JPH10222427A - Network license managing system and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a network license managing system with which the license of content, etc., can be permitted in a network. SOLUTION: A CD-ROM 23 stores content data 24 such as 'Kojien' (Japanese dictionary) and its retrieval software, for example. A floppy disk 21 stores a content license 22 such as a user name or utilization time with which the content data 24 can be utilized. When utilizing the content data 24 through a network 3 by a user terminal 9, a server 2 checks the contents of content license 22 and applies the license to the user terminal 9.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a network license management system and a recording medium used when a plurality of computers are connected to a network and one data is shared and used by a plurality of computers.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are the following licensing methods for using software programs and contents on a network. Here, the content is data of an electronic publication or the like, and is, for example, a digitized dictionary of Kojien or the like.

(1) Site License A site license is a method in which a license is collectively granted to a certain place, and a license is granted to all the computers owned. (2) Floating license A floating license permits a certain place to simultaneously use a fixed number of computers regardless of the number of computers. (3) Pay-as-you-go license A pay-as-you-go license is one in which a fee is charged for the usage amount.

[0004] When the license target is content (data), access to the content is instantaneously terminated, and simultaneous use by a plurality of computers is hardly established. Therefore, a floating license cannot be used. It is also difficult to use pay-as-you-go licenses because it is difficult to collect fees. Therefore, although a site license is generally used, in a site license, management by a program is not generally performed, and at present, it is left to a gentlemen's agreement based on a contract.

[0005]

As described above, when a license for content or the like is granted in a system networked by a LAN or the like in a company or a school, the conventional method has many inconveniences. The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a network license management system that can license a content or the like in a network.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a first recording medium on which data is recorded,
A first recording medium, comprising: a second recording medium on which a license for using the data is recorded; a server computer; and at least one client computer connected to the server computer via a network. And the license recorded on the second recording medium are taken into a network, and when the client computer uses the data, the server computer considers the license and takes the license into account. A network license management system characterized in that a license for data is determined.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a network license management system 1 according to the present embodiment. In the network license management system 1, an administrator terminal 5 and user terminals (client computers) 9-1, 9-2,..., 9-n are connected to a server computer (server) 2 via a network 3.
Reference numeral 7 denotes an administrator who operates the administrator terminal.
.., 11-n are user terminals 9-1,.
The user who operates -n.

[0008] A hard disk 13 is connected to the server computer 2, and the hard disk 13 stores a management file 14. The management file 14 stores content license information and user information. The content license information is information obtained from the content license 22 and includes a license period, the number of licenses, a list of issued licenses (current users), recording information on time, and the like.

The user information includes a user name, a used machine (network address), a used content list, and time record information such as start and end of use. Reference numeral 19 denotes a protect key for confirming the license of the server itself, and an existing license system can be used. Here, a hardware protect key is used. By installing the hardware protection key 19 on the server computer 2, a server license 20 is given to the server computer 2. The server license 20 is a license for the server 2 to function as a server.

The floppy disk 21 records a content license 22. The CD-ROM 23 records the content data 24 as an encryption. Content data 2
Reference numeral 4 denotes search software for searching for, for example, digitized data such as “Kojien” and the like, and “Kojien”. The content license 22 is a license for licensing this “Kojien” to the user. For example, the user terminal 9-1 is operated from January 1, 1997 to June 1, 1997.
The license is such that the content data 24 can be used until the day. The content license 22 and the content data 24 are each stored on a floppy disk or CD-ROM.
It may be recorded on a recording medium other than.

The server computer 2 has a license management server 15 and a data operation server 17, and the license management server 15
5, a content data management unit 27, a server license management unit 29, and a user management unit 31. The content license management unit 25 manages the content license 22. The content data management unit 27 stores the content data 2
Manage 4. The server license management unit 29 manages the server license 20. The data operation server 17 has a data operation unit 33 and a data output unit 35.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the contents of the content license 22. In FIG. 2, the name, identifier, and version 51 of the content data represent, for example, the file name, identifier, and version of a directory in “Kojien”.

The license type 53 includes "fixed user name", "fixed terminal", "floating" and the like.
“Fixed user name” means that a license is given only to a user having a certain user name. "Terminal fixed"
Means that a license is given only to a terminal having a specific terminal number. “Floating” indicates a floating license.

In the number of licenses 55, the number of licenses is written. For example, as the license number 55, "2
When "0" is written, use by 20 users becomes possible. The license validity period 57 indicates the validity period of the license for each user or the like. For example, January 1, 1997
The validity period is from the date to June 1, 1997.

The license restriction period 59 is a period in which, for example, when a license is given to a certain user, even if this user desires to return the license, the license is not returned within this restriction period.

Decryption method for encrypted content data 61
Is a method for decrypting the content data 24 when the content data 24 is encrypted. The processing limit of the content data and the media restriction 63 include, for example, the content data 2
4 can be copied to the hard disk 13 only as a backup, or the CD-RO
Describe that only M is targeted. The license start restriction 65 means that use can be started only when a password is input, for example.

