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US007249105B1
(12) United States Patent ao) Patent No.: Us 7,249,105 Bi
Peinado et al. (45) Date of Patent: Jul. 24,2007
(54) BORE-RESISTANT DIGITAL GOODS
CONFIGURATION AND DISTRIBUTION
METHODS AND ARRANGEMENTS
(75) Inventors: Marcus Peinado, Bellevue, WA (US);
Mariusz H. Jakubowski, Bellevue, WA
(US); Ramarathnam Venkatesan,
Redmond, WA (US)
(73) Assignee: Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA (US)
( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
(21) Appl. No.: 09/525,206
(22) Filed: Mar. 14, 2000
(51) Int. CI.
G06F 99/00 (2006.01)
H04F1/00 (2006.01)
(52) U.S. CI 705/56; 705/50; 705/51;
705/52; 713/190; 713/194; 717/51
(58) Field of Classification Search 705/56,
705/55, 51, 201, 50, 52; 713/201, 190, 194;
380/42,63; 717/108 See application file for complete search history.
(56) References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
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5,559,884 A 9/1996 Davidson et al 380/4
5,666,411 A 9/1997 McCarty
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5,892,899 A 4/1999 Aucsmith et al 395/186
6,169,805 Bl * 1/2001 Dunn et al 380/259
6,223,288 Bl * 4/2001 Byrne 713/190
6,230,318 Bl* 5/2001 Halstead et al 717/108
6,237,096 Bl * 5/2001 Bisbee et al 705/51
6,249,866 Bl * 6/2001 Brandrett et al 713/201
6,260,141 Bl * 7/2001 Park 713/155
Break-Once, Run-everywhere (BORE) resistant software configurations and digital goods and content distribution methods and arrangements are provided for use in computer systems and networks. An initial digital good is selectively divided into at least two portions. The first portion is provided to a destination computer, for example, via a CD ROM, floppy disk, or pre-loaded on a hard disk drive. The second portion is operatively modified within a source computer based on unique data associated with the destination computer. The modified second portion is then provided to the destination computer, for example, over a network, along with a key that can be used to operatively modify the first portion to be compatible with the modified second portion. The destination computer then modifies the first portion accordingly, and combines the modified first portion with the modified second portion to produce a modified digital good that is operatively different in configuration, but substantially functionally equivalent to the initial digital good. During subsequent initialization or operation, the modified digital good verifies that the destination computer is properly associated with the key and/or the unique data previously associated with the destination computer.
66 Claims, 8 Drawing Sheets
