JP2001357156A - Device and method for identifier management of software distribution system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To monitor illegal copying by managing a distribution destination of distributed software with information including an identifier. SOLUTION: When a host computer 11 at a distribution center sells software through a network 12 at a request from a user terminal, each terminal is given a terminal identifier (MID) and a terminal password (MPSW) and the user is given a user identifier(UID) and a user password. The software is sold having a distribution identifier embedded. The host computer 11 relates those identifier to password and manages a history of sale. When the sold software is destroyed, restoration service is provided by referring the sale history. Each time the host computer 11 is accessed, the terminal password of the terminal is rewritten and it is checked whether or not the host computer is accessed by using the latest terminal password.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a software distribution system via a network, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for managing an identifier of a software distribution destination.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, package software sold at stores often limits the number of machines such as personal computers to be installed and the number of machines that can operate simultaneously. For example, it can be installed on only one personal computer, or can be installed on a plurality of personal computers, but only one of them can be operated at the same time.

For example, in software installed on WINDOWS (registered trademark), it is common to write license registration information into software on a floppy (registered trademark) disk at the time of installation in order to suppress unauthorized copying. Is coming. However, this license registration information is sometimes false information,
Since it is possible to freely rewrite later with freeware or the like, a sufficient effect has not been obtained.

On the other hand, with the recent development of personal computer communication and the like, it is desired that software can be purchased online via a network. In realizing such software distribution, there are several problems, such as a software use contract between a vendor and a user. For example, the above-mentioned restrictions are imposed on the installation and use of software, and in order to implement the restrictions, it is necessary to devise a method of managing the usage status of the software.

[0005]

There are the following problems in constructing an online software distribution system via a network. The current protection method using a floppy disk cannot be used, and software may be illegally copied from an installed machine to another machine, and a mechanism for monitoring such illegal copying is required.

In addition, when the installed software is destroyed for some reason and becomes unusable, it is necessary to respond to a user's recovery request. In the future, if the distribution of software online becomes popular, a mechanism for individually identifying the distributed software is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an identifier management apparatus and method for managing information including an identifier of a software distribution destination in a software distribution system via a network so as to benefit a vendor or a user. I do.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an identifier management apparatus and an identifier management method in a software distribution system in which a distribution center and a user terminal are connected via a network, and software is distributed to the terminals online from the distribution center.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the principle of an identifier management apparatus according to the present invention. The identifier management device shown in FIG. 1 includes a management unit 1, a terminal password changing unit 2, a distribution identifier adding unit 3, a user information storage unit 4, a terminal information storage unit 5, a distribution record storage unit 6, a definition file storage unit 7, and Software storage means 8 is provided.

The software storage means 8 stores software to be distributed, and the user information storage means 4 stores user information including an identifier of a user to whom the software is distributed.
The terminal information storage means 5 stores terminal information including the identifier of the terminal on which the software is installed. Management means 1
Manages the user information stored in the user information storage means 4 and the terminal information stored in the terminal information storage means 5 in association with each other.

The distribution record storage means 6 stores the software distribution record in association with the terminal identifier, and the management means 1 uses the user information, the terminal information and the distribution record to store a history of software distribution. to manage. Also,
The terminal information storage means 5 stores the terminal information including the first terminal password assigned in correspondence with the terminal identifier, and the management means 1 uses the terminal identifier and the first terminal password to store the terminal information. Identify access from the terminal.

The terminal password changing means 2 receives an access from a terminal having the first terminal password,
The first terminal password is changed to the second terminal password, and the management unit 1 associates the second terminal password with the terminal identifier. The definition file storage means 7 stores a definition file in which information for writing a distribution identifier is described. When distributing the software, the distribution identifier adding unit 3 refers to the definition file stored in the definition file storage unit 7 and writes the distribution identifier in the software stored in the software storage unit 8, The distribution identifier is written in the distribution record stored in the distribution record storage means 6.

The management means 1 checks the distribution identifier of the software possessed by the user accessing the distribution center with reference to the definition file. The management unit 1, the terminal password changing unit 2, and the distribution identifier adding unit 3 in FIG. 1 correspond to the host computer 11 in the embodiment shown in FIG.
Corresponds to a processing device (not shown). The user information storage unit 4, terminal information storage unit 5, distribution record storage unit 6, definition file storage unit 7, and software storage unit 8 in FIG. 1 correspond to storage units (not shown) in the host computer 11 in FIG. I do.

