Abstract: Techniques are described for generating a license for software installed on a device. An entitlement certificate is generated including one or more entitlements describing license characteristics of the software. The one or more entitlements are determined in accordance with first information about the software. The first information includes at least one of a purchase token and package information. A binding certificate in accordance with a binding type for the software is generated. A license in accordance with said binding certificate and said entitlement certificate is generated. The binding certificate identifies an entity to which the license is bound.

Abstract: A serial number for a software product is secured with an authenticator value. The authenticator value and the serial number are evaluated entirely by a remote authentication server such that no cryptographic authentication occurs on a local computer on which the software product is being installed. An abbreviated portion of the authenticator value is used for offline authentication.

Abstract: The application describes updating, by a computing system, a table to include first data usable to locate a first portion of metadata in a supplementary database that is accessible from a storage device. The metadata is related to one or more functions of an application that execute on the computing system. The table also includes second data usable to locate a second portion of the metadata in a system database of the computing system. During execution of the application, a request for one or more portions of the metadata is received, and the table is used to determine one or more locations of the one or more portions of the metadata of the request. In response to the request, at least one of the first portion of the metadata is read from the supplementary database or the second portion of the metadata is read from the system database.

Abstract: This document describes techniques that enable an application to operate as if the application were running on its native computing system when it is actually running on another computing system. The techniques may do so by building a portable database having metadata particular to the application, which can be stored in a portable device along with that application. When that portable device is connected to another computing system, the portable database may be used to supplement or supplant the other computing system's database to enable the application to operate with its particular functionality.

Abstract: A serial number for a software product is secured with an authenticator value. The authenticator value and the serial number are evaluated entirely by a remote authentication server such that no cryptographic authentication occurs on a local computer on which the software product is being installed. An abbreviated portion of the authenticator value is used for offline authentication.

Abstract: A serial number for a software product is secured with an authenticator value. The authenticator value and the serial number are evaluated entirely by a remote authentication server such that no cryptographic authentication occurs on a local computer on which the software product is being installed. An abbreviated portion of the authenticator value is used for offline authentication.

Abstract: Techniques are described for generating a license for software installed on a device. An entitlement certificate is generated including one or more entitlements describing license characteristics of the software. The one or more entitlements are determined in accordance with first information about the software. The first information includes at least one of a purchase token and package information. A binding certificate in accordance with a binding type for the software is generated. A license in accordance with said binding certificate and said entitlement certificate is generated. The binding certificate identifies an entity to which the license is bound.

Abstract: Techniques are described for generating a license for software installed on a device. An entitlement certificate is generated including one or more entitlements describing license characteristics of the software. The one or more entitlements are determined in accordance with first information about the software. The first information includes at least one of a purchase token and package information. A binding certificate in accordance with a binding type for the software is generated. A license in accordance with said binding certificate and said entitlement certificate is generated. The binding certificate identifies an entity to which the license is bound.

Abstract: A serial number for a software product is secured with an authenticator value. The authenticator value and the serial number are evaluated entirely by a remote authentication server such that no cryptographic authentication occurs on a local computer on which the software product is being installed. An abbreviated portion of the authenticator value is used for offline authentication.

Abstract: A serial number for a software product is secured with an authenticator value. The authenticator value and the serial number are evaluated entirely by a remote authentication server such that no cryptographic authentication occurs on a local computer on which the software product is being installed. An abbreviated portion of the authenticator value is used for offline authentication.

Abstract: This document describes techniques that enable an application to operate as if the application were running on its native computing system when it is actually running on another computing system. The techniques may do so by building a portable database having metadata particular to the application, which can be stored in a portable device along with that application. When that portable device is connected to another computing system, the portable database may be used to supplement or supplant the other computing system's database to enable the application to operate with its particular functionality.

Abstract: A licensing system provides for various versions of an application within a software product. A license type is identified from a product key that is associated with the software product. The license type may correspond to a hybrid license. When the license type is a hybrid license, an application state is determined for any applications included in the software product. A use experience for the applications is provided according to the application state when the application state is determined. For applications that are provided as upgradeable versions, an upgrade may be obtained by simply obtaining a new product key that is associated with the upgraded versions of the applications.

Abstract: This document describes techniques that enable an application to operate as if the application were running on its native computing system when it is actually running on another computing system. The techniques may do so by building a portable registry having metadata particular to the application, which can be stored in a portable device along with that application. When that portable device is connected to another computing system, the portable registry may be used to supplement or supplant the other computing system's registry to enable the application to operate with its particular functionality.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods to authenticate software licenses. One embodiment of the present invention comprises a method where a vendor creates a reversible hash from a known, predetermined seed value, encrypts the hash to generate a digital signature, and sends the digital signature to the customer. The customer enters the digital signature. The customer's client computer reverses the reversible hash to obtain a determined seed value. The client has access to the known seed value used by the vendor. The known seed value is compared to the determined seed value. If the seed values compare, the software license and the associated software is authenticate.

Abstract: Systems and methods for implementing a hardware ID with time- and weight-based flexibility use a hardware ID (HWID) including identifying information about hardware components. When software is run, a current HWID is generated. When the current HWID is compared to a stored HWID to determine if the two HWIDs match, a time vector and a weight vector are used in the comparison. A running matching score is kept of matches. For each hardware component, the weight vector indicates the weight given to a correct match of the hashed value for the hardware component. For example, if the weight value for the hardware component is three and there is a match, then the running total is increased by three. For each hardware component, the time vector may indicate an expiration period after which a change in the component may be allowed.

Abstract: A metadata-based application model for software systems provides for the integration and storing of application metadata with the application itself effectively replacing the system registry. In calling or updating the application components or modules, queries to the metadata within the application folders returns references to the files with metadata that matches the query. The component or modules are called or updated within the file using the returned reference. The present invention also provides a data structure comprising a data field for the application code and another field for the metadata.

Abstract: A portable storage device includes an interface and one or more flash memories. The one or more flash memories store one or more executable files that can be executed by a host computer to which the device is coupled without altering any environment settings on the host computer even though the one or more executable files include instructions to access environment settings. Additionally, the application is bound to the portable storage device during an activation process.

Abstract: A method is provided for using referral data to track software product sell-through and compensate software product distributors. A referral identifier (ID), that identifies a product distributor, is associated with a product. The referral ID may be placed on or within the product container, or in the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) case, directly written to the registry or other storage of a new computer. During product activation, the referral ID is sent, along with other referral data, to a server computer where it is stored. Once the server computer determines that a purchase related to the product has occurred, the server retrieves the referral data to identify the referring product distributor, the product involved, the date the product was activated, the date the related purchase was activated, and other related parameters. The referral data may then be audited and used to determine compensation for the identified product distributor.

Abstract: An integrated application setup enables the implementation of application customizations through patch technology. A customization patch extends a typical patch file format such that the customization patch serves as a container for application customization data useful for customizing an application using different underlying technologies. The contents of the customization patch can include transforms, cabinet files, and XML content containing customization information.

Abstract: Systems and methods for binding a secret to a computer system are disclosed. Systems and methods for generating a strong hardware identification (SHWID) for a given computer system are also disclosed. The strong hardware identification (SHWID) is coupled to a bound secret. The strong hardware identification (SHWID) may be used to control the use of software on the given computer system depending on the degree of hardware changes to the computer system.