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180:, such as a time limit or enabling of product features, from the vendor's system and optionally also locks the license to the user's system. Once activated the license continues working on the user's machine with no further communication required with the vendor's systems. Some activation systems also support activation on user systems without Internet connections; a common approach is to exchange
188:
serial number was validated. A unique "key" was returned which allowed the program to continue for a trial period. If two D'Bridge systems communicated using the same key, the software deliberately crashed. The software has long since had the entire activation system removed and is now freeware by Nick J. Andre, Ltd.
263:. Despite independently developing its own technology, in April 2009 a jury found Microsoft to have willfully infringed Uniloc's patent. However, in September 2009, US District Judge William Smith "vacated" the jury's verdict and ruled in favour of Microsoft. This ruling was subsequently overturned in 2011.
271:
Software that has been installed but not activated does not perform its full functions, and/or imposes limits on file size or session time. Some software allows full functionality for a limited "trial" time before requiring activation. Unactivated software typically reminds the user to activate, at
187:
An early example of product activation was in the MS-DOS program D'Bridge Email System written by Chris Irwin, a commercial network system for BBS users and
Fidonet. The program generated a unique serial number which then called the author's BBS via a dialup modem connection. Upon connection, the
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Software verifies activation every time it starts up, and sometimes while it is running. Some software even "phones home", checking a central database (across the
Internet or other means) to check whether the specific activation has been revoked. Some software might stop working or reduce
315:
Product activation where there is no straightforward way to transfer the license to another person to activate on their computer has been widely criticised as making second-hand sales of products, particularly games, very difficult. Some suspect companies such as
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until a product key—a number encoded as a sequence of alphanumeric characters—is purchased and used to activate the software. Some products allow licenses to be transferred from one machine to another using online tools, without having to call
247:, required the user to activate the product via the Internet. However, all copies of Office 2000 do not require activation after April 15, 2003. After its success, the product activation system was extended worldwide and incorporated into
171:
Alternatively, the software vendor sends the user a unique product serial number. When the user installs the application it requests that the user enter their product serial number, and checks it with the vendor's systems over the
329:
Malfunction of the verification mechanism can cause vital software to suddenly stop working until re-activated or patched. This can happen in response to detected changes of installed hardware, or other software, of the operating
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whether it is authorized to fully function. Activation allows the software to stop blocking its use. An activation can last "forever", or it can have a time limit, requiring a renewal or re-activation for continued use.
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restrictions that may be legally invalid. For example, a company may refuse to reactivate software on an upgraded or new PC, even if the user may have a legal right to use the product under such circumstances.
323:
As the transfer of an activation request usually happens encrypted or at least obfuscated, the user cannot see or check if additional data from his/her machine gets transferred, creating privacy concerns.
164:) to generate a unique installation ID. This installation ID is sent to the manufacturer to verify the authenticity of the product key and to ensure that the product key is not being used for multiple
272:
program startup or at intervals, and when the imposed size or time limits are reached. (Some unactivated software has taken disruptive actions such as crashing or vandalism, but this is rare.)
312:, its purchased product may become unusable or incapable of being (re)installed unless an activation-free copy or final patch that removes or bypasses activation is released.
439:
129:
programs. Product activation prevents unlimited free use of copied or replicated software. Unactivated software refuses to fully function until it
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86:
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65:
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39:
105:
418:"Frequently asked questions about a problem that may cause Office 2000 prompts you to register after April 15, 2003"
72:
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to be using product activation to reduce second-hand sales of their games in order to increase sales of new copies.
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Malfunction of the activating mechanism can delay users from getting started using newly-licensed software.
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in the
Brazilian market. Microsoft then rolled out product activation in its flagship
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to deactivate the copy on the old machine before reactivating it on the new machine.
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397:"Microsoft Incorporates New Anti-Piracy TechnologiesIn Windows 2000, Office 2000"
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If the company ceases to support a specific product, goes out of business due to
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hardware serial numbers and an ID number specific to the product's license (a
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market. It broadened that successful pilot with the release of
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In one form, product activation refers to a method invented by
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functionality if it cannot connect to the central database.
