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This invention is an improvement upon the methods and apparatus for
providing security software disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No.
4,446,519 issued May 1, 1984.
This invention pertains to methods and systems for protecting computer
software from unauthorized copying.
In yet another respect, the invention relates to methods and systems for
preventing unauthorized copying of computer software in a more effective,
less expensive manner.
In still another respect the invention pertains to systems and methods in
which software is validated by a central validating facility at the time
of initial usage by the customer.
In yet another and more particular respect, the invention includes systems
and methods for facilitating the distribution of computer software from a
software source, through multiple dealers to the dealers' customers.
In still another and more particular aspect, the invention includes mehtods
and systems for the secure transmission of computer software directly from
the software source to the end-user's authorized hardware, with or without
intermediate parties (distributors, dealers, marketing agents, etc.) in
the chain of distribution of the software from the source to the end-user.
In another important respect, the invention relates to methods and systems
for controlling the use of computer software which is leased to the
end-user.
In still another important and particular respect, the invention concerns
methods and systems which enable multiple end-users to obtain validation
on multiple software packages without the necessity of each end-user
having more than one electronic security device.
In still another, further and important respect, the invention provides
methods and systems for controlling the use of protected computer software
which enables one or more validation centers to authorize the use of
multiple programs from multiple sources by multiple end-users for the
purposes of policing unauthorized use, calculating, billing and collecting
usage fees or royalties thereon and other similar control, reporting and
accounting purposes. Thus, the invention provides methods and systems for
authorizing computer software which enables a single software manufacturer
to centrally authorize the use of its own software, and thereby collect
and maintain the confidentiality of its own marketing information and
other data for billing and accounting purposes.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, methods and systems are
provided which enable software sources to accumulate valuable
distributor-related and/or user-related marketing data. Thus, the
information given to the software validation center by the users at the
time they request software validation is collected by the control center
and distributed to the respective software manufacturers. This information
is the basis for valuable market reports. These reports would give such
information as: how much of their software was sold; who bought it; how
much they paid for it; who sold it to them; etc. Such market data could
not be obtained in any other way except through a central validation
center where such information is necessarily obtained in the validation
procedure.
Various methods and systems have recently been proposed for providing
security for computer software. Due to legal uncertainties as to the
effectiveness of protection currently available to protect against
unauthorized use, duplication of computer software and the practical
problems of detection and proof of such unauthorized use, the originators
of computer software and legitimate sellers and possessers of computer
software as well as industry-sponsored groups, trade associations and the
like have expended considerable effort in attempts to provide extra-legal
means to prevent such unauthorized use.
For example, such efforts have included such simple expedients as building
codes into the software which prevent duplication of the software or which
require the user to perform prearranged, manipulative steps as the
condition precedent to execution of the software by the user's hardware.
However, such simple expedients have not proved particularly effective as
sophisticated software pirates have demonstrated the ability to break down
these security methods both for the purpose of making unauthorized copies
of the software and for effecting execution of the software by
unauthorized means.
Similarly, efforts by software manufacturers or other legitimate sources to
commercially exploit valuable proprietary software by means other than
outright sales to the end-users, for example, by leasing software with the
lease payments to be dependant on the extent of use, have been hampered by
the practical inability to monitor and/or verify the extent of use by the
lessee. Also, where such verification is possible in respect of the use of
a particular authorized copy of the software, it has been difficult to
prevent the lessee from making additional unauthorized copies, the
royalty-generating use of which is practically impossible to detect.
The entire problem of protecting against unauthorized use or copying and
otherwise controlling the use of computer software, once it has been
transmitted to or otherwise made available to the end-user, is exacerbated
by the desire and need for end-users to make and maintain "back-up" copies
of the software for use in the event of a malfunction of the user's
computer system which destroys or damages the originally transmitted or
delivered software.
According to more sophisticated techniques developed in the art, so-called
"electronic security devices" have been proposed and developed. These ESDs
generally consist of hardware or hardware/software packages which are
furnished to a legitimate possessor of computer software and which provide
identification/authorization handshakes between the user's hardware and
the software desired to be protected. For example, methods and apparatus
involving such techniques are disclosed in the commonly owned U.S. Pat.
No. 4,446,519 issued May 1, 1984 entitled "Methods and Apparatus for
Providing Security for Computer Software".
While systems and apparatus which involve use of an ESD have proven
effective in many instances to provide security for or control the use of
computer software, these prior art systems and methods do suffer the
disadvantage that the ESD is product-specific or, at least,
source-specific, i.e., a potential user of a large number of programs from
a single source or a customer which has the requirement of multiple
programs from multiple sources must procure a plurality of ESDs, each for
use with a specific software package or with multiple packages from the
same source. According to prior art techniques, the security value of the
ESD would be practically destroyed if the ESD was configured so as to
authorize the execution of software packages obtained by a legitimate
purchaser from multiple sources.
