The embodiment of the invention discloses a method, network equipment and a system for controlling a license. The method comprises the following steps: receiving operation requests and equipment serial numbers of subsystems of a distributed system; if a received serial number exists in the license of the distributed system, determining that a subsystem of the received serial number is a designated on-line subsystem; if the on-line ratio of the designated subsystems in a license file reaches a designated value, activating the license file of the distributed system, otherwise setting the distributed system to be in a state to be activated; and if the license file of the distributed system is in an activated state, allowing the subsystem to operate. The method determines whether the state ofthe license file of the distributed system is activated or not by judging whether the on-line ratio of the designated subsystems in the license file loaded by the distributed system reaches the designated value or not, so that the ESN acquisition of equipment and the deployment of the license are simplified.