Methods and apparatus for managing secured software for a wireless device

A system for managing distribution of a software application having a plurality of features, the system comprising:

• an application generator adapted to create the software application;
• a validation server adapted to create a validation license;
• and
• a distribution server adapted to (1) create a first combination of the validation license and the software application, (2) protecting the first combination, (3) create a digital rights management (DRM) license for the encrypted first combination, (4) create a feature license, which authorizes execution of a predefined subset of the plurality of features of the software application, and (5) create a protected software package as a combination of the encrypted first combination, the DRM license and the feature license.

A protected software package for use on a first device comprising:

• a software application to be executed on the first device containing multiple separately accessible sets of features including at least a first set of features;
• a validation license to verify integrity of the software application;
• a digital rights management (DRM) license to grant the first device a first set of rights to execute and install the software application;
• and
• a feature license granting the first device a second set of rights to execute the first set of features.

A user equipment to be used in a first device to receive a protected software package containing a software application having a plurality of features, which are separately executable, a validation license, a digital rights management (DRM) license and a feature license, which authorizes execution of a predefined subset of the plurality of features, the user equipment comprising:

• an application installer adapted to install the protected software package on the first device;
• an application manager adapted to present the software application to a user;
• and
• an execution unit adapted to execute the features of the software application including a first feature from the predefined subset of the plurality of features, which are authorized for execution.

For use with a first device having a protected software package containing a software application having a plurality of features, which are separately executable, a validation license, a digital rights management (DRM) license and a feature license, which authorizes execution of a predefined subset of the plurality of features, a computer program embodied in at least one computer readable medium comprising:

• first software for validating the validation license using a validation key information and a validation signature;
• second software for enforcing a first set of rules from the DRM license using a DRM key information and a DRM signature;
• third software for verifying that the first device has a right to execute the software application;
• and
• fourth software to verify that the first device has a right to execute a first feature of the software application.