The distribution record corresponds to, for example, the sales records shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 13, and the information for writing described in the definition file includes, for example, a file for writing the distribution identifier. Information such as the name, the position of the writing area in the file, and the size of the writing area.

The management means 1 manages the user identifier stored in the user information storage means 4 and the terminal identifier stored in the terminal information storage means 5 in association with each other. As a result, it is simultaneously grasped to which user the software has been distributed and at which terminal the software has been installed.

Further, since the distribution record stored in the distribution record storage means 6 is associated with the terminal identifier, the distribution history of each software is managed together with the terminal information of the installed terminal. The first terminal password corresponding to the identifier of the terminal is stored in both the terminal information in the terminal information storage means 5 and in the terminal. When there is access from a terminal, the management means 1 identifies the accessed terminal using the identifier of the terminal and the first terminal password. For example, when the terminal password of the accessed terminal does not correspond to the identifier of the terminal, it can be considered that the terminal side has some kind of abnormality.

Further, when there is an access from the terminal, the terminal password changing means 2 changes the first terminal password of the terminal to the second terminal password.
Thus, at the next access, the terminal is identified using the identifier of the terminal and the second terminal password. If the user copies the software installed in the terminal together with the identifier of the terminal and the first terminal password to another terminal and accesses it from another terminal at the next access, the first terminal password is already Since the management means 1 has lost the effectiveness, the management means 1 can detect the change.

Further, the distribution identifier is written in the software to be distributed by the distribution identifier adding means 3 in accordance with the information for writing described in the definition file in the definition file storage means 7. The management means 1 can check the distribution identifier of the software owned by the user with reference to the definition file. For example, if the identifier of the user of the distribution destination is used as the distribution identifier, it can be determined whether the accessing user is the same as the user at the time of distribution.

By writing the distribution identifier also in the distribution record in the distribution record storage means 6, the management means 1 determines the distribution identifier in the distribution record and the distribution identifier written in the user's software. Can be compared.

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a software distribution system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The software distribution system of FIG.
And a plurality (m) of user terminals 13-1,..., 13-
m and a network 12 connecting them.

The host computer 11 is located at a software distribution center, and sells software via the network 12 in response to a request from the terminals 13-1,..., 13-m. The terminals 13-1,..., 13-m are computers such as personal computers installed at, for example, the user's home or office, and purchase desired software via the network 12 and use the purchased software. Access the host computer 11.

The host computer 11 includes the identifier management device of the present invention and has a storage device (not shown) for storing software to be sold. The host computer 11 is the terminal 1
,.., MIDm are issued to 3-1,..., 13-m, and the user of the terminal is given a user identifier (user ID) UID1, which is different from the machine ID. UID2, UID3, etc. are issued. Also, terminal passwords (machine passwords) MPSW1,..., MPSWm are provided corresponding to each machine ID,
A user password (not shown) is provided corresponding to each user ID. The host computer 11 uses the machine ID, machine password, user ID, and user password to manage information on a terminal to which software is sold and a user.

When the software sold to the user is destroyed for some reason and becomes unusable, the host computer 11 refers to the sales record and provides a restoration service for the software. It also provides services for upgrading the software sold. Further, the host computer 11 monitors whether the installed software has been copied to another terminal by dynamically changing the machine password given to the terminal and checking it every time access is made.

When a terminal is transferred from one user to another user, the software installed in the terminal can be transferred including the right to receive services such as version upgrade and recovery. Such a transfer leads to prevention of unauthorized copying and smooth transfer of rights, which is beneficial to both users and vendors.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show examples of user information and terminal information (machine information) stored in storage areas in the host computer 11, respectively. The user information in FIG. 3 includes a user ID (UID) and a user password (PS
W), a machine ID (MID), a user name, and the like. The machine information in FIG. 4 includes an MID, a machine password (MPSW), a UID, a terminal model, a software sales record, and the like.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a sales record of the software shown in FIG. The sales record in FIG. 5 includes the name of the sold software (software name) and the UI of the purchased user.
D, date and time of sale. Thus, the host computer 11
Stores the MID, the UID, and the sales record of the software in association with each other, and manages the information as information on the sales destination of the software. By doing so, when, who,
It is possible to manage the sales history indicating what software has been installed. Further, service information such as version upgrade of the software can be selectively provided only to the user who has purchased the software, thereby giving preferential treatment to the purchaser.

