1994-06-02 Procede et systeme de gestion de l'utilisation de logiciels WO1994017650A2 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU68520/94A AU6852094A (en) 1993-06-03 1994-06-02 A method and system for controlling the use of software

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9311421A GB2276741B (en) 1993-06-03 1993-06-03 A method and system for controlling the use of software
GB9311421.3 1993-06-03

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1994017650A2 true WO1994017650A2 (fr) 1994-08-18
WO1994017650A3 WO1994017650A3 (fr) 1994-10-13

Family

ID=10736539

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB1994/001204 WO1994017650A2 (fr) 1993-06-03 1994-06-02 Procede et systeme de gestion de l'utilisation de logiciels

Country Status (3)

Country Link
AU (1) AU6852094A (fr)
GB (1) GB2276741B (fr)
WO (1) WO1994017650A2 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1349040A2 (fr) * 1994-11-23 2003-10-01 ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. Système pour commander la distribution et l'utilisation d'oeuvres numériques utilisant des tickets numériques

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5023907A (en) * 1988-09-30 1991-06-11 Apollo Computer, Inc. Network license server
EP0464306A2 (fr) * 1990-06-29 1992-01-08 International Business Machines Corporation Etiquettes pour documents structurés qui font intervenir des fonctions particulières

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4658093A (en) * 1983-07-11 1987-04-14 Hellman Martin E Software distribution system
US4740890A (en) * 1983-12-22 1988-04-26 Software Concepts, Inc. Software protection system with trial period usage code and unlimited use unlocking code both recorded on program storage media
US5014234A (en) * 1986-08-25 1991-05-07 Ncr Corporation System with software usage timer and counter for allowing limited use but preventing continued unauthorized use of protected software
US4977594A (en) * 1986-10-14 1990-12-11 Electronic Publishing Resources, Inc. Database usage metering and protection system and method
US4937863A (en) * 1988-03-07 1990-06-26 Digital Equipment Corporation Software licensing management system

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5023907A (en) * 1988-09-30 1991-06-11 Apollo Computer, Inc. Network license server
EP0464306A2 (fr) * 1990-06-29 1992-01-08 International Business Machines Corporation Etiquettes pour documents structurés qui font intervenir des fonctions particulières

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1349040A2 (fr) * 1994-11-23 2003-10-01 ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. Système pour commander la distribution et l'utilisation d'oeuvres numériques utilisant des tickets numériques
EP1349040A3 (fr) * 1994-11-23 2003-10-22 ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. Système pour commander la distribution et l'utilisation d'oeuvres numériques utilisant des tickets numériques

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2276741B (en) 1997-10-29
AU6852094A (en) 1994-08-29
GB9311421D0 (en) 1993-07-21
WO1994017650A3 (fr) 1994-10-13
GB2276741A (en) 1994-10-05

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