Method and Device for Protecting Software Delivered to a User by a Supplier

1. A system for protecting software programs (P.sub.l. . . , P.sub.i, . . . P.sub.n) adapted to be executed on a data processing machine (1) of a user of the software programs, said machine having at least one memory (M), control and processing circuits (2), and an input/output device (3), the system comprising: a card (C), specific to the user, possessing at least one memory (M1) and processing circuits (4), and a card reader (LC) coupled with the input/output device (3) of the machine (1) and with the card (C) to enable data transfer therebetween; the memory (M) of the machine (1) containing at least one program (P.sub.i) delivered by a supplier of the software programs, the one program including an identification parameter (a.sub.i) which identifies the one program and having a scrambled portion which renders the one program non-executable on the machine, containing a main validation key code (V.sub.i), specific to the one program, issued by the supplier, and containing a master program (SPP); the memory (M1) of the card (C) containing at least one secret code (S) specific to the user and known only to the suppler, and identification arguments which identify the programs, at least one of said identification arguments (b.sub.i) identifying said one program, the card having means responsive to the identification parameter (a.sub.i) contained in the one program (P.sub.i) for addressing said identification argument (b.sub.i), and the processing circuits (4) of the card having means for computing a supplementary validation key code (V'.sub.i) from the secret code (S) and the addressed identification argument (b.sub.i) of the program (P.sub.i) and for transferring the supplementary validation key code to the machine; and wherein the master program (SPP) is formed to combine the supplementary validation key code (V'.sub.i) and the main validation key code (V.sub.i) for unscrambling the scrambled portion of the program (P.sub.i) and rendering the program executable.

2. A method of protecting software programs (P.sub.1, . . . P.sub.i, . . . P.sub.n) delivered by a supplier to prospective users, each user possessing a data processing machine (1) on which said programs can be executed, the method comprising: prior to delivery to a user rendering the programs nonexecutable in the state in which the programs are delivered, said rendering comprising scrambling a portion of each program (P.sub.i) such that a predetermined validation key (V.sub.i, V'.sub.i) is required for unscrambling the program (P.sub.i) to transform it into an executable state, said predetermined validation key comprising a combination of a main validation key (V.sub.i) and a supplementary validation key (V'.sub.i), the main validation key being defined in accordance with the program (P.sub.i) and a secret code (S) which is unique to the user and known solely to the supplier, and the program (P.sub.i) having an identification parameter (a.sub.i) which identifies the program; coupling to the user's machine a portable card having processing circuits (4) and a storage area (M.sub.1) in which are recorded the user's unique secret code and identification arguments (b.sub.1, . . . b.sub.i, . . . b.sub.n) which are associated with the identification parameters (a.sub.1, . . . a.sub.i, . . . a.sub.n) of the programs (P.sub.1, . . . P.sub.i, . . . P.sub.n); storing in a memory (M) of the user's machine the program (P.sub.i) and the corresponding main validation code (V.sub.i); transferring to the card the identification parameter (a.sub.i); producing in the processing circuits of the card the supplementary validation key (V'.sub.i) for the program (P.sub.i) as a function of the secret code and an associated identification argument (b.sub.i) and supplying said supplementary validation key to the user's machine; combining in the user's machine, the main validation key and the supplementary validation key to produce the predetermined validation key; and applying the predetermined validation key to the program (P.sub.i) to unscramble the program (P.sub.i) and transform it into an executable state.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 further comprising: prerecording in each user's card prior to delivery of the card to the user identical identification arguments (b.sub.i) for identifying the same program regardless of the user of said program, and wherein said storing comprises storing in each user's machine a main validation key (V.sub.i) which differs for each program (P.sub.i) delivered to the user and which differs from the main validation key for the same program (P.sub.i) delivered to another user.

4. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein said prerecording further includes: prerecording in the storage area of the card the identification arguments (b.sub.1, . . . b.sub.i, . . . b.sub.n) of the programs in the form of a table (TB); and wherein the card is formed to permit addressing of at least one said identification argument (b.sub.i) of the program (P.sub.i) by means of at least one associated identification parameter (a.sub.i) which is transferred to the card by the user's machine.

5. The method as defined in claim 2 comprising: recording in the memory of the user's machine a main subprogram (SPP); said subprogram (SPP) being formed to transfer the identification parameters (a.sub.i) to the card (C), for addressing said identification arguments (b.sub.i), to receive from the processing circuits (4) of the card (C) the supplementary validation key (V'.sub.i) produced from the arguments (b.sub.i) addressed by the identification parameters (a.sub.i) and from the secret code (S) of the card (C), and to combine said supplementary validation key (V'.sub.i) with the main validation key (V.sub.i) of the program (P.sub.i) to be executed in order to produce said predetermined validation key and render said program executable.

6. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein said scrambling comprises rendering at least one instruction of each program non-executable through scrambling of an instruction code of the instruction.

7. The method as defined in claim 6 further comprising forming each main validation key (V.sub.i) and each supplementary validation key (V'.sub.i) as a binary configuration with p bits.

8. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein, for the purpose of unscrambling the instruction code, the method further comprises forming the main validation key (V.sub.i) and the supplementary validation key (V'.sub.i) so as to unscramble of the instruction code upon the keys being combined in a logic operation.