Availability of permission models in roaming environments

A processor implemented method for use at a computer system, the method for determining that a software product can be used at a computing device, the method comprising:

• referring to a storage device to access a stored record of digital licenses including a digital license for the software product, the digital license having been generated in response to a request to activate the software product with a product key associated with the software product, the product key having been stored on a hardware device or generated based on a presence of the hardware device, the stored record updated on an ongoing basis in response to other installations and removals of the digital license at one or more other monitored computing devices, the stored record representing current usage of the software product, the stored record comprising information about a history of the digital license;
• licensing the software product for use at the computing device by determining the use satisfies terms defined within the digital license in view of the represented current usage of the software product;
• and
• automatically further updating the stored record to modify the represented current usage to reflect licensed use of the software product at the computing device.

A computer program product for use at a computer system, the computer program product for implementing a method for determining that a software product can be used at a computing device, the computer program product comprising one or more hardware storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed at a processor, cause the computer system to perform the method, including the following:

• refer to a storage device to access a stored record of digital licenses including a digital license for the software product, the digital license having been generated in response to a request to activate the software product with a product key associated with the software product, the request originating from a device other than the computing device, the stored record updated on an ongoing basis in response to other installations and removals of the digital license at one or more other monitored computing devices, the stored record representing current usage of the software product by a user identifier;
• license use of the software product by the user identifier at the computing device by determining the use satisfies terms defined within the digital license in view of the represented current usage of the software product by the user identifier;
• and
• based at least on licensing use of the software product by the user identifier, further update the stored record to modify the represented current usage to reflect licensed use of the software product by the user identifier at the computing device.