Patent ID: 7024696

Claim:
A method of preventing piracy of a given software application comprising the steps of: assigning a unique identification code to each authentic copy of such software application; installing the software application in a data storage element on a user's computer; configuring the software application to require service data to activate at least part of its functionality; requiring the user to communicate user data over a communications network to a remote service provider, the user data being derived, at least in part, from the unique identification code; examining received user data to derive the unique identification code associated with the copy of the software application installed by said user counting the number of times an attempt has been made to obtain said service data in order to activate at least part of the functionality of said software application assigned to such unique identification code; and selectively transmitting service data to the user's computer when said remote service provider determines that the number of times an attempt has been made to obtain said service data in order to activate at least part of the functionality of said software application assigned to such unique identification code is fewer than a predetermined threshold, said user's computer being connected to said communications network and designated to storably receive said service data.