Patent ID: 8266710

Claim:
A method for preventing unauthorized installation of application software comprising (a) distributing application software with a user-readable permanent password, a user-readable disposable password, and a hidden password, wherein said hidden password can be read by a software setup program; (b) causing said software setup program to run on a target installation computing machine and to query a user for said permanent password and said disposable password; (c) causing said software setup program to contact a designated remote server and transmit (1) said permanent password, (2) said disposable password, (3) said hidden password, and (4) a serial number associated with said target installation computing machine; (d) causing software on said designated remote server to compare said permanent password, said disposable password, and said hidden password against stored records of legitimately distributed software, and only if all three passwords match against said stored records, causing said designated remote server to store said serial number in said stored records, to replace said disposable password in said stored records with a second disposable password and to return to said software setup program (1) a complex password and (2) said second disposable password; and (e) causing said software setup program to display said second disposable password to said user, to attempt to use said complex password to enable said software setup program to proceed with the installation of said application software on said target installation computing machine, to abort if said complex password cannot successfully enable installation, and to delete said complex password.