Emc Corporation

Henry L Steinberg

Scott B Gordon

Daniel E Rabinovich

A method and apparatus for controlling the unauthorized removal of software from a non-volatile storage medium include storing an encoded version of the software at an address of the storage medium where the address is used as data directly in the process of deriving an encoding key used to encode the software, and decoding the encoded software using a decoding key derived using the location of the software in its storage medium as data.

Software fingerprinting and branding

A method and apparatus for controlling the distribution of computer software products stored at a file server provide for requesting the identity of the user and the user's secret key prior to enabling access to a requested program product. The program product, upon proper verification of the user identify, is encoded using a second key which is known to the user, and preferably an identification of the user is embedded in the encoding program. Various methods are employed for tracking user access to particular programs, including storing the identify of the user either camouflaged in a commonly found program in non-volatile memory or hidden in a typically overlooked portion of non-volatile memory. In addition, the encoded program can have embedded therein one, and preferably two identifications of the user which can be used to track the program as well as to ensure that the program, when executed has not been tampered with. Upon execution of the encoded program by the user's system, the code is executed 'on the fly' and no executable copy of the code is stored in non-volatile memory at any time. In the event that decoding does not result in a properly executable program, the system may need to be rebooted and/or the program may be at least partially destroyed.

A system and method of providing an embedded controller network communication protocol, for controlling communications between a central controller and a plurality of active embedded controllers, wherein a first data transmission token (T2) is passed, under control of the central controller, from the central controller to an active embedded controller, back to the central controller, and then sequentially from the central controller to and from each coupled active embedded controller. Any active embedded controller may return data to the central controller only appended to the first token. A second data transmission token (T1) addressed to one active embedded controller is broadcast from the central controller to all of the active embedded controllers, with a data stream to be transmitted from the central controller to the addressed active embedded controller appended to the second data transmission token (T1). The first data transmission token (T2) is inserted between data bytes of a data stream appended to the second data transmission token to provide full duplex communication.

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Westboro, MA, United States of America

Henry L Steinberg