Another problem which is not addressed or resolved by current
state-of-the-art software security systems is that of providing for direct
(e.g., electronic) transmission of computer software from the source to
the user's hardware. As will be immediately appreciated by those skilled
in the art, the requirement of a program-specific or source-specific ESD
in the possession of the end-user would largely defeat the economies and
security-related conditions which are otherwise served by such direct
transmission.
Finally, it is often highly desirable that the originator or other
legitimate source of computer software packages obtain accurate
information in the nature of marketing statistics reflecting the
geographical and/or numerical extent of sales of the packages as well as
customer-related information, e.g., size, type of business, extent of use,
etc. Heretofore, the compilation and transmission of such marketing
statistics have been complicated by the presence of other persons and
firms in the legitimate chain of distribution of the products who may or
may not diligently compile and transmit this information to the software
source in an accurate or timely fashion.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide methods and apparatus
for controlling the use of protected computer software so as to prevent
unauthorized copying and/or execution of the software by unauthorized
means. It would also be highly desirable to provide improved systems and
methods for protecting and controlling the use of computer software which
facilitate distribution of the software from its source, through multiple
dealers to the end-use customer. Further, it would be highly advantageous
to provide computer software protection systems which are compatible with
the secure transmission of the software directly from the source to the
end-user's authorized hardware by direct means which did not involve the
intermediate parties in the chain of marketing of the software.
Additionally, it would be highly desirable to provide methods and systems
for controlling the use of protected computer software which would enable
one or more central validation centers to monitor the use of multiple
programs from multiple sources by multiple end-users for the purposes of
policing unauthorized use and for calculating billing and collecting usage
fees or royalties thereon or for other similar control, reporting and
accounting purposes. Finally, it would be highly advantageous to provide
improved methods for controlling the use of protected computer software
which enable the software source to directly obtain valuable marketing
statistics by direct and automatic transmission from the end-user of the
software or from others in the chain of distribution.
The foregoing advantages are realized according to methods and systems
which I have invented which permit a single authorized end-user of
protected computer software to obtain directly (or indirectly through
intervening dealers) the protected software package and necessary
authorization or validation thereof for authorized hardware without the
necessity of obtaining and using a plurality of ESDs which are
program-specific and/or source-specific.
Briefly, in accordance with my invention I provide a central control system
for protecting computer software which includes a protected software
package, an ESD, a secure computer and communication means for
transmitting a validation code from the computer to the software package.
The protected software package includes a software unit having an
ascertainable serial number and a protection subroutine having a unique
reference code. The protection subroutine includes means for establishing
communication with an ESD, means for generating ESD interrogation signals
and means for causing the completion of the execution of the protected
software by a host computer in communication with the ESD if, but only if,
the protected subroutine recognizes an identifier signal generated by the
ESD. The protected software package also includes a validation program
which communicates the validation code to the ESD.
The ESD includes means for generating identifier signals in response to the
interrogation signals generated by the protection subroutine.
The secure computer has a working memory which contains the software serial
number and the corresponding unique reference code of the protected
software package and also includes means for generating the validation
code in response to inputs of this serial number and the ESD identifier.
As used herein, the following terms have the meanings indicated below:
"Protected Software Package" means a software unit with a related
protection subroutine.
"Validation Code" means a scrambled or encrypted identifier code containing
at least:
(a) a random number,
(b) the serial number of the intended ESD,
(c) the serial number of the software package to be validated in the
intended ESD.
This code is generated by the secure computer of the SVC at the time the
user requests his validation code during the validation process.
"Validation Program" means a separate software package shipped on the same
or related disk with the ability of connecting the validation code
received from SVC to the ESD via the host computer.
"Secure Computer" means a hardware/software combination used exclusively by
a central control center for the purpose of providing validation codes.
"Protection Subroutine" means software or programs which may be included in
protected software or separate therefrom which is configured and used for
the following purposes:
(a) communicates with the ESD,
(b) generates identifier signals for transmission to the ESD,
(c) receives identifier codes from the ESD,
(d) based on (b) and (c) above, determines whether or not the protected
software package will be allowed to run.
Various means, including the presently preferred embodiments thereof, for
achieving these defined functions are described below.
The method and system of the invention will be best understood by those
skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a system embodying the invention in
which the protected software is delivered from the software source to the
customer by means of transportable physical media through an intervening
entity (dealer) in the chain of distribution.
