JP2006079569A - Media distributing system capable of managing license - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable each purchaser to possess media in which license information consented to her/himself is written concerning the software of music, video, a computer, and the like. <P>SOLUTION: A software supplier stores and manages a consent license of the copyright of the software that the purchaser has purchased and distributes as distribution data the software to the purchaser together with the license information via the Internet. The distributed data are in such a format that the distributed data can be used as software only by being written into hardware media by using a media builder enclosed. The purchaser creates the hardware media such as a CD-R or DVD-R by using the media builder. At this time, the consent license is confirmed and the consent license information is built into the medium to be created. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

The present invention relates to a system in which a software supplier distributes software data to a purchaser via the Internet, and the purchaser himself / herself writes the data to a hardware medium to receive the software.

As shown in FIG. 4, the conventional software sales method is a method of distributing hardware media using distribution means or a method of directly downloading software onto a purchaser's PC using the Internet.

However, in the distribution by the conventional method, as shown in FIG. 4, all purchasers have the same hardware media, and it is difficult to investigate and track when the copyright is violated. Also, even if the software is downloaded directly onto the purchaser's PC using the Internet, music and video software are mostly used after conversion to hardware media such as CD-R and DVD-R. there were.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to distribute hardware media in which license information of a purchaser is incorporated via the Internet.

In order to solve the above problems, when a software supplier requests to purchase software, the software supplier generates a copyright license for the software to be sold, and stores and manages it together with the purchaser's information. . The software supplier creates distribution data that includes a license and a media builder program that are copyrighted together with the sales software, and sends the distribution data to the purchaser using a file transmission means that supports large-capacity data transfer. .

The purchaser who has received the distribution data activates the enclosed Media Builder program. Based on the license information enclosed in the distribution data, the media builder program confirms the license by referring to the software supplier. If the license is confirmed to be licensed, the license information is incorporated into the sales software and written to a hardware medium such as a CD-R or DVD-R to create the medium. If the license cannot be confirmed, or if it is attempted to create hardware media exceeding the permitted quantity, hardware media is not created.

After the creation of the hardware media by the media builder is completed normally, the software supplier is requested to register the hardware media created. Upon receiving the request, the software supplier updates the license information such as the quantity of hardware media created and registers the information as media created. The distribution data received by the purchaser does not function as software as it is, but can be used only by creating hardware media by a media builder.

The hardware media such as CD-R and DVD-R received by the purchaser include license information for which the copyright is granted to the purchaser. This is an excellent characteristic that is not present in CD sales by existing distribution routes, and is useful information that can be used for the purpose of copyright protection. Further, since the purchaser receives the software in the form of a hardware medium such as a CD-R or DVD-R, the purchaser can enjoy the merit that can be used immediately in the case of music and video software.

The flow of processing in this invention is shown in FIG.
The purchaser accesses the site for sale 201 prepared by the software supplier through the browser 101 and completes the software purchase procedure. Next, the site 201 creates license information for which copyright is permitted, and stores it in the DB 303 together with the purchaser information. Further, in order to create the distribution data 304, the license information stored in the sales software 302 and the DB 303 and the media builder 301 are combined into one package.

The site 201 transmits the distribution data 304 to the purchaser using a transmission means corresponding to the large volume data. The purchaser receives the distribution data 304 via the mailer and browser 102. The purchaser who receives the distribution data 304 activates the media builder 103 included in the distribution data 304.

The activated media builder 103 establishes an interface with the WEB function 202 provided by the software supplier, and inquires about the confirmation of the license information included in the distribution data 304. The WEB function 202 that has received the license confirmation inquiry refers to the license stored in the DB 303 and the purchaser information, and checks the validity of the license, such as the amount of hardware media to be created. Notify the media builder 103.

When the license permission is confirmed, writing to the hardware medium 305 such as CD-R or DVD-R is performed based on the sales software data and license information included in the distribution data 304. If the license cannot be confirmed, or if an attempt is made to create a hardware medium exceeding the permitted quantity, the processing is canceled as a violation of copyright has occurred.

