The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 27, 2006
Filed:
Sep. 20, 2001
Giorgio Cognigni, Rome, IT;
Alessio Presciutti, Rome, IT;
Giorgio Cognigni, Rome, IT;
Alessio Presciutti, Rome, IT;
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A method () of controlling use of a software product (or equivalent digitally encoded products) on a data processing system of a customer by a supplier of the product. The method includes the steps of monitoring () operation of the customer system for detecting a condition of use of the product (such as the number of end-users running the product simultaneously), providing () reconciliation information indicative of the detected condition of use over a corresponding period of time to a data processing system of the supplier (for example periodically sending a corresponding message through the INTERNET), and updating () licensing information stored on the supplier system and indicative of a licensing condition of the product according to the reconciliation information.