Software license management system and management method

A software license management system comprising:

• a network;
• a first computer connected to the network, the first computer installed with a browser for browsing a Web page;
• a license management server connected to the network;
• and
• a second computer installed with a predetermined software, the second computer not being connected to the network,
• wherein the software license management system manages a license for the predetermined software of the second computer,
• the second computer includes:
• a1) a license authentication cancellation key issue unit configured to issue a license authentication cancellation key for the predetermined software installed in the second computer in response to a predetermined operation;
• and
• a2) a license authentication unit configured to activate a software upgraded from the predetermined software, the software being newly installed into the second computer, in response to an entry of a license authentication key for an upgrade license to be described later, and
• the license management server includes:
• b1) a license information storage unit configured to store an information that is capable of identifying the predetermined software and a license owner in association with each other;
• b2) a license authentication cancellation unit configured to change the license for the predetermined software from an authenticated state to a canceled state in the license information storage unit in response to an entry of the license authentication cancellation key using a function of the browser of the first computer under an account of a user who is the license owner of the predetermined software;
• b3) a determination unit configured to determine that the user is the license owner of a previous version of the predetermined software, and that the license is in the canceled state, based on the information stored in the license information storage unit, in response to an entry of an identification information of the upgraded software using the function of the browser of the first computer, under the account of the user who is the license owner of the predetermined software;
• and
• b4) an upgrade license authentication key issue unit configured to issue the license authentication key for an upgrade license and to notify the first computer based on a determination result made by the determination unit.