After the writing to the hardware medium 305 is normally completed, the media builder 103 establishes an interface with the WEB function 203 and requests registration of the created media information. The WEB function 203 that has received the registration request for the created media information adds 1 to the number of created hardware media in the license information stored in the DB 303 and changes the license status to created media.

In response to software purchase operations such as music, video, and computer from the purchaser, the software supplier creates and manages a license for copyright permission, and uses a transmission means compatible with large capacity to send the CD- Files necessary for creating hardware media such as R and DVD-R are transmitted. The purchaser activates the media builder from the received file, and creates a hardware medium in which the license is incorporated. After the creation of the hardware media has been completed normally, the license information granted to the purchaser is changed and registered in a state in which the media has been created after the media creation quantity has been updated.

FIG. 2 shows a media distribution method and a mechanism related to copyright protection.
Distribution data 304 transmitted from the software supplier 402 is stored in a hardware medium 305 such as a CD-R or DVD-R as software incorporating a license licensed under the purchaser 401. When it is discovered that the hardware media 305 has been illegally copied and used, the licensed purchaser can be identified based on the license information embedded in the used media, and follow-up investigations can be performed during unauthorized use. It will be certain.

FIG. 3 briefly shows the flow of obtaining software that can be used by the purchaser according to the present invention. The software purchaser 401 receives the distribution data 304 transmitted from the software supplier 402. The distribution data 304 does not function as software as it is, and the purchaser 401 can obtain usable software by creating the hardware medium 305.

FIG. 4 shows software that can be obtained by a purchaser using a conventional sales method.
In the software sale by the distribution means, all the purchase software 306 obtained by the purchaser possesses the same media. In many cases, software such as music and video obtained by download sales via the Internet is used after being once converted into a CD-R, DVD-R, or the like by the purchaser.

Although various specific examples have been shown and described above, the present invention is not limited to these specific examples, and various modifications can be made without departing from the technical scope of the present invention. Of course there is.

For example, the hardware media are described as CD-R and DVD-R, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is needless to say that it is a writable storage medium. The software has been described with respect to music, video, and computer software. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that the software may be electronic software that can be stored in a storage medium and used. In addition, the device used by the purchaser to create the hardware media is described as a PC. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any device having a function of writing to hardware media including a DVD recorder or the like may be used. is there. Of course, any means for transmitting the distribution data on the Internet may be any transmission means that can deliver the distribution data from the software supplier to the purchaser. Of course, the license system incorporated into the hardware medium may be any one that allows the software supplier to retrieve the license from the created hardware medium.

    In this invention, it is a figure which shows the structure of a function.     In the present invention, it is a diagram showing a media distribution method and a mechanism related to copyright protection.     In this invention, it is a figure which shows the software supply method simply.     In this invention, it is a figure which shows the software supply method by a conventional system.

Explanation of symbols

101 Browser used by purchaser 102 Mailer and browser used by purchaser 103 Media builder program being executed 201 WEB site for software sales provided by software supplier 202 WEB function for checking license information 203 Creating media WEB function for registration in license information 301 Media Builder program stored for distribution 302 Software stored for sale 303 Database for managing licenses and purchaser information 304 For distribution to purchasers Created distribution data 305 Finally created hardware media 306 Software available through conventional distribution means 307 Software available through conventional download sales means 401 Purchaser 402 Software supplier

Claims (6)

A method of distributing software via the Internet, writing it to a hardware medium at the purchaser's hand, and simultaneously incorporating license information under copyright permission management. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the license information under copyright management is incorporated into a hardware medium finally owned by each purchaser. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchaser notifies the software supplier that the hardware media has been successfully created and the software supplier manages this information. In the method according to claim 1, when writing the distribution data to the hardware media, the license information is inquired and verified to the software supplier, and the creation of the hardware media exceeding the quantity permitted to the purchaser is prohibited. A method characterized by: 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the software for writing to the hardware medium is enclosed and distributed. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data to be distributed can be used only after it is finally written in a hardware medium.

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