Patent ID: 7461249
Filing Date: 2008-12-02
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer platform comprising: a trusted module which is resistant to internal tampering and which stores a third party's public key certificate; means for storing license-related code comprising at least one of a secure executor for checking whether the computer platform or a user thereof is licensed to use particular data and for providing an interface for using the particular data and/or for monitoring its usage, and a secure loader for checking whether the computer platform or a user thereof is licensed to install particular data and/or for checking for data integrity before installation, wherein the license-related code includes, for at least one group of particular data, a (or a respective) software executor which specifies the respective group of particular data and which is configured to act as an interface to that group of particular data; means for storing a hashed version of the license-related code signed with the third party's private key; and means for integrity checking the license-related code with reference to the signed version and the public key certificate and preventing the license-related code from being loaded if the integrity check fails; and wherein: the software executor (or at least one of the software executors) contains a public key of the trusted module and a licensing model for the respective particular data; the platform includes an operating system that is configured to request the software executor that its respective particular data be used; in response to such a request, that software executor is configured to request the secure executor to license-check, using its licensing model, whether the computer platform or a user thereof is licensed to use that particular data; in response to such latter request, the secure executor is configured to perform the requested license-check, to sign the result of the license check using a private key of the trusted module, and to respond to that software executor with the signed result; and in response to such a response, that software executor is configured: