US Patent 7962424 Overdraft licenses and license distribution

In response to receiving an order (e.g., including payment for one or more software licenses), a license distribution manager allocates a specified number of software licenses for distribution to a corresponding customer's clients that utilize the licenses to operate software associated with a corresponding vendor software application. The license distribution manager can allocate one or more overdraft licenses for distribution to the customer in addition to the specified number of software licenses associated with the order. Accordingly, the license distribution manager can allocate extra software licenses (e.g., the overdraft licenses) and distribute more software licenses than are actually purchased by a respective customer. This enables the customer to use one or more provisional licenses (e.g., overdraft licenses) that support restricted use of the vendor's software application such as until the customer can replace the provisional licenses with corresponding purchased licenses.