White Paper 001 - Licensing & Copy Protection with Adaptive Key - Chainkey

History | Abstract | Benefits | Figures

White Paper 001

Software Licensing and Copy Protection with the Adaptive Key

Here we describe the basic concepts of how licensing and copy protection is done using the "adaptive key". The descriptions are itemized and presented briefly for each concept.

Machine recognition by file system structure (contents)

Chain toolkits handle file system information, as "finger prints" of computers, in a hashed and encrypted from, which ensures the privacy of end-users. The information will be stored in a license key (which is an adaptive key) or in data which end-users send when requesting a license key. Machine recognition is based on the computation of the difference between 2 profiles: the profile of the current file system and the profile already stored in the key.

Requesting activation

Request for activation of protected program can be done at the installation of the program, by sending a request to the vendor or a vendor's online license server.

Activating the product on a computer

A license server may automatically send a key data back to the program. or an operator of the vendor may manually do it using e-mail. The program recognizes the authorized machine and enable the licensed functions of the protected program. All steps during the request and activation can be done automatically and silently, if desired, without even being noticed by the users.

Updating the key

The key can be automatically and constantly updated. Updating a key keeps the key valid, while file system changes.

Re-issuing the license key

When the key becomes obsolete or corrupted, end users can request re-issue of the key with the current computer profile. A key can become obsolete when it is not updated frequently enough.

Preventing illicit request of re-issue

An end user might request re-issue of key, in order to illicitly install the program on another computer. However, licensing server can use one-time password to disable the simultaneous use of the program on multiple computers.

Flexible switching of the licensed computer

End user may want to switch the computer on which to use the protected program. This can be done by the following procedure:

Request the licensing server, from a new computer, to get the license from the old computer (one click would be enough.)
The server disable the old key on the previous computer.
The server issues the new key for the new computer.

The whole procedure can be done by one click.

Deactivating the product

A program can deactivate itself on the current computer by contacting the licensing server or the vendor.

Coping with the counterfeit file systems

When using a protected program, the license server may update the one-time password assigned to the license key. If an end-user illicitly tryies to use the program on multiple computers, only one of them can be enabled, because it is the only computer that has the latest password.

Re-installing the OS

End user can re-install the protected program on the computer whose OS is re-installed, by utilizng the function of "Flexible switching of the licensed computer" described in the above.

Preventing the one-time password from copying into another machine

First, the password can be kept in data mixed with other data, and it might not be easy to segment out the password from other data. Second, the password can be kept secret by encryption using the file system profile. Thus, copying it into another computer wouldn't allow the protected program to work on the computer. Third, even if the password is successfully transplanted into another computer, the licensing server may allow only one computer with the same password to run the protected program.

Managing the multiple-computer license

Management of multiple license can be reduced to the management, by the license server, of the license keys for each computer.

Managing the floating license

This can be reduced to the management by the license server, of the license keys, utilizing the function of "Flexible switching of the licensed computer" described in the above.

The trade off between performance and accuracy

In general, there is trade off between the performance and the accuracy of machine recognition. This may be controlled adaptively by the license server, in order to realize the best balance.

Applicability regardless of hardware or OS

The licensing and copy protection described above can be used with/without hardware authorization.

Applicability to the online software distribution

The licensing and copy protection described above can license and copy-protect programs which are distributed online.

Conclusion:

The software licensing and copy protection scheme using the adaptive key not only meets basic requirements for software licensing, but also enables the following unique combination of benefits:

cross-platform
strong copy protection like hardware keys
applicable to online software (no hardware dependencies)