Abstract: A method and a corresponding apparatus for metering usage of software products on a computer are proposed. The metering system is based on the use of a software catalogue. The software catalogue lists all the known products to be metered; each product is identified by one or more executable modules indicative of its running. A licensing agent detects the executable modules that have been launched. For each executable module, the system checks if a corresponding product is listed in the catalogue, and can decide an appropriate action, or simply meter the usage of the product for future reporting and invoicing activity. If no corresponding product is found in the catalogue, the method according to the present invention performs a similarity check between the unknown detected module and the product identifiers existing on the catalogue. Sometimes the difference between a new product and a catalogued one is very limited.

Abstract: An automated consumer rewards/incentive program that accepts a registration of a consumer. The registration entitles the consumer to receive the benefits of the incentive program. To track the fulfillment of reward earning criteria established by member businesses, the registration includes information indicative of a credit card of the consumer. The system may track member consumer credit card transactions without receiving personal information for non-members by using a one way hash function. The system uses the credit card information to determine when member customers perform a transaction at a member business. When a member customer performs a transaction at a member business using the registered credit card, the system and method examines the credit card transactional information to determine if the consumer fulfilled the requirements of the incentive program for the member business.

Abstract: A method for managing a specific domain (or user domain), for example leaving the domain by a specific device after fully returning a Rights Object (RO) taken by the specific device, instead of deactivating the RO, when leaving the specific domain, the method in which the device desiring to leave the specific domain moves its RO to another device desiring to join the specific domain and thereafter leaves the specific domain under the control of a Domain Authority/Domain Enforcement Agent (DA/DEA).

Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein provides methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for model driven state management of applications. In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method. The method may include instantiating one or more business objects associated with an application. The transitions between states of the application may be checked using one or more models defined based on at least one of a context of the business object and a context of the application. An indication regarding the results of checking of the transitions may be provided to a user interface. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for authorizing access to one or more financial accounts. In some cases, the methods include providing an authorization document that incorporates a passcode. A request to authorize access to an account is received from an owner of the account. As part of the request, the passcode is provided. Based at least in part on the passcode, access to the account is authorized. In other cases, authorization can be provided via a representative of the account owner.

Abstract: Described herein is a search engine that can include a receiver component that receives a query from a user that pertains to a multimedia item and an output component that outputs multiple choices for receiving an instance of the multimedia item to a user. The multiple choices may include a first choice for receiving a first instance of the multimedia item for no charge, wherein the first instance of the multimedia item includes a digital rights management restriction. The multiple choices may also include a second choice for receiving a second instance of the multimedia item for a fee, wherein the second instance of the multimedia item is free of digital rights management restrictions. The search engine can further include a transmitter component that transmits one of the first multimedia item or the second multimedia item to the user.

Abstract: A method is provided for validating one entity, say a business or job applicant, for another entity (the requesting entity), say another business, that includes the steps of, classifying the entity type to be validated based on one or more predefined classifiers of an entity, applying one or more validation rules based on the classification for the entity type to produce a validation request, providing a validation request to one or more validation entities that perform at least a portion of the validation in accordance with the validation rules, and providing a validation outcome to the requesting entity that allows the requesting entity to assess the business or job applicant based on the validation rules and the source of the validation outcomes. Such a system and framework allows businesses to perform checks in a more structured and efficient way and allows for the sharing of validation outcomes amongst like entities.

Abstract: A method and product for the establishment and continued use of a secure online communication network between known and intentional acquaintances utilizing unique individual encoded exchanged objects, purchased by a purchaser and given to individuals known by the consumer, comprising a key object used to establish a closed network by the purchaser or host, and a plurality of exchanged token objects given to members or friends to whom an offer to join the closed network is extended, each exchanged token object containing a unique code required to log into the closed network, wherein communication may be held between the host and their friends without intrusion by persons outside the closed network.

Abstract: A subset of unique codes are generated from a set of codes. The subset of codes are stored in a database on a secure server and each of the codes is marked on a corresponding instantiation of the product. The marked instantiations are distributed. During their distribution, the marked instantiations are verified for authenticity and for routing. This verification is performed by reading or scanning the codes on the instantiations, and transmitting that information to the secure server for comparison against the codes and other information located in the database contained therein.

Abstract: A disk bears a multimedia program and a player plays the program. The player is responsive to an image restraint token (IRT) to play the multimedia program only in a low resolution format and not in a high resolution format prior to an IRT expiration date. The player is then responsive to a key that is publicly available only on or after the expiration date and entered into the player to play the multimedia program in the high resolution format.

Abstract: There are provided an information processing apparatus and a license distribution system including the information processing apparatus in which the reproduction or duplication of a content can be limited to the interior of a domain and a benefit based on the fact that an external device has participated in the domain can be made available at the time of reissuing a license. A reproducing device 1 transmits a request for reissuing the license for permitting the reproduction of the content in the domain, and participation information (S201). A server 2 receives the request for reissuing the license and the participation information (S202), and confirms validity of the transmitted participation information (S203). When the validity of the participation information is confirmed, the server 2 determines information on a specific privilege related to the license, transmits the information to the external device (S206), and reissues the license (S210).

