[citation needed] Computer software can be licensed in a variety of ways.

A license to use a piece of software may be associated with a specific machine (node-locked), permitting it to only run on that machine (node in a network); alternatively, a company may buy a pool of floating licenses and these licenses may be allocated dynamically to machines, a license being checked-out when a user begins using the software on any given machine and checked-in when the user finishes using the software.

Combining features from the Safecast protection system and FLEXlm, FlexNet featured product activation and executable wrapping, supporting floating licensing and node locked licensing models.

[citation needed] On 1 April 2008 Macrovision's Software Business Unit, which included FLEXnet Publisher, was sold to the private equity company Thoma Cressey Bravo and subsequently relaunched as Acresso Software.

[8][9] The TrueCrypt developers also state that "the issue is caused by inappropriate design of the third-party activation software.