Abstract: A method and apparatus for token based club digital content licensing are disclosed. Token based club digital content licensing may include receiving, from a first user device, at a server, a first request for access to a first digital content object, wherein the first request indicates a first unique user identifier associated with a digital content licensing group, wherein the digital content licensing group is associated with an available shared license unit count and an unavailable shared license unit count, identifying a first assigned unit count for the first digital content object, performing license unit based digital content access control in response to receiving the first request. In some embodiments, on a condition that the first assigned unit count is within the available shared license unit count, license unit based digital content access control may include enabling access to the first digital content object by the first user device.

Abstract: A predetermined number of assigned units for each of a plurality of individually selectable pieces of digital content are checked when each piece of digital content is executed in a customer computer network or on an application service provider. Execution of a requested digital content is granted when the number of required units to execute the requested digital content is less than or equal to the total number of available units. Any licensed digital content may be executed on the separate application service provider through a communication network. Access is granted for execution of the requested digital content by a license manager based on whether the application service provider required units of the requested digital content are greater than the available units on the requesting customer computer network. Execution of the requested digital content on the application service provider may be immediate if the application service provider is available or execution can be delayed.

Abstract: A license management method specifies a predetermined number of assigned units for each of a plurality of individually selectable programs in a product suite. A discrete node running total equals the assigned units of the highest assigned units program running on each node. Each node can run additional programs where the assigned units of the additional programs are equal to or less than the node running total without changing the node running total. Termination of the highest assigned units program on a node causes the difference between the assigned units of the terminated program and the next highest assigned units of a program running by the node to be re-added to the available units.