When an individual or company has a terminal such as a personal computer, the relationship between the person who pays for the software and the person who uses the purchased software, or the relationship between the person who purchases or uses the software and the terminal. The relationship is not always a one-to-one relationship, and the following forms may occur. (1) One user has a plurality of terminals. (2) A plurality of users share one terminal. (3) A mixed form of (1) and (2).

The following forms are conceivable as software use contracts corresponding to these forms. (1) Software installation is allowed on only one terminal. (2) The software may be installed on a plurality of terminals, but using the software on two or more terminals at the same time is prohibited. (3) Install the software on multiple terminals,
You may use them simultaneously on those terminals (freeware).

The management method corresponding to each of these contract forms is as follows. (1) It is necessary to manage which terminal the software is installed on in association with the MID. (2) To which user the software was sold,
It needs to be managed in association with D. (3) Corresponds to freeware, etc., and does not require management of sales destinations.

In order to manage the use modes (1) and (2), it is necessary to use both the MID and the UID.
In this embodiment, the host computer 11 of the distribution center gives a unique UID to all contracted users and a unique MID to all contracted terminals.

The host computer 11 is a product (software)
At the time of sales of the user, the user to be paid is specified using the UID. Therefore, the price of software sold using a certain UID is a contract paid by a user having the UID. The sold product is managed in association with the MID of the terminal of the selling destination. This clarifies who purchased a certain product and installed it on which terminal, and can provide a free restoration service or the like even if the product is destroyed.

FIG. 6 shows the relationship between information managed by the host computer 11 when one user has a plurality of terminals. In FIG. 6, user information is UID = 01,
It consists of the user's name, cash card information (cash card number, etc.), and software purchase information. The purchase information is a list of software names and purchase amounts that the user has purchased from the distribution center in the past, and can be obtained by referring to a sales record having the UID of the user, for example. Here, the user having UID = 01 is L
OTUS-WIN, FM secretary, LOTUS, OASYS
You can see that each software was purchased.

The three terminals P owned by the user with UID = 01
MID = 1 among C98, TOWNS, and FMR
1 is registered in the host computer 11, and UID = 01 at the time of registration.
Is related to At the time of registration, the UID may be written in the machine information of the terminal as shown in FIG. 4, or the machine information and the user information may be linked using a pointer or the like.

The machine information of the registered terminal is MID,
It consists of information on software (software information) sold in the past and installed on the terminal, and information on the model of the terminal and the OS (operating system) used. The software information corresponds to the sales record in FIG. Here, MI
The software installed on the terminal with D = 11 is L
OTUS, its model (M) is 98, OS used is D
It turns out that it is an OS. The software installed in the terminal with MID = 10 is LOTUS-WIN.
The model is DOWNS, the OS used is DOS, and T
OS (OS for TOWNS) and WIN (WIND
OWS). OASY is included in FMR.
S is installed, but no MID is given since it is not registered in the host computer 11.

FIG. 7 shows the relationship between information managed by the host computer 11 when a plurality of users share one terminal. In FIG. 7, three users C, D, and E share one terminal TOWNS. The user information of the user C includes UID = 03, name C, cash card information, and LOTUS-WIN purchase information. The user information of the user D includes UID = 04, name D, cash card information, and FM secretary purchase information. The user information of the user E is UID
= 05, name E, cash card information, and LO
Consists of TUS purchase information.

The machine information of the terminal TOWNS is represented by MID =
30, software information, model M = TOWNS, and OS =
It consists of DOS / TOS / WIN. Here, the software information includes the names of all the software sold to the three sharers, LOTUS-WIN, FM secretary, and LOTUS.

The MID of the terminal TOWNS is associated with the UID of one representative of the sharers at the time of registration of the terminal. Here, MID = 30 is associated with the UID of user C. In this case, the user C represents three sharers as an inquiry destination of the terminal with MID = 30. In this example, user D has purchased an FM secretary,
When the FM secretary is destroyed, any user other than the user D can request a recovery using MID = 30 and receive a free reinstallation (recovery) service.

Next, referring to FIGS. 8 to 11,
A processing flow in the software distribution system according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a user ID registration process. When the process is started in FIG.
First, the user connects the terminal to the host computer 11 of the distribution center (step S1), and inputs personal information such as a name, a cash card number, and an address (step S2).
In response, the host computer 11 issues a temporary user ID and a temporary user password, and performs temporary registration of the user (step S3). Here, the user temporarily disconnects from the host computer 11 and waits for the authentication of the cash card (step S4).

