Software security system using remove function to restrict unauthorized duplicating and installation of an application program

A method for protecting against unauthorized duplication and installation of a software application program recorded within a storage medium for use in a data processing unit comprising the steps of:

• storing within said software application program a nonsense instruction-set such as to make said software application program unexecutable;
• performing a first predetermined operation upon initiation of installation of said software application program onto said data processing unit to determine an application program installation key;
• storing said application program installation key in a first data storage area of said data processing unit;
• performing a second predetermined operation upon initiation of installation of said software application program onto said data processing unit to determine an internal run key;
• storing said internal run key in a second data storage area of said data processing unit;
• obtaining said installation key from the purveyor of said software application program;
• inputting said purveyor installation key into said data processing unit;
• comparing said purveyor installation key with the installation key in said first data storage area;
• installing said application program in a data storage area of said data processing unit upon match between said purveyor installation key and said installation key stored in said first data storage area;
• performing a third pre-determined operation upon initiation of execution of said installed software application program to determine an execution-time run key;
• comparing said execution-time run key within said internal run key stored in said second data storage area;
• permitting full execution of said application program upon determining correspondence between said execution-time run key and said internal run key stored in said second data storage area;
• placing within an installation program for installing said application program onto said data processing unit an instruction-set for removing, by deleting, nonsense instruction sets placed in said application program, upon installation of said application program.

A software security system for restricting unauthorized duplications and installation of an application program comprising:

• an application program having nonsense instruction sets placed in its instruction routine;
• an installation program having a software instruction-set for removing, by deleting said nonsense instruction sets from said application program;
• a software instruction set for storing information unique to the profile of an authorized user in said application program;
• an input means for inputting information unique to the profile of said authorized user;
• software comparison means for comparing said unique stored profile information with said inputted unique profile information;
• wherein said application program further has a software instruction set for limiting access to said application if said stored unique profile information does not match said inputted unique profile information.