Patent ID: 8707447

Claim:
A system comprising: a data processing device having a memory configured to store first computer readable instructions comprising a set of program instructions configured to become executable in the data processing device under a condition where license information is input to the data processing device within a particular time period set in association with the license information; and a license registration device configured to provide the license information in response to a registration process of a license for use of the program instructions in the data processing device, the license registration device comprising a memory configured to store second computer readable instructions, wherein the first computer readable instructions, when executed by the data processing device, cause the data processing device to implement: determining a cancelable time as a time beyond an expiration time of the particular time period; storing, in the data processing device, the cancelable time in association with the license information; accepting input of a disabling command; disabling use of the program instructions upon accepting the input of the disabling command; generating license cancel information usable for canceling the license only when both arrival of the cancelable time and acceptance of the disabling command occur; determining a cancel time in association with the license cancel information, the cancel time being related to time when the license cancel information is generated; and outputting the license cancel information and the cancel time, and wherein the second computer readable instructions, when executed by the license registration device, cause the license registration device to implement: accepting a license request for use of the program instructions in the data processing device; issuing the license information and the particular time period in association with the license information; registering the license information in association with information of the data processing device which issued the license request; determining a registration time in response to registering the license information, the registration time including a time relative to the registration process; storing, in the license registration device, the registration time in association with the license information; accepting input of the license cancel information and the cancel time; and disabling the license information in association with the license cancel information only when the accepted cancel time is beyond the stored registration time.