Digital rights management

• US 20020144116A1
• Filed: 05/23/2002
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Proxense, LLC
• Original Assignee: Proxense, LLC
• Inventors: Giobbi, John J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,472,280 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1014 to tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/80 in storage media based on magnetic or optical technology, e.g. disks with sectors preventing unauthorised reproduction or copying of disc-type recordable media G11B20/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0485 Networking architectures for enhanced packet encryption processing, e.g. offloading of IPsec packet processing or efficient security association look-up
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/418 External card to be used in combination with the client device, e.g. for conditional access
• 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 21/63345 by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06

Abstract

A method of managing digital rights comprises the following steps. First, a physical electronic key containing a first activation code is provided to a requesting user. Second, locked digital content is provided to the requesting user. The digital content is encoded with a second activation code associated with the first activation code. Third, the locked digital content is received in a playing device that reads the first activation code and determines whether the first activation code is associated with the second activation code. Fourth, the playing device is enabled to unlock and play the digital content if the first activation code is associated with the second activation code. A digital right management system for implementing the foregoing method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of managing digital rights comprising:

providing a personal, portable physical key containing a first activation code;

providing store-bought content containing a content code; and

providing a key-secured version of the store-bought content, the key-secured version being encoded with a second activation code associated with the first activation code.

2. The method of claim 1, further including enabling a playing device receiving the key-secured version to unlock and play the key-secured version if the device reads the first activation code from the physical key and determines that the first activation code is associated with the second activation code.

3. The method of claim 1, further including recording the content code for the store-bought content in a database, and indicating that the content code has been exploited in response to the step of providing a key-secured version of the store-bought content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing a key-secured version includes downloading the key-secured version from a global computer network.

5. The method of claim 4, further including disabling further downloads of additional key-secured versions of the store-bought content in response to downloading the key-secured version.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing a key-secured version is allowed to occur only a predetermined number of times.

7. The method of claim 1, further including validating the physical key and the content code prior to the step of providing a key-secured version.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of validating the physical key and the content code includes uploading the content code and unique data from the physical key to a validation site and comparing the unique data and the content code to valid information stored at the validation site.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical key contains a software decryption key, and wherein the key-secured version is encrypted with a software encryption key associated with the software decryption key.

10. The method of claim 9, further including:

receiving the encrypted key-secured version in a playing device;

reading the first activation code from the physical key and the second activation code from the encrypted key-secured version; and

decrypting the encrypted key-secured version with the software decryption key while the key-secured version is in the playing device if the device determines that the first activation code is associated with the second activation code.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing store-bought content includes providing the store-bought content in a copy-protected format.

12. The method of claim 1, further including applying timing information to the key-secured version of the store-bought content that limits use of the key-secured version to a prescribed time period.

13. The method of claim 1, further including applying device information to the key-secured version of the store-bought content that limits use of the key-secured version to an authorized device.

15. The method of claim 14, further including enabling a playing device receiving the key-secured version to unlock and play the key-secured version if the device reads the first activation code from the physical key and determines that the first activation code is associated with the second activation code.

17. The method of claim 16, further including enabling a playing device receiving the encoded broadcast content to unlock and play the recorded broadcast content if the device reads the first activation code from the physical key and determines that the first activation code is associated with the second activation code.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of encoding the broadcast content is accomplished by an encoding device that reads the first activation code from the physical key and receives the broadcast content.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the encoding device contains a device code, and wherein the step of recording the encoded broadcast content includes embedding the device code in the recorded broadcast content.

20. The method of claim 18, further including validating the physical key and the device code prior to the step of encoding the broadcast content.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of validating the physical key and the device code includes uploading the device code and unique data from the physical key to a validation site and comparing the unique data and the device code to valid information stored at the validation site.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of providing broadcast content includes providing the broadcast content in a copy-protected format.

23. The method of claim 16, further including applying timing information to the broadcast content that limits use of the broadcast content to a prescribed time period.

24. The method of claim 16, further including applying device information to the broadcast content that limits use of the broadcast content to an authorized device.

26. The method of claim 25, further including:

receiving the encrypted digital content in a playing device;

reading the first activation code from the data unit and the second activation code from the encrypted digital content; and

decrypting the encrypted digital content with the software decryption key while the digital content is in the playing device if the device determines that the first activation code is associated with the second activation code.

27. The method of claim 25, further including receiving a request to acquire the digital content prior to the step of encoding the digital content.

28. The method of claim 27, further including validating the physical key prior to the step of encoding the digital content.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of validating the physical key includes uploading unique data from the physical key to a validation site and comparing the unique data to valid information stored at the validation site.

30. The method of claim 25, further including applying timing information to the digital content that limits use of the digital content to a prescribed time period.

31. The method of claim 25, further including applying device information to the digital content that limits use of the digital content to an authorized device.

14. A method of managing digital rights, comprising:

providing a personal, portable physical key containing a first activation code to a user;

providing store-bought content to the user, the store-bought content having a copy-protected format and containing a content code;

validating the physical key and the content code;

creating a key-secured version of the store-bought content, the key-secured version being encoded with a second activation code associated with the first activation code; and

downloading the key-secured version to the user.

16. A method of managing digital rights comprising:

providing a personal, portable physical key containing a first activation code;

providing broadcast content;

encoding the broadcast content with a second activation code associated with the first activation code; and

recording the encoded broadcast content.

25. A method of managing digital rights comprising:

providing a personal, portable physical data unit containing a first activation code and a software decryption key;

encoding digital content with a second activation code associated with the first activation code; and

encrypting the digital content with a software encryption key associated with the software decryption key.