Patent ID: 8205241

Claim:
A machine-implemented method for detecting a hardware-based virtual machine environment, the machine-implemented method comprising: executing a privileged instruction, the privileged instruction being treated in a different manner in a virtual machine environment than in a bare machine environment; measuring a first time period for executing the privileged instruction; executing a nonprivileged instruction; measuring a second time period for executing the nonprivileged instruction; detecting the hardware-based virtual machine environment when the first time period is at least a threshold amount greater than the second time period; accessing a licensing policy for a software product, the licensing policy indicating whether the software product is permitted to be executed in a virtual machine environment; and when the detecting of the hardware-based virtual machine environment detects the hardware-based virtual machine environment and the license policy indicates that the software product is not permitted to be executed in a virtual machine environment, performing one of: preventing the software product from executing or activating, or preventing the software product from being fully activated.