Patent ID: 8583558

Claim:
A system for providing an on-line rental service for a plurality of software products, the client device comprising: a server device, including: a memory for storing data and executable instructions; and a processor for processing the stored data and executing the instructions to cause actions, comprising: enabling at least one user to select at least one of the plurality of software products that are available for rent from the on-line rental service; providing access to a subscription to a package offered by the on-line rental service, the package assigning a collection of a plurality of virtual containers to the at least one user, wherein the package is selected from a plurality of packages, each assigning a different quantity of the plurality of virtual containers; enabling at least one virtual container in the collection to provide a different rental period duration from at least one other virtual container in the collection, and wherein the at least one selected software product is placed in at least one of the plurality of virtual containers in the collection to identify the selected at least one software product as being rented by the at least one assigned user; assigning at least one virtual container in the collection with a virtual container priority level; assigning at least one virtual container in the collection a variable software product access level; and enabling selective removal of a software product from at least one virtual container in the collection and selective replacement with a new software product before the end of a rental period associated with the at least one virtual container; and a client device, including: a memory for storing data and executable instructions; and a processor for processing the stored data and executing the instructions to cause actions, comprising: enabling the at least one user to access the at least one software product if it is identified in a virtual container as rented and in the collection assigned to the at least one user.