Distribution system of contents embedding license machine ID

• US 20030177073A1
• Filed: 03/13/2003
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Ogai, Yoichiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• 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: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A server apparatus operates a content sale site for selling a digital content and connects communicably via a communication network to a client apparatus which may purchase a digital content for use in an electronic music apparatus. In the server apparatus, a communicating section communicates with the client apparatus for receiving therefrom order information specifying a digital content to be purchased, and machine ID information designating machine IDs of electronic music apparatuses which are intended to use the specified digital content. A licensing section embeds the received machine ID information in the digital content specified by the client apparatus so as to license the specified digital content to the electronic music apparatuses designated by the client apparatus. A providing section provides the digital content embedded with the machine ID information to the client apparatus such that the provided digital content is made available exclusively by the designated electronic musical apparatuses according to the embedded machine ID information.

Claims

1. A server apparatus operating a content sale site for selling a digital content and connecting communicably via a communication network to a client, apparatus which may purchase a digital content for use in an electronic music apparatus, the server apparatus comprising:

a communicating section communicable with the client apparatus for receiving therefrom order information specifying a digital content to be purchased, and machine ID information designating machine IDs of electronic music apparatuses which are intended to use the specified digital content;

a licensing section that embeds the received machine ID information in the digital content specified by the client apparatus so as to license the specified digital content to the electronic music apparatuses designated by the client apparatus; and

a providing section that provides the digital content embedded with the machine ID information to the client apparatus such that the provided digital content is made available exclusively by the designated electronic musical apparatuses according to the embedded machine ID information.

2. The server apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a charging section that charges the client apparatus for the specified digital content provided to the client apparatus, and a registering section that registers the embedded machine ID information in connection with the specified digital content, wherein the charging section reduces a charge to the client apparatus when the client apparatus sends new order information specifying the same digital content accompanied by new machine ID information designating machine IDs and when the machine IDs contained in the new machine ID information overlap with the machine IDs contained in the registered machine ID information.

3. The server apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a registering section that registers the embedded machine ID information in connection with the specified digital content, wherein the communicating section notifies the client apparatus of a double order when the client apparatus sends new order information specifying the same digital content accompanied by new machine ID information designating machine IDs and when the machine IDs contained in the new machine ID information overlap with the machine IDs contained in the registered machine ID information.

4. A client apparatus capable of purchasing a digital content for use in an electronic music apparatus from a content sale site operated by a server apparatus communicably connected to the client apparatus via a communication network, the client apparatus comprising:

a transmitting section communicable with the server apparatus for transmitting thereto order information specifying a digital content to be purchased, and machine ID information designating machine IDs of electronic music apparatuses which are intended to use the specified digital content, such that the server apparatus embeds the transmitted machine ID information in the specified digital content so as to license the specified digital content to the designated electronic music apparatuses;

a receiving section that receives the digital content embedded with the machine ID information from the server apparatus; and

a distributing section that can distribute the received digital content to the designated electronic music apparatuses such that the distributed digital content is made available exclusively by the designated electronic musical apparatuses according to the embedded machine ID information.

5. The client apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the transmitting section automatically collects the machine IDs of the electronic music apparatuses when the electronic music apparatuses are connected to the client apparatus, and transmits the machine ID information containing the collected machine IDs to the server apparatus.

6. A storage medium for storing a digital content used in an electronic music apparatus, wherein

the digital content has a data format comprising a header specifying the digital content, a data entity of the digital content, and machine ID information embedded in the data format, the machine ID information designating machine IDs of electronic music apparatuses which are licensed to use the digital content, and wherein

the digital content is made available exclusively by an electronic music apparatus if a machine ID thereof matches with one of the machine IDs contained in the machine ID information embedded in the digital content.

7. The storage medium according to claim 6, wherein the machine ID information is embedded in the header of the data format of the digital content.

8. The storage medium according to claim 6, wherein the machine ID information is embedded in the data entity of the digital content as an electronic watermark.

9. An electronic music apparatus having a self machine ID and being capable of using a digital content which is stored in a storage medium and which embeds therein machine ID information designating machine IDs of electronic music apparatuses licensed to use the digital content, the electronic music apparatus comprising:

a processing section that is enabled to process a digital content for use;

a specifying section that specifies a digital content to be used and retrieves the specified digital content from the storage medium; and

an enabling section operative only when the self machine ID matches with one of the machine IDs designated by the machine ID information embedded in the specified digital content, for enabling the processing section to process the specified digital content for use.

10. The electronic music apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the processing section has a working memory for use in the processing of the digital content, and the enabling section operates when the self machine ID matches for loading the specified digital content retrieved from the storage medium into the working memory to thereby enable the processing section.

11. The electronic music apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the enabling section operates when the self machine ID does not match for loading the specified digital content retrieved from the storage medium into the working memory while adding a disable flag to the specified digital content, the disable flag being effective to allow an instant use of the specified digital content loaded in the working memory, but effective to inhibit other than the instant use.

12. The electronic music apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the disable flag is effective to inhibit the processing section to store back the specified digital content from the working memory to another storage medium for a secondary use of the specified digital content.

13. The electronic music apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the enabling section allows the processing section to store the specified digital content in another storage medium with the disable flag being reserved to the specified digital content.