Next, the operation of the network license management system 1 will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the overall operation, FIGS. 4 and 5 are flowcharts showing a license registration or addition operation, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart when the user terminal 9 uses the content data 24.

Here, for example, the content data 24
It is assumed that a certain company purchases one CD-ROM 23 on which "Kojien" is recorded, purchases the floppy disk 21 at the same time, and employees of the company use the content data 24 by using an in-house LAN. .

As shown in FIG. 3, the data operation server 17 is started (step 301), and the license condition of the server 2 is checked (step 302). For example, the hardware protection key 19 is checked, and the license condition of the server 2 is checked. That is, it is checked whether or not the permitted machine is within the license period. If the license conditions are correct, the license management server 15 is started (step 303).

The license management server 15 reads the management file 14 (Step 304). When a system administrator management command is sent from the administrator terminal 5 to the server 2 (steps 305 and 306), the data operation server 17 receives the management command (step 307), and the license management server 15 operates the content license 27. (Step 308).

Then, the management file 14 is updated (step 309). The data operation server 17 sends the management information to the user 9 (step 310), and the management information is sent to the manager terminal 5.

When the user terminal 9 wants to use the content data 24, a user command is issued to the server computer 2 (steps 311 and 312), the data operation server 17 receives the user command (step 313), and the license management server 15 Checks the content data 24 and the user's license (step 314). For example, it checks whether the content data 24 or the license is falsified.

Then, the management file 14 is updated by, for example, writing the checked date in the management file 14 (step 315), and the data operation server 17 determines whether the license is permitted (step 316).
That is, the data operation server 17 determines whether or not to grant a license to this user in consideration of the content of the content license 22. If the license is permitted, the content data 24 is operated and transmitted to the user (step 317). For example, of the plurality of content data, for example, content data of “Kojien” is selected and sent to the user. The user 9 performs a process such as a search using the content data 24.

In the case of termination, the administrator 7 issues a termination command (step 318), and the data operation server 17 terminates the license management server 15 (step 31).
9) The license management server 15 updates the management file 14 (step 320), and the license management server 1
5 ends (step 321), and the data operation server 17
Ends the process (step 322).

Next, a process of registering a license or adding the number of licenses will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 show steps 305 to 3 in FIG.
10 specifically illustrates the processing of FIG. The administrator terminal 5 reads the content license 22, and transmits the content license 22 to the server computer 2 (step 401). The license management server 15 decrypts the encryption (step 402), determines whether or not the content license 22 is correct (step 403). If there is data falsification or the like, an error occurs (step 4).
04). If the content license 22 is correct,
It is determined whether the content license 22 has been used (step 405).

When the floppy disk 21 has been used once, a used mark is added to the disk drive 21 to determine whether or not the disk has been used. If used, it is determined whether the same license is registered in the server (step 406), and if registered, an error is made (step 407). If it is not registered in the server, it is determined whether the server is the same as the registered server (step 408), and if it is not the same server, an error is made (step 409).

The contents of the processing from step 401 to step 408 will be supplemented. Content license 2
In the case where the floppy disk 21 storing “2” is new and used for the first time in the network management system 1, it is registered in the server 2. Even if the floppy disk 21 is new, if it is an illegal copy of another floppy disk, this is checked in step 401.

When the floppy disk 21 is used in the network license management system 1, information on the server used is written. In step 406, if the server is the same server and the license has been registered, an error occurs because double registration is performed. In step 408, if the server is the same server and it is not registered, it is registered because it has not been registered due to a system error. In step 409, if the server is a different server, it is determined that the server is illegally used and an error is generated.

Next, it is determined whether or not the license of the content data 24 has been registered in the server (step 410). If the license has been registered, the number of licenses is added. Processing (Step 4
11) Add the number of licenses (step 412) and update the management file 14 (step 417). That is, the date when the content license 22 is added is written in the management file 14.

If it is determined in step 410 that the content license 22 has not been registered in the server, it is determined whether or not there is corresponding content data 24 (step 413). If there is no corresponding content data 24, an error is made (step 414). If there is the corresponding content data 24, the process proceeds to the process shown in FIG. 5 (step 415), the license is newly registered (step 416), and the management file 14 is updated (step 417).

FIG. 5 shows steps 411 and 4
It is a flowchart which shows the process of No. 15. First, the management range of the server 2 is checked (step 50).
1). That is, it is determined whether the total number of licenses is within the management range of the server 2. If the total number of licenses exceeds the management range, it is determined that an error has occurred (step 502). The condition is checked (step 503).
That is, the validity period of the license is checked, and if the validity period has expired, an error is made (step 504). If the conditions of the content license are cleared, the content license requests a password (step 505).

When the administrator 7 inputs a password (step 506), the license management server 15 determines whether or not the password is correct (step 507). If the password is not correct, the process returns to step 506. If the password is correct, it is determined whether or not the content license 22 has the administrator setting items of the user (step 508).
The administrator setting items are information that can be selected by the administrator. For example, the administrator selects a fixed user method to limit users, and determines whether or not the administrator should perform a time-consuming search. It is a setting item for.

