Patent ID: 8418259

Claim:
One or more computer-readable storage devices having computer-executable instructions for activating a copy of at least one software application, the computer-executable instructions performing steps comprising: obtaining identifying information of the copy of the at least one software application; finding a Trusted Activation License (TAL) comprising the identifying information; obtaining a public Endorsement Key (EKpub) from the TAL comprising the identifying information; requesting an EKpub of a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) of a computing device on which the computer-executable instructions are being executed; requesting that the TPM of the computing device generate an Attestation Identity Key (AIK) if the EKpub obtained from the TAL is equivalent to the EKpub of the TPM of the computing device; generating an indication that the copy of the at least one software application is invalid if either the finding the TAL comprising the identifying information was unsuccessful or if the obtained EKpub from the TAL is not equivalent to the EKpub of the TPM of the computing device; generating an association between the TAL and the AIK in a secure storage area if the finding the TAL comprising the identifying information was successful and the obtained EKpub from the TAL is equivalent to the EKpub of the TPM of the computing device; and activating the copy of the at least one software application if the finding the TAL comprising the identifying information was successful and the obtained EKpub from the TAL is equivalent to the EKpub of the TPM of the computing device.