When the cash card is authenticated and a formal user ID and a formal user password are mailed from the distribution center (step S5), the user connects the terminal to the host computer 11 again (step S6) and receives the cash. The formal user ID and formal user password are input (step S7). As a result, the host computer 11 confirms that the mail in which the formal user ID and the user password are described has arrived at the user himself, registers the user officially (main registration), and ends the processing. At this time,
The user can enter and register another password together with the mailed user password.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a terminal ID registration process. When the process is started in FIG. 9, the user first connects the terminal to the host computer 11 of the distribution center (step S11), and inputs a registered user ID and user password (step S12). Thereafter, the terminal automatically sends machine information such as its model and OS used to the host computer 11 (step S13). The host computer 11 adds the terminal ID and the terminal password to the transmitted machine information and stores them in a predetermined format.
D and the terminal password are sent to the terminal (step S14).
Thus, the issued terminal ID and terminal password are also held in the terminal.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a process for selling software via the network 12 to a user registered at the distribution center. In FIG. 10, when the process is started by a user request or the like, first, the user terminal is connected to the network 12 (step S2).
1). Next, the host computer 11 checks the user ID and the user password input by the user (step S2).
2) If they are not correct (NG), the process ends.

If the user ID and the user password are correct (OK), the host computer 11 automatically reads the terminal ID and the terminal password held in the terminal and checks them (step S23). If the terminal ID and the terminal password are not correct (NG), there is a possibility that an illegal copy has been made, so a process corresponding to the illegality (illegal process) is performed (step S24).

If the terminal ID and the terminal password are correct (OK), a list of software as commodities is displayed on the screen of the terminal, and the user selects commodities to be purchased (step S25). The user selects a product from the displayed list and inputs a request for a restoration service.

Next, the host computer 11 determines whether the request from the user is a purchase of a new product or a request for restoration of an already sold product (step S26). If the request is a restoration request, the host computer 11 refers to the purchase information of the user. Then, it is determined whether the corresponding product has been purchased in the past (step S27). If the user has requested restoration of a product that has not been purchased (step S27, NO), the process returns to step S25 again because it is not a target of the restoration service.

If the user has requested restoration of the product purchased in the past (step S27, YES), the host computer 11 delivers the product to the terminal via the network 12 and reinstalls it (step S29). . Then, the user is charged based on the usage contract and the like (step S30), and the process ends. However, if there is a contract for a free restoration service, no charge will be made.

If the user has requested the purchase of a new product at step S26, the sale of the selected product is determined (step S28), and the product is delivered to the terminal via the network 12 and installed (step S28). Step S2
9). Then, the user is charged for the price of the product (step S30), and the process ends.

In step S30, the user having the input user ID is charged, but the management of the user ID is left to the user. Each user manages the user ID by designating the user password. If the sales contract of the product is not intended for the user but is to be sold to the terminal to be installed, the terminal is charged in step S30. In this case, in step S27, it is determined whether the terminal has purchased the corresponding product in the past, and the recovery service is performed only when the terminal has purchased the product.

For the terminal ID, the host computer 11 adds a terminal password, and every time a terminal is connected once, the terminal password of the terminal is automatically rewritten and managed. When unauthorized copying is performed, access is performed together with the terminal password before rewriting, so that the fact can be recognized. The host computer 11 can perform back tracing on the terminal ID and the terminal password.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the checking and rewriting of the terminal password in step S23 and the illegal processing in step S24. When the process is started in FIG. 11, the host computer 11 compares the terminal password of the connected terminal with the terminal password given when the terminal was previously connected (Step S31).

If they match, a new terminal password is generated and written in the terminal, and the host computer 11
(Step S32). At this time, the host computer 11 determines the next terminal password using an unpredictable one such as a random number, for example. The rewritten old terminal password is stored for later reference (step S33), and the process ends.

If the two terminal passwords do not match in step S31, the host computer 11 determines that unauthorized copying has been performed, and assigns a new terminal ID to the connected terminal to newly manage it (step S34). Then, the terminal password at the time of connection is sequentially compared with the stored old terminal password, and the date and time when the terminal password was accessed is obtained (step S35). As a result, the timing at which the illegal copy is performed is specified, and the process ends.