The administrator 7 appropriately selects such administrator setting items (step 509), and the license management server 15 checks the administrator setting items (step 51).
0) If an administrator setting item is incorrect, an error is determined (step 511), and the process returns to step 509. If the administrator settings are correct, the content license used mark is written on the floppy disk 21 (step 5).
12), the administrator 7 updates the floppy disk 21 (step 513). The license management server 15 determines whether the update has been correctly performed (step 514).
If the update has not been performed correctly, an error is generated. If the update has been performed correctly, step 412 or step 416 is performed.
Return to

For example, a CD-ROM 23
And the content data 24 to the hard disk 13
When the user purchases the floppy disk 21 storing the content licenses 22 for 20 users and newly registers the content license 22 in the floppy disk 21, steps 410, 413, 41
The content license 22 is stored in the hard disk 13 through the processes of 5, 416, and 417. Furthermore, 10
When purchasing the floppy disk 21 in which the content license 22 for the user is stored and adding a license, the license is added through the processing of steps 410, 411, 412, and 413.

FIG. 6 shows the content data 2 of the user terminal.
4 is a flowchart showing the use of the fourth embodiment. The user terminal 9 connects to the server 2 and transmits the user name and the terminal name (Step 601). The server 2 checks the user name and the terminal name (network address), and returns a user ID if the user terminal 9 is available (step 6).
02). By checking the user, it is possible to prevent a user or the like coming from an external network.

The user terminal 9 issues an available content name acquisition command (step 603), the server 2 checks the user ID, and creates a content name list that can be used by the user terminal 9. That is, a list including the content names for which licenses have been acquired and the content names for which licenses can be acquired is created, and this content name list is returned to the user terminal 9 (step 604). For example, each content name such as “Kojien”, “Science chronology”,... Is sent to the user terminal 9.

The user terminal 9 designates the content to be used from among them (step 605). For example, "Kojien" is selected from a plurality of content names. Server 2
Checks the user ID, writes the use start mark in the management file 14, updates the management file 14, and returns the content ID (step 606). The user terminal 9 sends a data acquisition command 607 (step 607). For example, by specifying "Search for headword"
Send the word "Sakura".

The server 2 checks the user ID and the content ID, checks for improper use, license expiration, and the like, checks license conditions such as, for example, checking command usage restrictions, processes data, and transmits the data (step). 608). That is, the server 2 sends "sakura" and its meaning, "Sakura" and its meaning, and the like. These data are displayed and processed at the user terminal 9 (step 6).
09).

Then, the user terminal 9 releases the content (step 610), the server 2 checks the content ID, releases the license if possible, attaches a use end mark, and updates the management file 14 (step 61).
1). The user terminal 9 terminates the connection to the server 2 (step 612), and the server 2 checks the user ID and updates the management file 14 (step 613). In addition,
The server 2 periodically checks the content license 22, and changes the management file 14 when the license validity period has been exceeded. The process shown in FIG. 6 is performed, for example, when one of the employees of the company described above is operated by the
4 is used.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when a plurality of user terminals 9 use the same content data 24 in the network 3, license management can be performed using a computer. Then, the server 2 can manage the plurality of content data 24 under different license conditions. Further, the license of each content data 24 is safe because it is managed by the server computer 2, and the addition, deletion, and update of the license can be easily performed.

Further, the content license 22 is stored on a recording medium such as the floppy disk 21 or the like.
It is separated from the content data 24. Therefore, only the floppy disk 21 on which the content license 22 is recorded can be sold as a product. Since the content data 24 and the content license 22 correspond to each other, the content data 24 is encrypted, and the content license 22 includes a decryption method.
Each content data 24 can be individually encrypted and supplied.

[0042]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a network license management system capable of granting a license of content or the like in a network. As a result, the copyrights of the content suppliers (publishers, newspapers, software companies, etc.) are properly protected, and the convenience of the readers or users of the content is ensured. The further development of can be expected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a network license management system.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a content license 22;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing overall processing.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing registration of a license or addition of the number of licenses.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing processing in step 411 or step 415;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing use of content by a user.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Network license management system 2 Server computer 3 Network 5 Administrator terminal 9 User terminal 13 Hard disk 22 Content license 24 Content data

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Masashi Ueno 2-5-5 Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Inside Iwanami Shoten Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Jun Okamoto 2-5-5 Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan In-house Iwanami Shoten Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hideki Kondo 130, Yamabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 72) Inventor Naoto Watanabe 130, Yamaguchi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Inu-System Co., Ltd. 72) Inventor Jun Nishita 1-1-1 Ichigaya Kagacho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A first recording medium on which data is recorded; a second recording medium on which a license for using the data is recorded; a server computer; and a server computer connected to the server computer via a network. At least one client computer, wherein the data recorded on the first recording medium and the license recorded on the second recording medium are imported into a network, and the client computer uses the data. Wherein the server computer determines a license for the data of the client computer in consideration of the license. 2. The network license management system according to claim 1, wherein the license is added, deleted, or changed. 3. The network license management system according to claim 1, wherein said data is encrypted, and said decryption method is written in a license corresponding to said data. 4. A recording medium on which a license indicating a license to use data used in a network is recorded.