Patent CA-2231978-A1 (CA)
Inventor: BRISSON ANDRE J
IPC: G06F9/445
Filed: 1998-05-20
Abstract: Source code and method to be protected, a software application to be used both during installation of software programs and the running of these software applications, interfacing with the hardware of the recipient computer, in particular to scan and retrieve the hard disk drive part number, in order to track illegal use, illegal installation or illegal copying of software (as well as registering legal use of software). Code is compiled into the install executable of software which will copy two registration files onto recipient computer: one registration file in the active directory of the software being installed, and one registration file in an arbitrary directory of the recipient computer. In addition, an email utility will be installed onto the recipient computer. During installation, the Hard Disk Drive identification number will be stripped from the recipient computer. During installation the user return email address (if available) will be stripped from the recipient computer. Both the Hard Disk Drive identification number and the user return email address will be copied into the registration files placed on recipient computer. In addition, an email will be created including the product registration numbers, the Hard Disk Drive identification number of the recipient computer, and the email return address of the computer user, and this email will be addressed back to our server database maintaining the registration and user information. On the very next connect to the Internet or use of email, the email will be sent to our server maintaining the registration and user database. Every single installation of software utilizing our method will create and send a "registration" email. A similar piece of code, compiled as a library (like a dll) will be included with the programming of the software utilizing our method. When the program is activated, this code (dll or other form of library) will search for the two registration files copied onto the recipient computer during installation.  If it finds both registration files, and on comparison all information (i.e. the registration numbers, the hard disk drive numbers, and the user return email address) is identical then there is no further action. If it finds only one registration file, or if the information contained in the two registration files copied onto the recipient computer are not identical, then the hard drive identification number stripped from the recipient computer hardware, the user return email address, and the information from the single registration file, or the two conflicting registration files, will be copied into an email addressed to our server database maintaining registration and use information and placed in an "out basket". Upon the next connection to the Internet, or use of email, this email will be sent to our server registration maintainance database. The database at our server site, managing the registration and use information, will use a querying method based on logic. The first email received is a valid registration. Any subsequent "registration or use" emails which have either incomplete data (i.e. only one registration file) or nonidentical information (ie different hard disk drive identification number and different user return email address) along with the product registration number is the identity of a computer with a pirated copy of software installed.