Patent ID: 8769296

Claim:
A method for preventing unauthorized use of software, comprising: recording, using a computer, an indication of at least one selected file of a software application in a memory location accessible to a security component of the software application, in which software application the security component is configured to cause a hash signature of the at least one selected file to be generated in response to a use event for the software application; hashing the at least one selected file to generate a first file signature; transmitting the first file signature to a secure network-accessible computer memory for storage and subsequent comparison to at least one subsequent file signature generated via operation of the security component on a client device; comparing the first file signature to a second file signature generated by the security component in response to a signal arising from use of the software application on the client device; storing metadata identifying the client device, the software application, and a date that the second file signature is generated, in a database of file signature data; storing results from comparing the second file signature to the first file signature, in association with an identifier for the client device; and disabling the software application on the client device, in response to determining that the first file signature does not match the second file signature.