Patent ID: 8046842

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of controlling a use of computer readable content, the method comprising executing instruction codes embedded in said computer readable content when the content is in use by a processor circuit of a user computer, the execution of the instruction codes directing the processor circuit to perform the following: monitoring a usage of the content and producing a measurement of the usage; determining whether or not the measurement of the usage exceeds a pre-defined threshold; warning a user of impending deletion of files for failure to register upon the measurement of the usage exceeding the pre-defined threshold; determining whether or not the user has been sufficiently warned of impending deletion of files for failure to register by maintaining a count of a number of times a warning about deleting files is presented to the user of the processor circuit, and determining whether or not the count exceeds a pre-defined number of times; deleting files when it is determined that sufficient warning has occurred; and transmitting from a server to the user computer a key operable to cooperate with said user computer to deactivate execution of the instruction codes embedded in said computer readable content at said user computer, in response to receipt of registration information from said user computer before the warning count exceeds the pre-defined number of times.