Patent ID: 7305673

Claim:
A count system for counting one of a number of a plurality of peripheral devices and a user-number of application software associated with said peripheral devices, at least one of said peripheral devices being connected to a personal computer and at least one of said application software being installed in said personal computer, said count system comprising: serial-number sending means incorporated in each said application software, said serial-number sending means taking a serial number of said respective associated peripheral device and transferring said serial number via the internet connected to said personal computer; a server connected to the internet; and registration software installed in said server, said registration software receiving the transferred serial number to check this number with registered serial numbers, and said registration software registering the transferred serial number and incrementing one of a count of the number of said peripheral devices having an associated installed application software and the user-number count of said application software, wherein said serial-number sending means transfers said serial number whenever said peripheral device having said serial number is connected to said respective personal computer, wherein a plurality of right holders distribute respective kinds of application software, said server relates said count with an identifier of a right holder of a respective kind of application software and maintains said count-identifier relationship, wherein said plurality of right holders are different software developing companies.