Patent ID: 7346585

Claim:
A method for obtaining a computer services license, comprising: sending a services subscription license request to a client services sector of a license processing service (LPS), wherein sending the services subscription license request to a license processing service (LPS), comprises: sending a hardware identification for the client computer, wherein sending the hardware identification for the client computer comprises the hardware identification being provided by the client computer, and the hardware identification being calculated by a software program module operated on the client computer, and sending along with the services subscription license request a product identification number (PID) associated with the services subscription; sending the request from the client services sector to an LPS core component; scheduling, at the LPS core component, a transmission of the request to the billing system; formatting the request for consumption by a billing sector of the LPS; sending, via the billing sector of the LPS, the request from the LPS core component to a billing system associated with a provider of the services; at the billing system, determining an expiration date for the services subscription; sending the expiration date from the billing system to the LPS; sending the request and the expiration date from the LPS to a licensing clearinghouse associated with the provider of the services; at the licensing clearinghouse, granting a license for the services subscription; sending the license from the licensing clearinghouse to the LPS; scheduling, at the LPS core component, a transmission of the request to the licensing clearinghouse; scheduling, at the LPS core component, a transmission of the license to the client computer, wherein the transmission being scheduled to occur at a predetermined time; formatting the request and the expiration date for consumption by a clearing house sector of the LPS; sending the request and the expiration date to the licensing clearinghouse via the clearinghouse sector of the LPS; and sending the license from the LPS core component to the client computer.