diff --git a/source/net/filebot/License.java b/source/net/filebot/License.java
index fc2dd9a6..ffd8fc1e 100644
--- a/source/net/filebot/License.java
+++ b/source/net/filebot/License.java
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 package net.filebot;
 
-import static java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets.*;
 import static java.util.stream.Collectors.*;
 import static net.filebot.Settings.*;
 import static net.filebot.util.JsonUtilities.*;
+import static net.filebot.util.PGP.*;
 import static net.filebot.util.RegularExpressions.*;
 
-import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
 import java.io.Serializable;
@@ -21,17 +20,8 @@ import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 
-import org.bouncycastle.bcpg.ArmoredInputStream;
-import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.PGPException;
-import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.PGPPublicKey;
-import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.PGPPublicKeyRing;
-import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.PGPSignature;
-import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.PGPSignatureList;
-import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.jcajce.JcaPGPObjectFactory;
-import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.operator.jcajce.JcaKeyFingerprintCalculator;
-import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.operator.jcajce.JcaPGPContentVerifierBuilderProvider;
+import org.apache.commons.io.IOUtils;
 
-import net.filebot.util.ByteBufferOutputStream;
 import net.filebot.util.SystemProperty;
 import net.filebot.web.WebRequest;
 
@@ -71,40 +61,10 @@ public class License implements Serializable {
 	}
 
 	private Map<String, String> getProperties(byte[] bytes) throws Exception {
-		return NEWLINE.splitAsStream(verifyClearSignMessage(bytes)).map(s -> s.split(": ", 2)).collect(toMap(a -> a[0], a -> a[1]));
-	}
+		byte[] pub = IOUtils.toByteArray(getClass().getResource("license.key"));
+		String msg = verifyClearSignMessage(bytes, pub);
 
-	private String verifyClearSignMessage(byte[] bytes) throws Exception {
-		ArmoredInputStream armoredInput = new ArmoredInputStream(new ByteArrayInputStream(bytes));
-
-		// read content
-		ByteBufferOutputStream content = new ByteBufferOutputStream(256);
-		int character;
-
-		while ((character = armoredInput.read()) >= 0 && armoredInput.isClearText()) {
-			content.write(character);
-		}
-
-		// read public key
-		PGPPublicKeyRing publicKeyRing = new PGPPublicKeyRing(License.class.getResourceAsStream("license.key"), new JcaKeyFingerprintCalculator());
-		PGPPublicKey publicKey = publicKeyRing.getPublicKey();
-
-		// read signature
-		PGPSignatureList signatureList = (PGPSignatureList) new JcaPGPObjectFactory(armoredInput).nextObject();
-		PGPSignature signature = signatureList.get(0);
-		signature.init(new JcaPGPContentVerifierBuilderProvider(), publicKey);
-
-		// normalize clear sign message
-		String clearSignMessage = NEWLINE.splitAsStream(UTF_8.decode(content.getByteBuffer())).map(String::trim).collect(joining("\r\n"));
-
-		// verify signature
-		signature.update(clearSignMessage.getBytes(UTF_8));
-
-		if (!signature.verify()) {
-			throw new PGPException("Bad Signature");
-		}
-
-		return clearSignMessage;
+		return NEWLINE.splitAsStream(msg).map(s -> s.split(": ", 2)).collect(toMap(a -> a[0], a -> a[1]));
 	}
 
 	private void verifyLicense(byte[] bytes) throws Exception {
@@ -112,7 +72,7 @@ public class License implements Serializable {
 		Object json = cache.json(id, i -> new URL("https://license.filebot.net/verify/" + i)).fetch((url, modified) -> WebRequest.post(url, bytes, "application/octet-stream", getRequestParameters())).expire(Cache.ONE_MONTH).get();
 
 		if (getInteger(json, "status") != 200) {
-			throw new PGPException(getString(json, "message"));
+			throw new IllegalStateException(getString(json, "message"));
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/source/net/filebot/util/PGP.java b/source/net/filebot/util/PGP.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1d7e860b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/net/filebot/util/PGP.java
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+package net.filebot.util;
+
+import static java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets.*;
+import static java.util.stream.Collectors.*;
+import static net.filebot.util.RegularExpressions.*;
+
+import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
+
+import org.bouncycastle.bcpg.ArmoredInputStream;
+import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.PGPException;
+import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.PGPPublicKey;
+import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.PGPPublicKeyRing;
+import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.PGPSignature;
+import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.PGPSignatureList;
+import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.bc.BcPGPObjectFactory;
+import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.operator.bc.BcKeyFingerprintCalculator;
+import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.operator.bc.BcPGPContentVerifierBuilderProvider;
+
+public class PGP {
+
+	public static String verifyClearSignMessage(byte[] psm, byte[] pub) throws Exception {
+		ArmoredInputStream armoredInput = new ArmoredInputStream(new ByteArrayInputStream(psm));
+
+		// read content
+		ByteBufferOutputStream content = new ByteBufferOutputStream(256);
+		int character;
+
+		while ((character = armoredInput.read()) >= 0 && armoredInput.isClearText()) {
+			content.write(character);
+		}
+
+		// read public key
+		PGPPublicKeyRing publicKeyRing = new PGPPublicKeyRing(pub, new BcKeyFingerprintCalculator());
+		PGPPublicKey publicKey = publicKeyRing.getPublicKey();
+
+		// read signature
+		PGPSignatureList signatureList = (PGPSignatureList) new BcPGPObjectFactory(armoredInput).nextObject();
+		PGPSignature signature = signatureList.get(0);
+		signature.init(new BcPGPContentVerifierBuilderProvider(), publicKey);
+
+		// normalize clear sign message
+		String clearSignMessage = NEWLINE.splitAsStream(UTF_8.decode(content.getByteBuffer())).map(String::trim).collect(joining("\r\n"));
+
+		// verify signature
+		signature.update(clearSignMessage.getBytes(UTF_8));
+
+		if (!signature.verify()) {
+			throw new PGPException("Bad Signature");
+		}
+
+		return clearSignMessage;
+	}
+
+}