14. A program for use in a server apparatus operating a content sale site for selling a digital content and being communicably connected via a communication network to a client apparatus which may purchase a digital content for use in an electronic music apparatus, the program being executable by the server apparatus for causing the content sale site to perform a method comprising the steps of:

communicating with the client apparatus to receive therefrom order information specifying a digital content to be purchased, and machine ID information designating machine IDs of electronic music apparatuses which are intended to use the specified digital content;

embedding the received machine ID information in the digital content specified by the client apparatus so as to license the specified digital content to the electronic music apparatuses designated by the client apparatus; and

providing the digital content embedded with the machine ID information to the client apparatus such that the provided digital content is made available exclusively by the designated electronic musical apparatuses according to the embedded machine ID information.

15. A digital content usage system applicable to a content usage apparatus for use of a digital content containing a license machine ID, the system comprising:

an acquiring part that acquires a unique machine ID of a content usage apparatus which intends to use the digital content;

a detecting part that detects the license machine ID from the digital content to be used;

a comparing part that compares the acquired unique machine ID with the detected license machine ID; and

a determining part being operative if the acquired unique machine ID matches with the detected license machine ID for allowing the content usage apparatus to exercise a free use of the digital content, and being operative if the acquired unique machine ID does not match with the detected license machine ID for restricting the content usage apparatus to exercise only a temporary use of the digital content under a time duration.

16. The digital content usage system according to claim 15, wherein the detecting part further detects time information from the digital content, the time information being indicative of the time duration allotted to the digital content, and the determining part restricts the content usage apparatus to exercise a temporary use of the digital content under the time duration indicated by the time information.

17. The digital content usage system according to claim 15 wherein the detecting part further detects status information from the digital content, the status information being indicative of whether the digital content is available for a content usage apparatus having no license machine ID, and the determining part allows the content usage apparatus to exercise a temporary use of the digital content only when the status information indicates that the digital content is available for the content usage apparatus having no license machine ID.

18. The digital content usage system according to claim 15 wherein the determining part operates if the acquired unique machine ID does not match with the detected license machine ID for inhibiting the content usage apparatus from exercising an extended use beyond the temporary use of the digital content, the extended use including copying of the digital content, reserving of the digital content into a storage medium and transferring of the digital content to another content usage apparatus.

19. A digital content usage system applicable to a first content usage apparatus for transfer of a digital content to a second content usage apparatus, the digital content containing machine ID information indicative of license machine IDs, the system comprising:

a designating part that designates the second content usage apparatus as a destination to which the digital content is transferred from the first content usage apparatus, and that acquires a unique machine ID of the designated second content usage apparatus;

a detecting part that detects the license machine IDs from the digital content;

a writing part operative when the acquired unique machine ID of the second content usage apparatus is not included in the detected license machine IDs for writing rental information into the digital content, the rental information indicating that the digital content may be subjected to a temporary use under a predetermined limitation; and

a transferring part that allows the first content usage apparatus to transfer the digital content written with the rental information to the second content usage apparatus, such that the second content usage apparatus can only exercise the temporary use due to the rental information.

20. A digital content usage system applicable to a first content usage apparatus for transfer of a digital content to a second content usage apparatus, the digital content containing machine ID information indicative of license machine IDs, the system comprising:

a designating part that designates the second content usage apparatus as a destination to which the digital content is transferred from the first content usage apparatus, and that acquires a unique machine ID of the designated second content usage apparatus;

a detecting part that detects the license machine IDs from the digital content and further detects status information from the digital content, the status information indicating whether the digital content is available for a temporary use by a content usage apparatus having no license machine ID; and

a transferring part operative when the acquired unique machine ID of the second content usage apparatus is not included in the detected license machine IDs and when the status information indicates that the digital content is available for the temporary use, for allowing the first content usage apparatus to transfer the digital content to the second content usage apparatus, such that the second content usage apparatus can only exercise the temporary use.

21. A digital content usage system applicable to a first content usage apparatus having no license machine ID for use of a digital content held in a second content usage apparatus having a license machine ID, the system comprising:

a retrieving part that retrieves the digital content from the second content usage apparatus having the license machine ID;

a detecting part that detects status information from the retrieved digital content, the status information indicating of whether the digital content is available for a content usage apparatus having no license machine ID;

a checking part operative when the detected status information indicates that the digital content is available for a content usage apparatus having no license machine ID, for checking whether a connection is established between the first content usage apparatus and the second content usage apparatus; and

a determining part responsive to the checking part for allowing the first electronic apparatus to exercise use of the digital content only when the connection is established between the first content usage apparatus and the second content usage apparatus.

22. A recording medium containing a digital content for use in a content usage apparatus having a unique machine ID, wherein the digital content comprises:

a data entity of the digital content;

a license machine ID for identifying a content usage apparatus allowed to use the digital content; and

status information indicative of whether the digital content is available for a temporary use under a time duration by a content usage apparatus having no license machine ID, whereby the content usage apparatus can only exercise the temporary use of the digital content if the status information indicates that the digital content is available for the temporary use even when the unique machine ID does not match with the license machine ID.

23. A recording medium containing a digital content for use in a content usage apparatus having a unique machine ID, wherein the digital content comprises:

a data entity of the digital content;

a license machine ID for identifying a content usage apparatus allowed to use the digital content; and

time information indicative of a time duration allotted to a temporary use of the digital content, whereby the content usage apparatus can exercise the temporary use of the digital content within the allotted time duration even when the unique machine ID does not match with the license machine ID.