It will be understood that the drawing and accompanying description thereof
is intended to assist those skilled in the art in understanding the
invention and for depicting presently preferred embodiments thereof. As
such, the drawing and accompanying description are illustrative and are
not included for purposes of limitation on the scope of the invention
which is defined only by the appended claims.
Turning now to the drawing, FIG. 1 depicts a typical chain of distribution
of protected software from a software source 11 through a dealer 12 to the
end-user 13. According to one presently preferred embodiment of the
invention, a software validation center 14 is provided which furnishes
validation services to one or more software customers 13. Also, FIG. 1
depicts, as a separate entity, an ESD manufacturer 15.
In the system of FIG. 1, the software source 11 generates a plurality of
software units 16, each of which is assigned a characteristic, unique
serial number 17. The software validation center 14 generates a plurality
of protection subroutines 18, a specific one of which 19 is mated by the
software source 11 with a particular software unit 16 and serial number 17
to form a protected software package 21. The SVD also generates a general
validation program to be shipped with the protected software package and
to be used to validate the ESD for that software package.
The software source 11 transmits information 22 to the validation center 14
consisting of the combinations of the serial number of each software
package 21 and its related protection subrountine reference code. The
information 22 is stored in a secure computer 23 controlled by the
software validation center 14.
The ESD manufacturer 15 assigns a characteristic serial number 24 to each
ESD 25 manufactured by it. A plurality of the serialized ESDs 26 are
furnished to the dealer 12 which also receives a plurality of the
serialized protected software packages 21 from the software source.
The user 13 purchases a particular protected software package 27 from the
dealer 12. In the same or unrelated transaction the user 13 will procure a
specific serialized ESD 28 which is configured to be connected to the
user's host computer 29.
The user 13 furnishes information 31 to the software validation center 14
consisting of the combination of the software serial number and the ESD
serial number. Based on this input 31, the secure computer 23 generates a
validation code 32 which is furnished to the user 13.
During the execution of the validation program shipped with the protected
software package 27 by the host computer 29, the validation code 32 is
sent to the ESD. The ESD descrambles or unencrypts the validation code and
performs two functions:
(a) Checks the unscrambled validation code and looks to see if the serial
number of the ESD is contained in the validation code. If the ESD
validation code is not present the validation attempt is aborted by the
ESD.
(b) If the ESD serial number is present, the ESD will imbed the serial
number of the protected software package contained in the unscrambled
validation code into the internal memory of the ESD.
During the execution of the protection subroutine by the host computer an
identifier code is generated containing all or part of the following:
(a) protected software serial number,
(b) random number sequences.
This identifier code is transmitted by the host computer to the ESD. Based
on the incoming identifier code and the results of the previous validation
identifier code provided to the ESD at the time of validation of the
protected software package, the ESD generates an identifier signal which
is transmitted via the host computer to the protection subroutine. If the
identifier code received from the ESD is as predicted by the protection
subroutine, and only if this is true, the protection subroutine of the
software package will cause the host computer to execute the protected
software package.
As indicated by the dashed line 33, marketing information can be furnished
to the software validation center 14, either directly by the user 13 (as
part of the information input 31) or by the dealer 12 in a separate
information input 34. The marketing information can be accumulated by the
software validation center 14 and transmitted as periodic marketing
reports 35 to the software source 11.
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, it would be possible to
combine the functions depicted in FIG. 1 of the software validation center
and the dealer such that a single entity performs both functions.
The ESD may take a wide variety of forms. Each ESD uniquely characterizes a
particular customer such that, after the ESD is validated by the secure
computer, the protected software package or packages can then be executed
by, but only by, a host computer in communication with that particular ESD
and the protected software package cannot be executed by an unauthorized
third party. For example:
A. A micro chip with built-in instructions for returning an individual
serial number or other unique identifier for that chip;
B. A chip or other hardware component which is configured to be unique to
the authorized hardware in any way, such as a ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM,
with a unique number or other identifying information accessible by the
communications software;
C. A flaw or error map on a hard disc that records the flaws or errors on
that particular disc;
D. Any imposed identifier for the authorized hardware that is
software-accessible, such as a replacement for an existing chip in a
computer that would not only perform the previous function, but also
provide a unique identifier;
E. A peripheral device usable for identification such as a fingerprint
reader, optical retina scanning device, voice analyzer, footfall analyzer,
or the like;
F. A transportable media such as a flexible, hard or optical diskette
manufactured with a unique physical identifier such as lazer holes.
Other modifications and variations of the invention will occur to those
skilled in the art having regard for the foregoing disclosure. Such
modifications and variations are intended to be included in the scope of
this invention which is limited only by the appended claims interpreted in
the light of the specification and drawing and the scope and content of
the prior art.
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