Authorising use of a computer program

1. A method of providing a pay as you use licensing system, said method comprising:

providing a computer program with at least one function which when used incurs a license fee or is only able to be used when the license fee is paid;

recording an identifier of a function of the computer program on an authorization system;

recording a user identification with the authorization system, wherein the user identification identifies the user to the authorization system;

recording an agreement that relates to the manner of authorized use of the function of the computer program by the user on the authorization system, wherein the manner of authorized use comprises the license fee to be paid for the use of the function;

receiving at the authorization system a request from the user to use the function of the computer program, an identifier of the function of the computer program and a user identification in a login request message;

verifying at the authorization system the identity of the user from the user identification and checking whether the user identified by the received user identification is authorized to use the function of the computer program identified by the identifier of the function of the computer program according to the agreement, wherein the checking comprises checking that the user has agreed to be charged the license fee or has paid the license fee for use of the function;

sending to the user's computer an indication as to whether the user is authorized to use the function of the computer program, so that where the user is verified and authorized to use the function of the computer program, then use of the function of the computer program is allowed, otherwise use of the function of the computer program is denied.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the function of the computer program is implemented by a sub-component of a software application.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the agreement specifies an amount of the license fee the user is charged for use of the function of the computer program.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the license fee is payable periodically.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the license fee is payable for each use of the function of the computer program.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the license fee is payable according to the duration of use of the function of the computer program.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the user is a person seeking use of the function of the computer program.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the user identification is personal to the user irrespective of a computer on which the function of the computer program is sought to be used.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the provided computer program is locked from use of the function unless the computer program receives an authorization message which allows the user to use the function of the computer program.

10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises receiving an indication that the user agrees to the agreement that relates to the manner of authorized use of the function of the computer program.

11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the received identifier of the function of the computer program is selected by the user according to the function the user wishes to use where there are a plurality of functions available.

12. A method of paying for use of a function of a computer program with a function which when used incurs a license fee or is only able to be used when the license fee is paid, where the computer program is to be run on a user's computer, said method comprising

providing a computer program on the user's computer with at least one function which when used incurs a license fee or is only able to be used when the license fee is paid;

recording an identifier of a function of the computer program on the user's computer;

receiving a user identification from an authorization system, wherein the user identification identifies the user to the authorization system;

sending to the authorization system an indication of an acceptance by the user to an agreement that relates to the manner of authorized use of the function of the computer program by the user, wherein the manner of authorized use comprises the license fee to be paid for the use of the function;

sending to the authorization system a request to use the function of the computer program, the identifier of the function of the computer program and the user identification in a login request message so that the authorization system is able to verify the identity of the user from the send user identification and so that the authorization system is able to check whether the user identified by the received user identification is authorized to use the function of the computer program identified by the identifier of the function of the computer program according to the agreement; wherein the checking comprises checking that the user has agreed to be charged the license fee or has paid the license fee for use of the function;

receiving at the user's computer an indication from the authorization system as to whether the user is authorized to use the function of the computer program, so that where the user is verified and authorized to use the function of the computer program, then use of the function of the computer program is allowed to proceed, but otherwise use of the function of the computer program is denied.

13. An authorization system for authorization of licensed use of a computer program, said authorization system comprising:

a storage configured to record an identifier of a function of a computer program to be authorized for use by the authorization system;

a storage configured to record a user identification, wherein the user identification identifies the user to the authorization system;

a storage configured to record an agreement that relates to the manner of authorized use of the function of the computer program by the user, wherein the manner of authorized use comprises a license fee to be paid for the use of the function;

a receiver configured to receive a request from the user to use the function of the computer program and, an identifier of the function of the computer program and a user identification in a login request message;

a processor configured to verify the identity of the user from the user identification and further configured to check whether the user identified by the received user identification is authorized to use the computer program identified by the identifier of the function of the computer program according to the agreement, wherein the checking comprises checking that the user has agreed to be charged the license fee or has paid the license fee for use of the function;

a transmitter configured to send to a user's computer an indication as to whether the user is authorized to use the function of the computer program, so that where the user is verified and authorized to use the function of the computer program, then use of the function of the computer program is allowed, otherwise use of the use of the function of the computer program is denied.