FIG. 12 shows an example of a terminal password check when an illegal copy is performed. In FIG. 12, after the N-th access to the host computer 11 by the user of the terminal PCA,
It is assumed that D = 11 and MPSW = 111 are illegally copied from the hard disk (HD) of the terminal PCA to the hard disk of the terminal PCB. At this time, all the MIDs and MPSWs held by the PCA, PCB, and the host computer 11 match.

Next, in the (N + 1) th access, the PC
A accesses. Here, the MID and MPSW of the accessed PCA are the same as the MID and MPSW of the PCA stored in the host computer 11 (step S3).
1) The fact of illegal copying is not recognized. Therefore, the host computer 11 rewrites the MPSW of the PCA to 222, and
This new MPSW is held (step S32).

Next, in the (N + 2) th access, the PC
B accesses. At this time, the MID of the accessed PCB is the MI of the PCA stored in the host computer 11.
Although the same as D, the MPSW of PC B does not match the MPSW of PCA stored in the host computer 11 (step S31). Here, it is found that the PCB is a terminal different from the PCA accessed last time, and it is recognized that there is an illegal copy.

Therefore, the host computer 11 transmits the MI
D is rewritten to 12 and MPSW is rewritten to 333.
The ID and the MPSW are held (step S34). Thus, the PCB is registered as a new terminal and newly managed. By managing such identifiers, it is possible to prevent unauthorized copying without malicious intent. However, if there is malicious knowledge and some knowledge, MI
It is also possible to copy and use D and MPSW between terminals. In such a case, it becomes difficult to detect an illegal copy. Therefore, it is necessary to take time and effort to artificially copy the MID and the MPSW. For example, a method of giving the attribute of the hidden file, a method of distributing and arranging them, and a method of encrypting by combining the individual information of the terminal can be considered.

The hidden file is one of the file attributes used in MSDOS and the like. The user cannot know the existence of the hidden file without special operation.
If MPSW or MPSW is written, it becomes difficult to copy. Also, if the information of the MPSW is divided and written in a plurality of places on the hard disk of the terminal in a distributed manner, it takes time to search for such information, and if all the information is not available, the MPSW cannot be known. .

Also, the terminal's serial number, FORM
The correct MPSW may be obtained by a predetermined calculation using information of a model such as an AT date, a physical position of a file, and information that varies from terminal to terminal. As the predetermined operation, a combination of arbitrary operations such as multiplication, division, and EOR can be used. Thereby, MPSW
Is complicated.

Furthermore, these methods can be used in combination. By doing so, it is impossible to imagine that many users make illegal copies with great effort. According to the identifier management apparatus of the present invention, both the protection of the user's right that is likely to violate the contract although the knowledge of the computer is small, and the protection of the vendor are achieved. In addition, a malicious user requires a great deal of trouble, for example, to copy and use illegally the software.

According to the above-described embodiment, the vendor can recognize whether or not the illegal copy has occurred and the timing of the illegal copy, but it is not always necessary to know the route through which the software was copied. Not possible. Therefore, a method of adding a mark to the software to be sold itself and storing the mark in the host computer 11 is considered.

Hereinafter, an identifier management method using the mark will be described with reference to FIGS. When selling the software online, the host computer 11 embeds the distribution ID as a mark for identifying the sold software in the software, and then transmits it. As the distribution ID, for example, the user ID of the sales destination or the terminal I
D, information that can identify the fact of sale, such as the date of sale, is used. In particular, if the user ID of the user who purchased the product is used as the distribution ID, when the software is copied, it can be easily known to whom the software was sold.

FIG. 13 shows an example of a sales record included in the machine information at this time. The sales record of FIG. 13 is shown in FIG.
Has a distribution ID (DID) added to its sales record. FIG. 14 is a flowchart of the distribution ID setting process. FIG.
The setting process of the distribution ID of No. 4 is performed when the software creator registers the software at the distribution center.

When the process is started in FIG. 14, the host computer 11 first secures an area for embedding the DID at a predetermined position of the file of the software to be registered (step S41), and installs the area describing the location of the area. Is created (step S42). next,
The definition file is registered together with the software (step S43), and the process ends.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of the distribution ID embedding process. The process of embedding the distribution ID in FIG. 15 is performed after the software to be sold is determined in step S28 in FIG. When the processing is started in FIG. 15, the host computer 11 refers to the definition file of the software to be sold and specifies the name of the file in which the distribution ID is embedded and the embedding position in the file (step S4).
4). Next, a predetermined distribution ID is written in a predetermined position of the file (step S4).
5), end the processing.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart of a distribution ID check process. The process of checking the distribution ID in FIG. 16 is performed when a user designates specific software and requests to check whether or not the software has been copied.

