System, method and storage medium for license management

Abstract

There is provided a license management system including an issuance system that issues a license for digital content which includes an instruction to change a usage condition for a related license if the related license which has the usage condition to be changed exists, and a user system that, if a license for a digital content includes an instruction to change a usage condition for a related license and the related license is stored within the user system when the use of the digital content is instructed, changes the usage condition for the related license in accordance with the instruction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an overall system configuration and a flow of processing when the sale of an upgrade license is achieved in the system of the related art;

FIG. 2 shows an overall system configuration and a flow of processing when the sale of an upgrade license is achieved in the system of an embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing one example of a functional configuration of a contents provider server;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing one example of a procedure for the contents provider server;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing one example of a functional configuration of a client PC;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing that is executed within the client PC;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing one example of a procedure for a first modified example of the contents provider server;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing one example of a functional configuration of a first modified example of the client PC;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing that is executed within the first modified example of the client PC;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing one example of a procedure for a second modified example of the contents provider server;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing that is executed within a second modified example of the client PC; and

FIG. 12 shows one example of a hardware configuration of a contents provider server or a client PC.

Claims

1. A license management system comprising: an issuance system that issues a license for digital content which includes an instruction to change a usage condition for a related license if the related license which has the usage condition to be changed exists; anda user system that, if a license for a digital content includes an instruction to change a usage condition for a related license and the related license is stored within the user system when the use of the digital content is instructed, changes the usage condition for the related license in accordance with the instruction.

2. An issuance system for issuing a license for digital content comprising: a judgment unit that judges whether or not there is a related license which is related to a license to be issued and includes a usage condition to be changed; andan issuance processor that, when the judgment unit judges there is the related license, issues the license including an instruction to change the usage condition for the related license if the related license is stored within a user system.

3. The issuance system according to claim 2, wherein: the instruction is to invalidate the related license.

4. The issuance system according to claim 2, wherein: the instruction is to change an upper limit of usage count for the related license.

5. The issuance system according to claim 2, wherein: the instruction is to change an expiration date for the related license.

6. The issuance system according to claim 2, wherein: the instruction is to change a billing rate for the related license.

7. A user system for using digital content by using a license comprising: a license storage unit that stores a first license for digital content issued from an issuance system; anda change processor that, if a second license issued from the issuance system includes an instruction to change a usage condition for a related license and the stored first license is related to the second license when use of the digital content is instructed, changes the usage condition for the first license according to the instruction.

8. The user system according to claim 7, further comprising: a deactivation unit that prevents the use of the digital content if the second license includes the instruction to change the usage condition for the related license and the there is not the related license stored in the license storage unit when the use of the digital content is instructed.

9. The user system according to claim 7, wherein: the instruction is to invalidate the related license.

10. The user system according to claim 9, further comprising: a registration unit that, if the license includes the instruction to change the usage condition for the related license and the related license is stored in the license storage unit when the use of the digital content is instructed, registers the related license into an invalidated license memory unit; anda deactivation unit that prevents the use of digital content if there is a license for the digital content in the invalidated license memory unit when the use of the digital content is instructed.

11. The user system according to claim 9, further comprising: a registration unit that registers the instruction for the related license into a change information manager if the license for the digital content includes the instruction to change the usage condition for the related license and the related license is stored in the license storage unit when the use of the digital content is instructed; anda condition application unit that applies a usage condition indicated by the instruction which is registered in the change information manager to the digital content with precedence over a usage condition indicated by the license itself if there is the instruction for the license in the change information manager when the use of the digital content is instructed.

12. A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for issuing a license for digital content, the process comprising: judging whether or not a related license, which is related to a license to be issued and includes a usage condition to be changed, exists; andif the related license is judged to exist, issuing the license which includes an instruction to change the usage condition for the related license within the user system.

13. A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process to use a digital content by means of a license, the process comprising: storing a first license for digital content issued from an issuance server; andif a second license includes an instruction to change a usage condition for a related license and the stored first license is related to the second license when use of the digital content is instructed, changing the usage condition for the first license according to the instruction.

14. A license management system comprising: an issuance system that issues a license for digital content which includes an instruction to change a usage condition for the license if a related license influencing the usage condition for the license exists within a user system; andan user system that, if a license for digital content includes an instruction to change a usage condition for the license and if a related license exists in the user system, when use of the digital content is instructed, changes the usage condition for the license in accordance with the instruction.

15. An issuance system for issuing licenses for digital content to a user system, the issuance system comprising: a judgment unit that judges whether there is a related license, which is related to a license to be issued and influences a usage condition for the license, exists or not; andan issuance processor that, when the related license is judged to exist, issues the license including an instruction to change the usage condition for the license if the related license is stored within a user system.

16. A user system for using digital content by using a license comprising: a license storage unit that stores a first license for digital content; anda change processor that, if the first license relates to a second license which is issued from an issuance system and if the second license includes an instruction to change a usage condition for the second license, when use of the digital content is instructed, changes the usage condition for the second license in accordance with the instruction.

17. A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for issuing a license for digital content, the process comprising: judging whether there is a related license, which is related to a license to be issued and influences a usage condition for the license, exists or not; andwhen it is judged the related license exists, issuing the license which includes an instruction to change the usage condition for the license if the related license is stored within a user system.

18. A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process to use digital content by means of a license, the process comprising: storing a first license for digital content; andif the first license relates to a second license which is issued from an issuance server and if the second license includes an instruction to change a usage condition for the second license, when the use of the digital content is indicated, changing the usage condition for the second license in accordance with the instruction.