14. A system according to claim 13 , further comprising a payment module configured to process the payment of the license fee when the user is authorized to use the function of the computer program.

15. Non transient computer readable media comprising instructions for controlling a computer to operate a pay as you use licensing system, said instructions configuring the computer to:

provide a computer program with a function which when used incurs a license fee or is only able to be used when the license fee is paid;

record an identifier of a function of the computer program on an authorization system;

record a user identification with the authorization system, wherein the user identification identifies the user to the authorization system;

record an agreement that relates to the manner of authorized use of the function of the computer program by the user on the authorization system, wherein the manner of authorized use comprises the license fee to be paid for the use of the function;

receive at the authorization system a request from the user to use the function of the computer program, an identifier of the function of the computer program and a user identification in a login request message;

verify at the authorization system the identity of the user from the user identification and checking whether the user identified by the received user identification is authorized to use the function of the computer program identified by the identifier of the function of the computer program according to the agreement, wherein the checking comprises checking that the user has agreed to be charged the license fee or has paid the license fee for use of the function;

send to the user's computer an indication as to whether the user is authorized to use the function of the computer program, so that where the user is verified and authorized to use the function of the computer program, then use of the function of the computer program is allowed, otherwise use of the function of the computer program is denied.

16. Non transient computer readable media comprising instructions for controlling a user's computer to paying for use of a function of a computer program with at least one function which when used incurs a license fee or is only able to be used when the license fee is paid, said instructions configuring the computer to:

provide at least one function to the user's computer which when used incurs a license fee or is only able to be used when the license fee is paid;

record an identifier of a function of the computer program on the user's computer;

receive a user identification from an authorization system, wherein the user identification identifies the user to the authorization system;

send to the authorization system an indication of an acceptance by the user to an agreement that relates to the manner of authorized use of the function of the computer program by the user, wherein the manner of authorized use comprises the license fee to be paid for the use of the function;

send to the authorization system a request to use the function of the computer program, the identifier of function of the computer program and the user identification in a login request message so that the authorization system is able to verify the identity of the user from the send user identification and so that the authorization system is able to check whether the user identified by the received user identification is authorized to use the function of the computer program identified by the identifier of the function of the computer program according to the agreement; wherein the checking comprises checking that the user has agreed to be charged the license fee or has paid the license fee for use of the function;

receive at the user's computer an indication from the authorization system as to whether the user is authorized to use the function of the computer program, so that where the user is verified and authorized to use the function of the computer program, then use of the function of the computer program is allowed to proceed, but otherwise use of the function of the computer program is denied.

17. A method of providing a pay as you use licensing system, said method comprising:

providing a computer program with at least one function which when used incurs a license fee or is only able to be used when the license fee is paid;

recording an identifier of the or each of the at least one function of the computer program on an authorization system;

recording a user identification with the authorization system, wherein the user identification identifies the user to the authorization system;

recording an agreement that relates to the manner of authorized use of the or each of the at least one function of the computer program by the user on the authorization system, wherein the manner of authorized use comprises the license fee to be paid for the use of the or each respective function;

receiving at the authorization system a request from the user to use a selected function of the computer program, an identifier of the selected function of the computer program and a user identification in a login request message;

verifying at the authorization system the identity of the user from the user identification and checking whether the user identified by the received user identification is authorized to use the selected function of the computer program identified by the identifier of the selected function of the computer program according to the agreement, wherein the checking comprises checking that the user has agreed to be charged the license fee or has paid the license fee for use of the selected function;

sending to the user's computer an indication as to whether the user is authorized to use the selected function, so that where the user is verified and authorized to use the selected function, then use of the selected function of the computer program is allowed, otherwise use of the selected function of the computer program is denied.