470:"Viktor T. Toth - Just Say No... to Product Activation"
440:"Aussie inventor's $ 445m Microsoft windfall wiped out"
376:"Microsoft Extends Anti-Piracy Features in Office 2000"
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46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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199:was introduced in the Brazilian version of
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106:Learn how and when to remove this message
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125:validation procedure required by some
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275:Some 'unactivated' products act as a
44:adding citations to reliable sources
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219:product. All retail copies sold in
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438:Moses, Asher (30 September 2009).
137:
14:
944:
494:Inside Windows Product Activation
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20:
255:and all subsequent versions of
184:files at an Internet terminal.
31:needs additional citations for
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1:
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156:where a software application
197:Microsoft Product Activation
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7:
809:Software release life cycle
399:. Microsoft.com. 2000-02-10
378:. Microsoft.com. 1998-12-09
334:
266:
203:Small Business Edition and
10:
949:
877:Software protection dongle
757:Unwanted software bundling
299:software license agreement
872:Digital rights management
862:
807:
749:
698:
606:
541:
341:Digital rights management
750:Deceptive and/or illicit
902:Software license server
420:. Support.microsoft.com
578:Freely redistributable
213:Microsoft Publisher 98
741:Software as a service
535:Software distribution
217:Microsoft Office 2000
149:U.S. patent 5,490,216
832:Software maintenance
706:Digital distribution
561:Free and open-source
127:proprietary software
55:"Product activation"
40:improve this article
837:Software maintainer
619:Commercial software
607:Compensation models
499:Windows Product Key
239:, and some sold in
201:Microsoft Office 97
933:Software licensing
897:Software copyright
887:Product activation
842:Software publisher
556:Floating licensing
277:time-limited trial
119:Product activation
920:
919:
912:Torrent poisoning
827:Long-term support
651:Pay what you want
351:Technical support
282:technical support
205:Microsoft Word 97
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726:Product bundling
699:Delivery methods
598:Source-available
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907:Software patent
882:License manager
864:Copy protection
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731:Retail software
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668:Open-core model
624:Retail software
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488:External links
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146:and patented (
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721:Pre-installed
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310:consolidation
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57: –
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51:Find sources:
45:
41:
35:
34:
29:This article
27:
23:
18:
17:
886:
782:Trojan horse
711:File sharing
673:Postcardware
661:Donationware
636:Crowdfunding
583:License-free
474:. Retrieved
472:. Vttoth.com
448:. Retrieved
443:
433:
422:. Retrieved
412:
401:. Retrieved
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380:. Retrieved
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207:sold in the
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93:
83:
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62:
50:
38:Please help
33:verification
30:
892:Product key
822:End-of-life
817:Abandonware
767:Infostealer
716:On-premises
631:Crippleware
588:Proprietary
571:Open source
446:. Melbourne
237:New Zealand
162:product key
799:Shovelware
772:Ransomware
736:Sneakernet
476:2013-05-15
450:2009-11-07
424:2013-05-15
403:2013-05-15
382:2013-05-15
357:References
306:insolvency
292:Criticisms
249:Windows XP
131:determines
96:April 2011
66:newspapers
847:Vaporware
794:Scareware
690:Trialware
678:Shareware
253:Office XP
221:Australia
209:Hungarian
192:Microsoft
182:encrypted
927:Category
656:Careware
646:Freeware
641:Freemium
551:Beerware
543:Licenses
335:See also
267:Blocking
243:and the
174:Internet
777:Spyware
762:Malware
683:Nagware
444:The Age
330:system.
257:Windows
178:license
123:license
80:scholar
614:Adware
346:Dongle
261:Office
241:Canada
235:, and
233:France
225:Brazil
158:hashes
154:Uniloc
82:
75:
68:
61:
53:
229:China
152:) by
121:is a
87:JSTOR
73:books
852:list
787:Worm
566:Free
259:and
251:and
59:news
308:or
42:by
929::
459:^
442:.
365:^
318:EA
231:,
227:,
223:,
168:.
527:e
520:t
513:v
479:.
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109:)
103:(
98:)
94:(
84:·
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70:·
63:·
36:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
