Patent ID: 8839444

Claim:
A computer-implemented apparatus for collecting license usage information of software licenses that govern permitted usage of software product deployed on a plurality of distinct computer workstations, the software product being activated on different ones of the plurality of computer workstations, subject to the software licenses, by corresponding license keys, and wherein the plurality of computer workstations exchange license key-related information according to a protocol in which each of the computer workstations responds to an initial broadcast, sent by any one of the computer workstations, of a code derived from a license key with which that computer workstation has a matching license key, the response including broadcasting a responsive message indicating the match; the apparatus comprising: a computer system including a processor circuit operatively coupled with a data storage circuit and a network interface circuit that is adapted to be communicatively coupled to a computer network; wherein the computer system includes a license use determining module that is adapted to: monitor, via the network interface circuit, transmissions of responsive messages, each of which includes a responsive message sent by a corresponding computer workstation that has the mathing license key; store, in the data storage circuit, a collection of license key-related information corresponding to a plurality of different license keys based on received transmissions of the responsive messages; and ascertain license key count information based on the collection of license key-related information that represents a quantity of computer workstations which have a copy of the software product activated by a corresponding license key; and wherein the license use determining module is further configured to monitor the transmissions of responsive messages that are sent in response to an initial broadcast that is sent by a computer workstation that is distinct from the apparatus comprising the license use determining module.