A method (400) of controlling use of a software product (or equivalent
digitally encoded products) on a data processing system of a customer by
a supplier of the product. The method includes the steps of monitoring
(433 447) operation of the customer system for detecting a condition of
use of the product (such as the number of end-users running the product
simultaneously), providing (450 462) reconciliation information
indicative of the detected condition of use over a corresponding period
of time to a data processing system of the supplier (for example
periodically sending a corresponding message through the INTERNET), and
updating (471 480) licensing information stored on the supplier system
and indicative of a licensing condition of the product according to the
reconciliation information.
