System and method for granting electronic rights using the signature of distributable physical media

• US 20010033659A1
• Filed: 01/12/2001
• Published: 10/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2000
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Onebigcd, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Onebigcd, Inc.
• Inventors: Eisenberg, Scott
• Application Number:
  US09/759,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20010033659A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23473 by pre-encrypting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for determining the media signature on a physical media to grant electronic rights, which includes a media signature detector for detecting and reading a media signature on a physical media and a media signature judging unit for determining a specific title of an entertainment form.

Claims

1. A method of administering distribution of electronic digital copies of a literary work, the method comprising:

receiving from a user a digital signature having properties that correspond to one or more attributes of a physical object bearing a recording of the literary work;

revealing the one or more attributes of the physical object from the digital signature;

determining, based on the one or more attributes of the physical object, whether the user has physical possession of the physical object; and

selectively making accessible to the user electronic digital services concerning the literary work based on the determination of whether the user has physical possession of the physical object.

2. The method of administering distribution of electronic digital copies of a literary work of

claim 1

, wherein the electronic digital services comprise distributing an electronic digital copy.

3. The method of administering distribution of electronic digital copies of a literary work of

claim 1

, wherein the electronic digital services comprises providing streaming audio.

4. The method of administering distribution of electronic digital copies of a literary work of

claim 1

, wherein the one or more attributes of the physical object are revealed by performing a cryptographic transformation on the digital signature.

5. The method of administering distribution of electronic digital copies of a literary work of

claim 1

, wherein the one or more attributes of the physical object comprise errors.

6. The method of administering distribution of electronic digital copies of a literary work of

claim 1

, wherein the physical object is a CD and the one or more attributes of the physical object comprise the number of tracks on the CD and the length of each track.

7. The method of administering distribution of electronic digital copies of a literary work of

claim 1

, wherein the physical object is a CD and the one or more attributes of the physical object comprise extended track data.

8. The method of administering distribution of electronic digital copies of a literary work of

claim 1

, wherein the one or more attributes of the physical object comprise a serial number.

9. A computer system adapted to administer distribution of electronic digital copies of a literary work, the computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory electronically connected to the processor, the memory including software instructions adapted to enable the computer system to perform operations comprising;

receiving from a user a digital signature having properties that correspond to one or more attributes of a physical object bearing a recording of the literary work;

revealing the one or more attributes of the physical object from the digital signature;

determining, based on the one or more attributes of the physical object, whether the user has physical possession of the physical object; and

selectively making accessible to the user electronic digital services concerning the literary work based on the determination of whether the user has physical possession of the physical object.

10. The computer system of

claim 9

, wherein the electronic digital services comprise distributing an electronic digital copy.

11. The computer system of

claim 9

, wherein the electronic digital services comprises providing streaming audio.

12. The computer system of

claim 9

, wherein the one or more attributes of the physical object are revealed by performing a cryptographic transformation on the digital signature.

13. The computer system of

claim 9

, wherein the one or more attributes of the physical object comprise errors.

14. The computer system of

claim 9

, wherein the physical object is a CD and the one or more attributes of the physical object comprise the number of tracks on the CD and the length of each track.

15. The computer system of

claim 9

, wherein the physical object is a CD and the one or more attributes of the physical object comprise extended track data.

16. The computer system of

claim 9

, wherein the one or more attributes of the physical object comprise a serial number.

17. A method for granting electronic rights based on an electronic signature, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic signature transmitted via a network by a putative owner of a recording item;

analyze the electronic signature to determine the title of the recording item;

analyze the electronic signature to determine whether the recording item is unique to the putative owner; and

in the event the recording item is determined to be unique to the putative owner, granting rights to the putative owner as being true owner of the recording item, wherein the true owner is permitted access to digital electronic copies of works recorded on the recording item.

18. The method for granting electronic rights of

claim 17

, the method further comprising:

downloading to the true owner a digital electronic copy of works recorded on the recording item.

19. The method for granting electronic rights of

claim 18

, wherein the digital electronic copy is in MP3 format.

20. The method for granting electronic rights of

claim 18

, wherein the digital electronic copy is in WMA format.

21. The method for granting electronic rights of

claim 18

, wherein the digital electronic copy is in RealAudio format.

22. The method for granting electronic rights of

claim 17

, the method further comprising:

adding a copy of the works recorded on the recording item to a central data storage for downloading to true owners of legitimate copies of the recording item.

23. The method for granting electronic rights of

claim 17

, wherein the electronic signature is an electronic hash of information selectively extracted from the recording item.

24. The method for granting electronic rights of

claim 17

, wherein determining whether the recording item is unique to the putative owner is done based on attributes of the recording item.

25. The method for granting electronic rights of

claim 24

, wherein the attributes of the recording item on which the determination of uniqueness are based comprise errors.

26. A computer system adapted to grant electronic rights based on an electronic signature received over a network, the computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory electronically connected to the processor, the memory including software instructions adapted to enable the computer system to perform operations comprising;

receiving an electronic signature transmitted via the network by a putative owner of a recording item;

analyze the electronic signature to determine the title of the recording item;

analyze the electronic signature to determine whether the recording item is unique to the putative owner; and

in the event the recording item is determined to be unique to the putative owner, granting rights to the putative owner as being true owner of the recording item, wherein the true owner is permitted access to digital electronic copies of works recorded on the recording item.

27. The computer system of

claim 26

, wherein the software instructions included in the memory further enable the computer system to perform operations comprising:

downloading to the true owner a digital electronic copy of works recorded on the recording item.

28. The computer system of

claim 27

, wherein the digital electronic copy is in MP3 format.

29. The computer system of

claim 27

, wherein the digital electronic copy is in WMA format.

30. The computer system of

claim 27

, wherein the digital electronic copy is in RealAudio format.

31. The computer system of

claim 26

, wherein the software instructions included in the memory further enable the computer system to perform operations comprising:

adding a copy of the works recorded on the recording item to a central data storage for downloading to true owners of legitimate copies of the recording item.

32. The computer system of

claim 26

, wherein the electronic signature is an electronic hash of information selectively extracted from the recording item.

33. The computer system of

claim 26

, wherein determining whether the recording item is unique to the putative owner is done based on attributes of the recording item.

34. The computer system of

claim 33

, wherein the attributes of the recording item on which the determination of uniqueness are based comprise errors.

35. A system for granting electronic rights concerning a physical media bearing entertainment content, the system comprising:

a media signature detection module for reading and detecting a media signature on the physical media; and

a media signature judgment module for determining a specific title corresponding to entertainment borne on the physical media;

wherein electronic rights are granted to a person who owns the physical media, based on the determining a specific title corresponding to entertainment borne on the physical media.

36. The system of

claim 35

, wherein the media signature detection module is present on a user computer and the media signature judgment module is present on a service provider computer.

37. The system of

claim 35

, wherein the media signature detection module comprises a software application implemented on a computer.

38. The system of

claim 35

, wherein the media signature judgment module comprise a software application implemented on a computer.

39. The system of

claim 35

, wherein the media signature judgment module includes a comparator connected to make a comparison of a user provided signature to a signature from a media storage database.