<s>
Product	B-License
activation	I-License
is	O
a	O
license	B-License
validation	O
procedure	O
required	O
by	O
some	O
proprietary	B-Application
software	I-Application
programs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Product	B-License
activation	I-License
prevents	O
unlimited	O
free	O
use	O
of	O
copied	O
or	O
replicated	O
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
one	O
form	O
,	O
product	B-License
activation	I-License
refers	O
to	O
a	O
method	O
invented	O
by	O
Ric	O
Richardson	O
and	O
patented	O
(	O
)	O
by	O
Uniloc	O
where	O
a	O
software	O
application	O
hashes	B-Error_Name
hardware	O
serial	O
numbers	O
and	O
an	O
ID	O
number	O
specific	O
to	O
the	O
product	O
's	O
license	B-License
(	O
a	O
product	B-Application
key	I-Application
)	O
to	O
generate	O
a	O
unique	O
installation	B-Application
ID	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
installation	B-Application
ID	O
is	O
sent	O
to	O
the	O
manufacturer	O
to	O
verify	O
the	O
authenticity	O
of	O
the	O
product	B-Application
key	I-Application
and	O
to	O
ensure	O
that	O
the	O
product	B-Application
key	I-Application
is	O
not	O
being	O
used	O
for	O
multiple	O
installations	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
application	O
obtains	O
the	O
license	B-License
limits	O
that	O
apply	O
to	O
that	O
user	O
's	O
license	B-License
,	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
time	O
limit	O
or	O
enabling	O
of	O
product	O
features	O
,	O
from	O
the	O
vendor	O
's	O
system	O
and	O
optionally	O
also	O
locks	O
the	O
license	B-License
to	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Once	O
activated	O
the	O
license	B-License
continues	O
working	O
on	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
machine	O
with	O
no	O
further	O
communication	O
required	O
with	O
the	O
vendor	O
's	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
early	O
example	O
of	O
product	B-License
activation	I-License
was	O
in	O
the	O
MS-DOS	O
program	O
D'Bridge	O
Email	O
System	O
written	O
by	O
Chris	O
Irwin	O
,	O
a	O
commercial	O
network	O
system	O
for	O
BBS	O
users	O
and	O
Fidonet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
Product	B-License
Activation	I-License
was	O
introduced	O
in	O
the	O
Brazilian	O
version	O
of	O
Microsoft	B-Operating_System
Office	I-Operating_System
97	I-Operating_System
Small	O
Business	O
Edition	O
and	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Word	I-Application
97	I-Application
sold	O
in	O
the	O
Hungarian	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
then	O
rolled	O
out	O
product	B-License
activation	I-License
in	O
its	O
flagship	O
Microsoft	B-Operating_System
Office	I-Operating_System
2000	I-Operating_System
product	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
all	O
copies	O
of	O
Office	B-Operating_System
2000	I-Operating_System
do	O
not	O
require	O
activation	O
after	O
April	O
15	O
,	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
its	O
success	O
,	O
the	O
product	B-License
activation	I-License
system	O
was	O
extended	O
worldwide	O
and	O
incorporated	O
into	O
Windows	B-Application
XP	I-Application
and	O
Office	B-Operating_System
XP	I-Operating_System
and	O
all	O
subsequent	O
versions	O
of	O
Windows	B-Application
and	O
Office	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
products	O
allow	O
licenses	O
to	O
be	O
transferred	O
from	O
one	O
machine	O
to	O
another	O
using	O
online	O
tools	O
,	O
without	O
having	O
to	O
call	O
technical	B-General_Concept
support	I-General_Concept
to	O
deactivate	O
the	O
copy	O
on	O
the	O
old	O
machine	O
before	O
reactivating	O
it	O
on	O
the	O
new	O
machine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
can	O
enforce	O
software	B-License
license	I-License
agreement	O
restrictions	O
that	O
may	O
be	O
legally	O
invalid	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Product	B-License
activation	I-License
where	O
there	O
is	O
no	O
straightforward	O
way	O
to	O
transfer	O
the	O
license	B-License
to	O
another	O
person	O
to	O
activate	O
on	O
their	O
computer	O
has	O
been	O
widely	O
criticised	O
as	O
making	O
second-hand	O
sales	O
of	O
products	O
,	O
particularly	O
games	O
,	O
very	O
difficult	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
suspect	O
companies	O
such	O
as	O
EA	O
to	O
be	O
using	O
product	B-License
activation	I-License
to	O
reduce	O
second-hand	O
sales	O
of	O
their	O
games	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
increase	O
sales	O
of	O
new	O
copies	O
.	O
</s>
