Patent ID: 6966002

Claim:
A method of securely distributing software with limited usage rights, comprising: supplying a software package, containing software therein, for distribution to a user, the software including an access control object for preventing at least some usage of the software on a computer system without the use of a first access control code, wherein the software includes data defining a notifier which the software causes to be displayed by means of the computer system, the notifier conveying information required by the user for ordering rights to predetermined usage of the software and enabling entry of first transaction information required for the purchase of the rights; receiving at a server a request from the user to purchase the rights to predetermined usage of the supplied software; receiving at the server selected information characteristic of the computer system; obtaining payment information from the user assuring payment for the rights; producing the first access control code based on the selected information, wherein the first access code comprises decryption means produced from the selected information; and supplying the first access control code from the server to the predetermined computer system in response to receipt of the payment information to enable the at least some usage of the supplied software; wherein the access control object comprises an access control executable controlling access to the software by referencing the first access control code and the selected information in the computer system.