Method and apparatus for assigning consequential rights to documents and documents having such rights

• US 20030135466A1
• Filed: 12/11/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Inventors: Ta, Thanh, Chen, Eddie J., Wang, Xin, Raley, Michael, Tadayon, Bijan, DeMartini, Thomas, Nahidipour, Aram, Lao, Guillermo, Gilliam, Charles P.
• Granted Patent: US 6,963,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• 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 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

A rights management system including one or more consequential rights associated with digital content, and specifying a manner of use of the digital content, a right management module that enforces the rights permitting use of the digital content in accordance with the rights upon occurrence of a consequential event. The consequential event is based on another usage right. In one embodiment, the consequential event is the exercise, expiration, or possession of another usage right.

Claims

1. A rights management system comprising:

one or more consequential rights associated with an item, said consequential rights specifying a manner of use of the digital content and a consequential event;

a rights management module that enforces the consequential rights permitting use of the item in accordance with the manner of use upon occurrence of a consequential event;

wherein said consequential event is based on another usage right.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the consequential rights specify one or more manners of use and one or more consequential events.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the item is digital content.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the item is at least one of goods and services.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the manner of use includes at least one of, editing, approving, modifying, executing, updating and copying.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the manner of use is maimer of rendering the digital content.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the digital content comprises at least one of, books, audio information, music, multimedia presentations, executable code, and video information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said consequential event is the exercise of the another usage right.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said consequential event is the expiration of the another usage right.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said consequential event is the possession of the another usage right.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said consequential event is based on a plurality of events.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said consequential event is determined to have occurred upon occurrence of all of said plurality of events.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said consequential event is determined to have occurred upon occurrence of any of said plurality of events.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said consequential event is determined to have occurred upon sequential occurrence of said plurality of events.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said system content comprises an educational course.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said content comprises an examination.

17. A method of managing rights comprising:

determining one or more consequential rights associated with an item, said consequential rights specifying a manner of use of the item and a consequential event; and

enforcing said one or more consequential rights to permit use of said item in accordance with the manner of use upon occurrence of the consequential event;

wherein said consequential event is based on another usage right.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one consequential right specifies or more manners of use and one or more consequential events.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the manner of use includes at least one of viewing, printing, editing, approving, modifying, updating and copying.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the manner of use is a manner of rendering the digital content.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the item is digital content.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the item is at least one of goods and services.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the digital content comprises at least one of books, audio information, music, multimedia presentations, executable code, and video information.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein said consequential event is the exercise of the another usage right.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein said consequential event is the expiration of the another usage right.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein said consequential event is the possession of the another usage right.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein said consequential event is based on a plurality of events.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said consequential event is determined to have occurred upon occurrence of all of said plurality of events.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said consequential event is determined to have occurred upon occurrence of any of said plurality of events.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein said consequential event is determined to have occurred upon sequential occurrence of said plurality of events.

31. An information storage media comprising:

digital content; and

information that defines one or more consequential rights associated with the digital content, and specifying manner of use of the digital content and consequential event that must occur to exercise the manner of use;

wherein the consequential event is based on another usage right.

32. The media of claim 31, wherein said digital content specifies at least one of goods and services to be associated with the consequential rights.

33. The media of claim 31, wherein the manner of use includes at least one of editing, approving, modifying, updating and copying.

34. The media of claim 31, wherein the manner of use is a manner of rendering.

35. The media of claim 31, wherein the digital works comprise at least one of books, music, audio information, multimedia presentations, executable code and video information.

36. The media of claim 31, wherein said consequential event is the exercise of the another usage right.

37. The media of claim 31, wherein said consequential event is the expiration of the another usage right.

38. The media of claim 31, wherein said consequential event is the possession of the another usage right.

39. The media of claim 31, wherein said consequential event is based on a plurality of events.

40. The media of claim 39, wherein said consequential event is determined to have occurred upon occurrence of all of said plurality of events.

41. The media of claim 39, wherein said consequential event is determined to have occurred upon occurrence of any of said plurality of events.

42. The media of claim 39, wherein said consequential event is determined to have occurred upon sequential occurrence of said plurality of events.