Automatic distribution of licenses for a third-party service operating in association with a licensed first-party service
A first-party vendor provides a licensed first-party service on one or more electronic devices, the first-party service associated with a licensed third-party service provided by a third-party vendor on the electronic devices. When a customer purchases a first-party license for the first-party service, the customer may automatically be issued a third-party license that aligns with the first-party license. Furthermore, distribution and activation of the third-party license may be concealed from the customer.
1 . A method at a first-party vendor server for accessing a first- party service of a first-party vendor, the method comprising:
storing, in a database, (1) a first-party license issued to a customer for the first-party service, (2) an identifier of the customer, and (3) an identifier of an electronic device used by the customer to access the first-party service, the first-party license stored in the database having first-party license attributes comprising a count of instances of the first-party license and an expiry date of the first-party license, wherein the first-party service is accessible at the electronic device if at least a portion of the instances of the first-party license is available;
sending to a third-party vendor server, a request for issuance of a third-party license for a third-party service corresponding to the first-party license, the request comprising the same count and expiry date as the first-party license attributes;
receiving from the third-party vendor server a third-party license key pointing to the third-party license having third-party license attributes comprising the count and the expiry date as indicated in the request; and
storing, in the database, the third-party license key as an attribute of the first-party license, thereby aligning terms of the third-party license with terms of the first party license so that the customer electronic device will automatically be allocated use of the corresponding third-party license when the customer electronic device is allocated use of the first party service.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the third-party license key to the electronic device.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the request further comprises a name and wherein the third-party license attributes further comprise the name as indicated in the request.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the first-party license attributes further comprise a first-party license name, and wherein the name comprised in the request is identical to the first-party license name.
5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the first-party license attributes further comprise a first-party license name, the method further comprising:
storing, in the database, a mapping of the first-party license name and a name of the third-party license; and
determining the name comprised in the request from the mapping.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the request further comprises a type and wherein the third-party license attributes further comprise the type as indicated in the request.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the first-party license attributes further comprise a first-party license type, and wherein the type comprised in the request is identical to the first-party license type.
8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the first-party license attributes further comprise a first-party license type, the method further comprising:
storing, in the database, a mapping of the first-party license type and a type of the third-party license; and
determining the type comprised in the request from the mapping.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein all information of the third-party license is concealed from the electronic device.
10 . A server for a first-party service comprising:
a database configured to store (1) a first-party license issued to a customer for the first-party service, an identifier of the customer, and (3) an identifier of an electronic device used by the customer to access the first-party service, the first-party license stored in the database having first-party license attributes comprising a count of instances of the first-party license and an expiry date of the first-party license, wherein the first-party service is accessible at the electronic device if at least a portion of the instances of the first-party license is available; and
a processor configured to:
send to a third-party vendor server a request for issuance of a third-party license for a third-party service corresponding to the first-party license, the request comprising the same count and expiry date as the first-party license attributes;
receive from the third-party vendor a third-party license key pointing to the third-party license having third-party license attributes comprising the count and the expiry date as indicated in the request; and
store, in the database, the third-party license key as an attribute of the first-party license, thereby align terms of the third-party license with terms of the first party license so that the customer electronic device will automatically be allocated use of the corresponding third-party license when the customer electronic device is allocated use of the first-party service.
11 . The server of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide the third-party license key to the electronic device.
12 . The server of claim 10 , wherein the request further comprises a name and wherein the third-party license attributes further comprise the name as indicated in the request.
13 . The server of claim 12 , wherein the first-party license attributes further comprise a first-party license name, and wherein the name comprised in the request is identical to the first-party license name.
14 . The server of claim 12 , wherein the first-party license attributes further comprise a first-party license name, and wherein the processor is further configured to:
store, in the database, a mapping of the first-party license name and a name of the third-party licensee; and
determine the name comprised in the request from the mapping.
15 . The server of claim 10 , wherein the request further comprises a type and wherein the third-party license attributes further comprise the type as indicated in the request.
16 . The server of claim 15 , wherein the first-party license attributes further comprise a first-party license type, and wherein the type comprised in the request is identical to the first-party license type.
17 . The server of claim 15 , wherein the first-party license attributes further comprise a first-party license type, and wherein the processor is further configured to:
store, in the database, a mapping of the first-party license type and a type of the third-party license; and
determine the type comprised in the request from the mapping.
18 . The server of claim 10 , wherein all information of the third-party license is concealed from the electronic device.
19 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon executable code for execution by a processor of a server, the executable code comprising instructions for:
storing, in a database, (1) a first-party license issued to a customer for a first-party service, (2) an identifier of the customer, and (3) an identifier of an electronic device used by the customer to access the first-party service, the first-party license stored in the database having first-party license attributes comprising a count of instances of the first-party license and an expiry date of the first-party license, wherein the first-party service is accessible at the electronic device if at least a portion of the instances of the first-party license is available;
sending to a third-party vendor server, a request for issuance of a third-party license for a third-party service corresponding to the first-party license, the request comprising the same count and expiry date as the first-party license attributes;
receiving from the third-party vendor server a third-party license key pointing to the third-party license having third-party license attributes comprising the count and the expiry date as indicated in the request; and
storing, in the database, the third-party license key as an attribute of the first-party license, thereby aligning terms of the third-party license with terms of the first party license so that the customer electronic device will automatically be allocated use of the corresponding third-party license when the customer electronic device is allocated use of the first party service.
20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein all information of the third-party license is concealed from the electronic device.