When the processing is started in FIG. 16, the host computer 11 first searches the software stored in the connected user terminal for the designated software (steps S51 and S52). If there is no designated software, the process is terminated. If there is, the distribution ID is read from a predetermined position of the designated software with reference to the corresponding definition file (step S53). Next, referring to the sales record,
It is determined whether the read distribution ID is correct (step S54). For example, if a user ID is adopted as the distribution ID,
It is correct if the distribution ID matches the user ID entered at the time of access, otherwise it is incorrect.

If the distribution ID is correct, the user is notified that the software is not illegally copied (step S55), and the process ends. If the distribution ID is not correct, the user is notified that the software of the user has been illegally copied in some form (step S56), and the process ends.

FIG. 17 shows an example of a distribution ID embedded in software. Here, for example, the distribution ID is recorded in the file using the VERSIONINFO resource of WINDOWS. In FIG. 17, block "0409"
“AAAAAAAAA” described in “04E4” corresponds to the embedding area of the distribution ID.

FIG. 18 shows an example of an installation definition file corresponding to this software. FIG.
The name of the file in which the distribution ID embedding area is set is defined in the SOFT. EX
E, and describes that eight characters from the address 8E80 are an embedding area.

When selling the registered software, the distribution ID embedding area in the original file at the time of registration is rewritten to, for example, the user ID of the user of the sales destination before delivering the file. FIG.
18 illustrates the rewriting of the distribution ID in FIG. In FIG. 19, the file SOFT. "AA" described in EXE addresses 8E80 to 8E87
The eight characters “AAAAAAA” are rewritten to the distribution ID “GDF02256” before the home delivery.

In this way, information for identifying the distribution is embedded in the file of the sold software, and this information can be read from the file as needed. Since the distribution ID is set by the host computer 11, false information cannot be used. Further, by notifying the user that the distribution ID is embedded, it is possible to suppress unauthorized copying of software.

Further, by adding information possessed only in the host computer 11 to the distribution ID or by combining encryption technology, it becomes very difficult for the user to rewrite the distribution ID without permission. Furthermore, it can also be used when the software creator checks the distribution route of the created software.

[0072]

According to the present invention, in a system in which software is installed and sold online, the sales history of software can be efficiently managed, and a service useful for both users and vendors can be provided.

For example, if the distributed software is destroyed, the sales history is confirmed and a free restoration service becomes possible. This saves the user the hassle of making backups and allows the vendor to monitor for unauthorized copying. It is also possible to check whether or not the software has been copied at the request of the user.

Further, in a future software distribution system, the present invention can be applied when a mechanism for detecting an illegal copy becomes necessary.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a principle diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a software distribution system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing user information.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing machine information.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a sales record (No. 1).

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing information when one user has a plurality of terminals.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing information when one terminal is shared by a plurality of users.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of user ID registration.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of terminal ID registration.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of sales.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a terminal password check.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example of checking a terminal password.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a sales record (part 2).

FIG. 14 is a flowchart of setting a distribution ID.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of embedding a distribution ID.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart of a distribution ID check.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a distribution ID embedding area.

FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a definition file.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing rewriting of a distribution ID.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 management means 2 terminal password changing means 3 distribution identifier adding means 4 user information storage means 5 terminal information storage means 6 distribution record storage means 7 definition file storage means 8 software storage means 11 host computer 12 network 13-1, 13-2 , 13-m terminal

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Hiroshi Oki 1015 Kamiodanaka, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside Fujitsu Limited (72) Inventor Shinji Kamata 1015 Kamiodanaka, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture Fujitsu Limited ( 72) Inventor Takashi Hara 1015 Uedanaka, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside Fujitsu Limited (72) Inventor Toshiya Yamazaki 1015, Kamiodanaka, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture F-term in Fujitsu Limited (Reference) 5B076 FC10

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A means for performing distribution recording of software in association with information on a terminal, a storage means for storing information relating to a user and information on a terminal in association with each other, and based on the distribution record and information stored in the storage means. And a means for charging the corresponding user. 2. A software distribution method comprising: a step of distributing and recording software in association with information on a terminal; and a step of charging the corresponding user based on the distribution record and storage information in which information on the user and information on the terminal are associated. Method.