Software Ownership Verification Using DHT and Blockchain Keys
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods lack a secure and efficient way to verify ownership and authorized use of computer software, particularly in decentralized systems, to prevent unauthorized transfers and ensure integrity during electronic transactions.
Innovation Solution
A method and system utilizing a distributed hash table (DHT) and a peer-to-peer distributed ledger (blockchain) to verify software ownership by comparing user public keys stored in separate technical sources, ensuring secure installation and execution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centralized verification system is used to verify software ownership, then the verification process is simple and efficient, but the system is vulnerable to single points of failure and unauthorized access
Solution Approach 1:
The verification system is segmented into multiple independent components: a distributed ledger storing software ownership records, a distributed hash table storing public keys, and peer-to-peer network nodes. Each component operates independently but contributes to the overall verification process, eliminating single points of failure while maintaining verification capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cryptographic intermediaries (public keys stored in DHT and transaction records in blockchain) that mediate between the software distributor and the verification system. These intermediaries enable decentralized verification without requiring direct trust between parties, resolving the contradiction between security and complexity.
2Reliability
If decentralized verification using blockchain and DHT is implemented, then system security and integrity are improved, but the verification process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Public keys are pre-stored in the distributed hash table and ownership records are pre-recorded in the blockchain before verification is needed. This preliminary action allows the verification process to simply retrieve and compare pre-existing data, maintaining ease of operation while achieving high security through decentralized storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates cryptographic copies of ownership evidence: public keys are copied to the DHT from secure sources, and transaction records are copied to the blockchain. These copies enable distributed verification without requiring access to original proprietary information, simplifying the verification process while enhancing security.
3Reliability
If public keys are stored in separate decentralized sources (blockchain and DHT), then system integrity and security are enhanced, but data retrieval and comparison become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a universal cryptographic comparison mechanism that works across different decentralized storage systems. The same public key format and verification logic are used whether retrieving keys from the DHT or transaction records from the blockchain, enabling straightforward comparison while maintaining data integrity across diverse sources.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method (600) and system (1) for verifying ownership of a computer software after installation and prior to execution using a distributed hash table (13) and a peer-to-peer distributed ledger (14). This may be the Bitcoin blockchain or an alternative implementation. The method includes determining (610) a second user public key associated with a second user (24) from a transaction record stored on the peer-to-peer distributed ledger (14). A second public key associated with the second user may be determined (620) from an entry on the distributed hash table (13). The method further includes comparing (630) the second user public key and the second public key, and verifying (640) the ownership of the computer software based on the comparing of the second user public key and the second public key.