Abstract: A method of authenticating a PSD and an initializing infrastructure that uses a secret key, a PSD public/private key pair and a provider public/private key pair. The infrastructure prepares a signed provider key record using the provider public key and the provider private key and a first MAC using the signed provider key record and the secret key. Both are sent to the PSD. The PSD authenticates the signed provider key record using the first MAC and the provider public key using the included digital signature. The PSD prepares a signed PSD key record using the PSD public key and the PSD private key and a second MAC using the signed PSD key record and the secret key. Both are sent to the infrastructure. The infrastructure authenticates the signed PSD key record using the second MAC and the PSD public key using the included digital signature.

Abstract: A virtual payment system for ordering and paying for goods, services and content over an internetwork is disclosed. The virtual payment system comprises a commerce gateway component (52) and a credit processing server component (53). The virtual payment system is a secure, closed system comprising registered sellers and buyers. A buyer becomes a registered participant by applying for a virtual payment account. Likewise, a seller becomes registered by applying for a seller account. A buyer can instantly open an account on-line. That is, the credit processing component (53) immediately evaluates the buyer's virtual payment card application and assigns a credit limit to the account. Once an account is established, a digital certificate is stored on the registered participant's computer. The buyer can then order a product, i.e., goods, services or content from a seller and charge it to the virtual payment account.

Abstract: An intelligent agent and method of negotiating therewith incorporate a number of features, used alone or in combination, to enhance the productivity, security, efficiency and responsiveness of the agent in negotiations with other parties. One feature incorporates randomization of one or more aspects of an agent's behavior to disguise its negotiation strategy from other negotiating parties and thereby prevent such parties from gaining a negotiating advantage at the expense of the agent. Another features incorporates limiting unproductive negotiations by constraining one or more aspects of an agent's behavior based upon the behavior of a negotiating party and/or the duration of the transaction, and thereby making it more likely that unproductive negotiations will be terminated. An additional feature incorporates dynamic value determination to determine the desired value of a desired transaction by weighting and normalizing estimated values retrieved from a plurality of information sources.

Abstract: Media devices that transfer content to other devices may man age a user's received media files by creating a media device inbox. Shared content may be stored in an inbox cache that is separate from the device's main content library to exclude limited-access inbox content from interaction with the device's main library. Further, inbox content may be altered upon expiration to reduce resource consumption and inbox clutter.

Abstract: A system and method of conducting a transaction comprising accepting transaction information from a user, producing a customized statement, the customized statement relating to at least a portion of the transaction information and including a challenge to the user, and sending the user an obscured representation of the customized statement. The system and method may accept from the user a response to the challenge. The system and method may further allow the transaction to proceed if the response is correct and prevent the transaction from proceeding if the response is incorrect.

Abstract: A feature key is provided to enable a specific feature in a target system, such as an IBM® Enterprise Storage Server®. The key includes fields identifying at least a portion of a serial number of the target system, identifying the feature on the target system to be enabled, and identifying a quantity associated with the feature to be enabled. Including the serial number ensures that the feature key will enable the feature on only the designated system and including the quantity ensures that only the quantity (of storage space, for example) paid for by the customer will be enabled. Additional fields may also be included identifying a storage architecture on which the feature is to be enabled, identifying a machine on which the feature is to be enabled, and identifying a sequence of prior feature keys generated for the feature on the target system.

Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamic privacy management are disclosed. In some embodiments, a customer may accept or reject using the text-messaging feature of his mobile phone offers of discounted goods or services from a partner in exchange for the customer's consent allowing the vendor to release the customer's personal information to the vendor. By controlling dissemination of his personal information in this way, a customer may tailor his own dynamic privacy agreement with the provider in an informal manner and with very little effort. The customer may also control the amount of spam he receives from vendors by specifying the types of offers he is or is not receptive to.

Abstract: A method for protecting sensitive data during execution time. The sensitive data are normally stored on permanent storage devices (e.g. a hard disk). The method, according to the present invention is based on the creation at system boot of a runtime process and a corresponding runtime memory space. The sensitive data are then moved to the runtime memory space and the copy on the storage device is deleted or made unusable by users. At shutdown time the sensitive data are copied back to the storage device according to the uptodate version on the runtime memory. In particular the present invention is applied to a license management system which allows nodelocked licenses on client system even if the client is disconnected from the network. License information are considered sensitive data which should be protected during execution. A device driver is created at system boot time and a kernel cache memory is allocated to the driver.

Abstract: In a method for managing a time-limited license on a computer application that can be run on a network component, a license data record is created that contains at least information concerning the computer application to be licensed, a license period and a signing time. The license data record is read from a license server, and based on the information concerning the signing time a reference date for this computer application is created. The reference date is compared with a system time, which is defined for the network component in order to determine a binding current time base for the license server. Based on this comparison, it is determined whether the computer application is run on the basis of at least one of the current time base and the granted license period. The reference date is continuously updated and stored on the license server.