# US 6,567,107 B1 · Method and system for indicating a license status of an object > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,567,107 B1 - Document ID: US6567107B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 09/492,444 - Filed: 2000-01-27 - Granted: 2003-05-20 - Earliest claimed: 2000-01-27 - Assignees: SmartDraw.com - Inventors: Paul R. Stannard - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6567107B1 ## CPC - G06F 21/10: Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material (protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16) {; Digital rights management [DRM]} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A tag is attached to an unlicensed object indicating that a user does not have an appropriate license for using the object. The tag partially obscures the object while allowing the object to function as a licensed object. The tag may be indicia that indicates the unlicensed status of the object. Drawings created with unlicensed objects may also be partially obscured with a tag. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of opening a library comprising: determining a license requirement of the library based on a contents of a library license field within the library; and creating a library record in accordance with the library, the library record including an open library license indicator based on the detection of a license corresponding to the library, wherein the open library license indicator results in a display of tag partially obscuring an object selected from the library when the license corresponding to the library is not detected. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising: searching a memory for a license name string within the library license file to detect the license corresponding to the library. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the open library indicator corresponds to license indicator data within an object record created when the object is inserted into a document from the library, the license indicator data resulting in the display of the tag partially obscuring the object. ### Claim 4 A method of opening a document within a graphics program running on a local processor, the method comprising: determining a license requirement of the document based on a contents of a document license field within the document; searching for a license within a memory of the local processor if the license is required, the license indicated by the contents of the document license field; and if the license is not located, displaying an object within the document with a tag partially obscuring the object when the object is displayed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein the displaying of the object further comprises displaying the tag if a license indicator within an object record corresponding to the object indicates the object is unlicensed. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A method in accordance with claim 5, further comprising: adapting the contents of the document license field to indicate no license is required for the document if a license corresponding to the contents of the document license filed is located in the memory of the local processor; and displaying the object without the tag when the document is displayed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A method in accordance with claim 6 further comprising: adapting the license indicator within the object record to indicate no license is required for the object. ### Claim 8 An object record created in a document, the object record corresponding to an object when the document is displayed, the object record comprising: an object description string describing an appearance of the object when the object is displayed; and a license indicator indicating a license status of the object, the license indicator resulting in a display of a tag partially obscuring the object when the object is displayed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) An object record in accordance with claim 8, wherein the license indicator corresponds to an instruction to attach a tag record to the object record, the tag record corresponding to the tag when the object is displayed. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) An object record in accordance with claim 9, wherein the instruction is adapted for execution by an application program interface. ### Claim 11 A method of providing an object for use with a graphics program, the method comprising: supplying a license corresponding to the object, wherein the object is displayed with a tag partially obscuring the object when a document created without the license is displayed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A method in accordance with claim 11, further comprising: providing access to a library containing the object; wherein the supplying the license comprises supplying the license in response to a fee payment. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein the providing access to the library comprises providing access to electronic data representing the library through a packet switched network. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein the supplying the license comprises: transmitting a license loading file through the packet switched network to a local processor; and executing the license loading file on the local processor to load the license within a license table on a memory of the local processor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) A method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the object is a graphic object and the tag modifies the perception of the object by partially obscuring the object when the object is displayed. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the object is displayed through a video output device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A method in accordance with claim 16, further including printing the object on a printed output media with the tag partially obscuring the object. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the object is displayed through a video monitor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) A method in accordance with claim 11, further including analyzing an object record corresponding to the object, the object record comprising construction information adapted to produce the object when interpreted by an application program interface. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) A method in accordance with claim 19 further including detecting license indicator data within the object record. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A method in accordance with claim 20, further including providing a tag record to the application program interface, the tag record providing construction information adapted to produce the tag when interpreted by the application program interface. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) A method in accordance with claim 21 further including: inserting the license indicator data into the object record when the object record is created; and creating the object record in response to an object insertion instruction indicating placement into a document. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) A method in accordance with claim 22, wherein the object insertion instruction comprises a selection instruction indicating selection of the object from a library. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) A method in accordance with claim 23, further including modifying the license indicator data in the object record to indicate the object is licensed in response to a detection of a valid license corresponding to the library. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) A method in accordance with claim 24, further including displaying the object through a video output device without the tag when the license indicator data indicates the object is licensed.