Patent ID: 8775797

Claim:
A system for validating product keys, comprising: a first server computing device configured to: receive a product key comprising identification information identifying at least one copy of a software product, the product key further comprising security information associated with the identification information, the security information comprising a first portion and a second portion; decrypt the identification information and the first portion of the security information; at least partially determine based on the decrypted identification information and on the decrypted first portion of the security information whether the product key is valid; determine whether the product key is to be audited by a second server computing device; and in response to a determination that the product key is to be audited by the second server computing device, transmit an audit request to the second server computing device; and the second server computing device configured to: receive at least a portion of the product key comprising the identification information and the second portion of the security information; access validation information from at least one source other than the product key; and use the validation information to process the identification information and the second portion of the security information to determine whether the product key is valid, wherein the validation information is not accessible to the first server.