Patent ID: 7694345

Claim:
A method of authorising use of a computer program with an authorisation system, said method comprising: running an authorisation system on a server device; recording a first computer program identifier in a memory device accessible by the authorisation system, the first computer program identifier identifying a computer program, wherein the authorisation system is arranged and configured to authorise a user to use the computer program on a user computer, wherein the user is a person seeking use of the computer program; registering the user with the authorisation system; storing a first user identification in the memory device after registering the user; sending the first user identification across a network to the user from the server device; recording in the memory device an agreement that relates to a manner of authorised use of the computer program by the registered user; receiving at the server device a login request message from the user computer, the login request message including a second computer program identifier and a second user identification; verifying at the server device with the authorisation system the identity of the user from the user identification by determining that the first user identification recorded in the memory device matches the second user identification; determining that the second computer program identifier matches the first computer program identifier and checking the agreement recorded in the memory device to determine whether the user is authorised to use the computer program identified by the second computer program identifier; recording in the memory device the second user identification and the second computer identifier after receiving the login request message when the identity of the user is verified and when the user is authorised to use the computer program; sending across the network a message from the server device to the user computer indicating whether the user is authorised to use the computer program, wherein if the user is verified and authorised to use the computer program, then the message is an authorisation message that allows the user to use the computer program, otherwise the message is an authorisation denied message that does not allow the user to use the computer program; and receiving at the server device a request sent from the user computer to incur a charge for the use of the computer program after use of the computer program is allowed, wherein a quantity of the charge for use of the computer program and frequency of charging for use of the computer program is specified in the agreement for use of the computer program for the registered user, wherein the server device determines the charge for use of the computer program according to the quantity, frequency and duration of use of the computer program, for each instance of authorised use of the computer program.