International Business Machines Corporation

Thomas Edward Cooper

Robert F Pryor

Hudson Wayne Philips

Jagdish Mooljee Nagda

Hudson Wayne Phillips

According to one aspect of the invention, a method of creating a trial software product on a target system is provided. The method consists of intercepting file system calls from an installation process associated with a full software product and, responsive to a write request from the installation process, encrypting data associated with the write request if the write request is associated with one of a predetermined set of critical product files. The predetermined set of critical product files including those product files comprising the full software product that have been identified as files to which access is to be controlled.

Installing and controlling trial software

A method and apparatus is provided for distributing a software object from a source to a user. A software object is encrypted with an encryption operation utilizing a long-lived encryption key. It is directed from the source to the user. It is loaded onto a user-controlled data processing system having a particular configuration. A numerical machine identification is derived based at least in part upon the particular data processing system configuration of the user-controlled data processing system. A temporary key is derived which is based at least in part upon the numerical machine identification and the long-lived encryption key. The long-lived key generator is provided for receiving the temporary key and producing the long-lived encryption key. The user is allowed to utilize the temporary key for a prescribed interval to generate the long-lived encryption key to access the software object.

Method and apparatus for enabling trial period use of software products:

A method and apparatus is provided in a data processing system for securing access to particular files which are stored in a computer-accessible memory media. A file management program is provided as an operating system component of the data processing system. A plurality of files are stored in a computer-accessible memory media, including at least one encrypted file and at least one unencrypted file. For each encrypted file, a preselected portion of the file is recorded in memory, a decryption block is generated which includes information which can be utilized to decrypt the file, and the decryption block is incorporated in the file in lieu of the preselected portion which has been recorded in memory. Then, a file management program is utilized to monitor data processing system calls for files stored in the computer-accessible memory media. The file management program determines whether the called file has an associated decryption block. The called file is processed in a particular manner dependent upon whether or not the called file has an associated decryption block.

A method and apparatus is provided in a data processing system for securing access to particular files which are stored in a computer-accessible memory media. A file management program is provided as an operating system component of the data processing system. At least one encrypted file and at least one unencrypted file are stored in the computer-accessible memory media. An unencrypted security stub is associated with each of the encrypted files. The security stub is at least partially composed of executable code. The file management program is utilized to monitor data processing calls for a called file stored in the computer-accessible memory media. The file management program determines what the called file has an associated unencrypted security stub. The called file is processed in a particular manner dependent upon whether or not the called file has an associated unencrypted security stub.

A method and apparatus is provided for distributing software objects from a producer to a potential user. The software object is reversibly functionally limited, preferably through encryption, and loaded onto a computer-accessible memory media along with the file management program. The computer-accessible memory media is shipped from the producer to the potential user. The file management program is loaded into a user-controlled data processing system, and associated with the operating system for the user-controlled data processing system. The computer-accessible memory media is read with the user-controlled data processing system. The file management program is utilized to restrict access to the software object.

A method and apparatus is provided for transferring encrypted files from a source computer to one or more target computers. An export program is provided in the source computer and an import program is provided in the target computer. The export program decrypts the encrypted file and tags the export operation with an export counter value. The clear text file is then encrypted with an encryption operation utilizing a key which is unique to a transfer memory media, such as diskette serial number. The memory media is carried to a target computer which utilizes the import file to decrypt the encrypted file.

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Louisville, CO, United States of America

Thomas Edward Cooper