Granted Patent B2

US 12,346,416 · App. 18/428,697 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Inventors: Craig Steven Wright (London, GB); Stephane Savanah (London, GB)

Assignee: NCHAIN LICENSING AG

G06F21/121G06F8/65G06F16/152G06F16/1834G06F21/105G06F21/12G06F21/51G06F21/57G06F21/602G06F21/6281G06F21/64H04L9/0637H04L9/0643H04L9/0841H04L9/3236H04L9/3247H04L9/3263H04L9/3265H04L63/0435H04L63/061H04L63/0823H04L67/104G06F21/107G06F2221/2107H04L9/50H04L67/1065H04L2209/56

Abstract

Claims (59)

1. A computer-implemented method of securing computer software for installation and verifying its integrity, using a distributed hash table and a peer-to-peer distributed ledger, the method comprising:

determining a data (D1) associated with the computer software;

determining a first hash value (H1) of the computer software;

determining a second hash value (H2) based on the data and the computer software;

sending, over a first communications network, the data, the first hash value, and the second hash value to an entry for storage in the distributed hash table, wherein the second hash value is a key of a key-value pair and the data and the first hash value are a value in the key-value pair;

determining a metadata (M) comprising the second hash value;

determining a first redeem script (RS1) based on the metadata and an agent public key associated with an agent;

sending, over the first communications network, a first data output (O1) for storage on the peer-to-peer distributed ledger based on the first redeem script (RS1);

determining a second redeem script (RS2) based on the metadata, the agent public key, and a user public key associated with a user;

sending, over a second communications network, a second data output (O2) to the peer-to-peer distributed ledger based on the second redeem script;

determining the metadata from the second redeem script stored on the peer-to-peer distributed ledger;

retrieving, from the metadata, an indication of the entry on the distributed hash table from the metadata;

determining a third hash value (H3) based on the computer software;

determining a fourth hash value (H4) from the entry on the distributed hash table;

comparing the third hash value and the fourth hash value; and

verifying the integrity of the computer software based on the comparing of the third hash value and the fourth hash value.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first data output is further based on an indication of a first quantity of cryptocurrency (C1) to be transferred, wherein the first quantity of cryptocurrency is associated with the first redeem script.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the second data output is further based on an indication that the first quantity of cryptocurrency from the first data output is to be transferred.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the data comprises a licence associated with the computer software.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the licence is associated with the user and further comprises a second public key.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the licence further comprises the first hash value.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the licence comprises a top hash value of a Merkle tree.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the third hash value and the fourth hash value comprises determining whether the third hash value and the fourth hash value match.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein before determining the metadata, the method comprises:

determining the user public key from the second redeem script stored on the peer-to-peer distributed ledger;

determining a second user public key associated with the user from an entry stored on the distributed hash table;

comparing the user public key and the second user public key; and

verifying an ownership of the computer software based on the comparing of the user public key and the second user public key.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein comparing the second public key and the second user public key comprises determining whether the user public key and the second user public key match.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the computer software comprises a header and a body.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the third hash value is determined from the body of the computer software.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the header comprises a hash value of the body of the computer software.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the header further comprises the second hash value.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the body of the computer software comprises an executable of the computer software.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining an identifier indicative of location of the software;

assigning the identifier to the value in the key-value pair; and

sending, over the communications network, the identifier to the entry on the distributed hash table.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , further comprising:

retrieving the second hash value from the metadata;

sending the second hash value to a processor associated with a participating node of the distributed hash table; and

determining, from the processor of the participating node, the identifier indicative of the location of the computer software.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the peer-to-peer distributed ledger is a blockchain.

19. A computer system of securing computer software for installation and verifying its integrity, using a distributed hash table and a peer-to-peer distributed ledger, the system comprising a processing device associated with a node on a peer-to-peer network of nodes, configured to carry out the steps of:

determining a data (D1) associated with the computer software;

determining a first hash value (H1) of the computer software;

determining a second hash value (H2) based on the data and the computer software;

sending, over a first communications network, the data, the first hash value, and the second hash value to an entry for storage in the distributed hash table, wherein the second hash value is a key of a key-value pair and the data and the first hash value are a value in the key-value pair;

determining a metadata (M) comprising the second hash value;

determining a first redeem script (RS1) based on the metadata and an agent public key associated with an agent;

sending, over the first communications network, a first data output (O1) for storage on the peer-to-peer distributed ledger based on the first redeem script (RS1);

determining a second redeem script (RS2) based on the metadata, the agent public key, and a user public key associated with a user;

sending, over a second communications network, a second data output (O2) to the peer-to-peer distributed ledger based on the second redeem script;

determining the metadata from the second redeem script stored on the peer-to-peer distributed ledger;

retrieving, from the metadata, an indication of the entry on the distributed hash table from the metadata;

determining a third hash value (H3) based on the computer software;

determining a fourth hash value (H4) from the entry on the distributed hash table;

comparing the third hash value and the fourth hash value; and

verifying the integrity of the computer software based on the comparing of the third hash value and the fourth hash value.

Assignments (4)

Priority Claims (3)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (94)