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PGP Corporation introduced a licensing system for a number of commercial and engineering-related reasons. Of equal importance, this approach helps ensure that PGP customers remain in compliance with the terms of their licenses--a frequent customer request.
Why did PGP Corporation introduce a licensing system?
PGP Corporation introduced a licensing system for a number of commercial and engineering-related reasons. The system creates a single build of the software whose feature set is determined by the license number.
How does the license system work?
When a customer purchases a PGP license, PGP Corporation sends a license number that contains information about the number of licensed seats and product version to which the license applies. During installation, the customer enters the name and organization, plus the license number. The software then contacts the PGP License Server over the Internet and authorizes the license. If the license number is valid, the PGP License Server returns a license authorization to enable the software.
What implications does this process have for corporate users?
IT administrators who are using PGP Universal to deploy PGP products to many desktops only need to perform the authorization once. The end users of PGP software preconfigured with PGP Universal do not need to enter any authorization-related information when using that software.
What information is contained in the license number?
The license number contains the number of seats that are licensed, the duration of the license, and the feature level of the PGP software that was licensed. The license number contains no personal information about the user.
What information is contained in the license authorization?
The license authorization contains the license number as well as the name and organization entered in the software"s License Authorization window.
Is the license system part of the source code release?
Yes. PGP Corporation includes the source code to its licensing system to provide assurance that it does not collect unnecessary information from customers. However, the company does not include the cryptographic keys used to digitally sign valid license authorizations in its source code release.
What happens with license number and license authorization information?
PGP Corporation retains the information customers submit during the authorization process as part of the proof that the licensing transaction took place. The company does not and will not make this information, or any subset thereof, available to third parties--except when required to do so by law.
What happens when a license expires?
It is important to note that not all PGP licenses expire. Perpetual (non-expiring) Licenses are available for all PGP products, and PGP Desktop Home is available only under a Perpetual License. However, some PGP customers choose to purchase Subscription Licenses that expire. The software will alert the customer when a Subscription License"s term ends. During the grace period after expiration, the customer will continue to be able to use the software normally. If the customer does not renew the license and reaches the end of the grace period, the software will revert to the PGP Freeware level of functionality to guarantee access to his or her encrypted data.
More information on renewing PGP products can be found at PGP Renewal FAQ.
What should I do if I have problems authorizing my license number?
Customers with problems authorizing their licenses automatically should read the License Engine Troubleshooting FAQ.
Customers still experiencing difficulties authorizing their licenses may submit a manual authorization request to PGP Customer Service. |
