System and method for adjustable licensing of digital products

1. A system for adjusting a license for a digital product over time, the license comprising at least one allowed copy count corresponding to a maximum number of devices authorized for use with the digital product, comprising:

a communication module for receiving a request for authorization to use the digital product from a given device;

a processor module in operative communication with the communication module;

a memory module in operative communication with the processor module and comprising executable code for the processor module to:

verify that a license data associated with the digital product is valid based at least in part on a device identity generated by sampling physical parameters of the given device;

in response to the device identity already being on a record, allow the digital product to be used on the given device;

in response to the device identity not being on the record, set the allowed copy count to a first upper limit for a first time period, the allowed copy count corresponding to a maximum number of devices authorized to use the digital product;

calculate a device count corresponding to total number of devices already authorized for use with the digital product; and

when the calculated device count is less than the first upper limit, allow the digital product to be used on the given device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the digital product comprises software.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the license data comprises information that may be used to verify whether the license for the digital product is valid.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the record comprises an authorization database.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first time period comprises a defined number of days after an initial authorization of the digital product.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the defined number of days comprises six days since the initial authorization, and wherein the first upper limit comprises five authorized devices.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor module is adapted to, in response to the calculated device count equaling the first upper limit, send a warning regarding the allowed copy count to the given device.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor module is adapted to, in response to the calculated device count exceeding the first upper limit, deny the request for authorization.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor module is adapted to:

in response to the device identity not being on the record, after the first time period has expired, set the allowed copy count to a second upper limit for a second time period;

recalculate the device count; and

when the recalculated device count is less than the second upper limit, allow the digital product to be used on the given device.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the second time period comprises a defined number of days since the initial authorization.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the defined number of days comprises thirty-one days since the initial authorization, and wherein the second upper limit comprises seven authorized devices.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor module is adapted to, in response to the calculated device count equaling the second upper limit, send a warning regarding the allowed copy count to the given device.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor module is adapted to, in response to the calculated device count exceeding the second upper limit, deny the request for authorization.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor module is adapted to:

in response to the device identity not being on the record, after the second time period has expired, set the allowed copy count to a third upper limit;

recalculate the device count; and

when the recalculated device count is less than the third upper limit, allow the digital product to be used on the given device.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the third upper limit comprises eleven authorized devices.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor module is adapted to, in response to the calculated device count equaling the third upper limit, send a warning regarding the allowed copy count to the given device.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor module is adapted to, in response to the calculated device count exceeding the third upper limit, deny the request for authorization.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the device identity comprises unique device identifying information.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the unique device identifying information comprises at least one user-configurable parameter and at least one non-user-configurable parameter of the given device.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the device identity is generated by utilizing at least one irreversible transformation of the at least one user-configurable and the at least one non-user-configurable parameters of the given device.

21. The system of claim 18 , wherein the device identity is generated by utilizing a cryptographic hash function on the at least one user-configurable and the at least one non-user-configurable parameters of the given device.

22. A method for adjusting a license for a digital product over time, the license comprising at least one allowed copy count corresponding to a maximum number of devices authorized for use with the digital product, comprising:

receiving a request for authorization to use the digital product on a given device;

verifying that a license data associated with the digital product is valid based at least in part on a device identity generated by sampling physical parameters of the given device;

in response to the device identity already being on a record, allowing the digital product to be used on the given device;

in response to the device identity not being on the record, setting the allowed copy count to a first upper limit for a first time period, the allowed copy count corresponding to a maximum number of devices authorized to use the digital product;

calculating a device count corresponding to total number of devices already authorized for use with the digital product; and

when the calculated device count is less than the first upper limit, allowing the digital product to be used on the given device.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:

in response to the device identity not being on the record, after the first time period has expired, setting the allowed copy count to a second upper limit for a second time period;

recalculating the device count; and

when the recalculated device count is less than the second upper limit, allowing the digital product to be used on the given device.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

in response to the device identity not being on the record, after the second time period has expired, setting the allowed copy count to a third upper limit;

recalculating the device count; and

when the recalculated device count is less than the third upper limit, allowing the digital product to be used on the given device.

25. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

code for causing a computer to receive a request for authorization to use the digital product;

code for causing a computer to verify that a license data associated with the digital product is valid based at least in part on a device identity generated by sampling physical parameters of the computer;

code for causing a computer to, in response to the device identity already being on a record, allow the digital product to be used on the computer;

code for causing a computer to, in response to the device identity not being on the record, set the allowed copy count to a first upper limit for a first time period after an initial authorization of the digital product, the allowed copy count corresponding to a maximum number of devices authorized to use the digital product;

code for causing a computer to calculate a device count corresponding to total number of devices already authorized for use with the digital product; and

code for causing a computer to, when the calculated device count is less than the first upper limit, allowing the digital product to be used on the computer.