System and method for supplying and managing usage rights associated with an item repository

• US 20040006542A1
• Filed: 06/03/2003
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Xin, Gilliam, Charles P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,069,116 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: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213

Abstract

A system and method for enforcing rights expressions, include specifying a repository rights expression indicating a manner of use of an item at a repository; and associating the repository rights expression with the repository. In a further embodiment, the system includes one or more repositories having associated therewith rights expressions further indicating a condition of use of the item at the repository. In a further embodiment, a repository for use in the system, includes a processor module configured to process the rights expression associated with the repository; and a determination module configured to determine based on the rights expression associated with the repository what action the repository is to take when the repository processes or receives a request for the item. The manner of use or condition of use indicates what action the repository is to take when the repository processes or receives a request for the item.

Claims

1. A method for enforcing rights expressions specifying manners of use of an item, said method comprising:

specifying a repository rights expression indicating a manner of use of an item at a repository; and

associating said repository rights expression with said repository,

wherein said manner of use indicates at least one of what action said repository is to take when said repository processes said item and what action said repository is to take when said repository receives a request for said item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said repository rights expression specifies a rights expression indicating a manner of use of said item and to be associated with said item and said method further comprises:

associating said rights expression specifying said manner of use of said item with said item, when said repository processes said item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said item includes a rights expression associated therewith and indicating a manner of use of said item and said method further comprises:

determining what action said repository is to take when said repository processes said item based on a combination of said repository rights expression and the rights expression associated with said item.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said repository rights expression applies to one of all items that said repository processes and all requests for items received by said repository.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said repository rights expression applies to one of specific items that said repository processes and specific requests for items received by said repository.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

specifying a plurality of said repository rights expression indicating respective manners of use of said item at said repository of said item; and

associating the plural repository rights expressions with said repository of said item.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

specifying in said repository rights expression that the rights expression associated with said item overrules said repository rights expression.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

specifying in said repository rights expression that said repository rights expression overrules the rights expression associated with said item.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said item includes a rights expression associated therewith including a pointer to said repository and said method further comprises:

providing said item to said repository based on said pointer; and

performing said actions specified in said repository rights expression on said item.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring said repository as a central control repository for managing a plurality of items;

specifying respective repository rights expressions indicating respective manners of use of said items at said central control repository; and

associating said respective repository rights expressions with said central control repository,

wherein said respective manners of use indicate at least one of what respective actions said central control repository is to take when said central control repository processes a respective item and what action said central control repository is to take when said respective receives a respective request for an item.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said items include respective rights expressions associated therewith including a pointer to a repository and said method further comprises:

presenting said items to said central control repository irrespective of said pointer; and

performing said respective actions specified in said respective repository rights expressions on said items.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said respective repository rights expressions overrule said respective rights expressions associated with said items.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

passing by said system traffic related to said items through said central control repository.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

one of controlling said traffic, censoring said traffic and auditing said traffic, based on said passing step.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said respective repository rights expressions specify respective manners of use of said items and to be associated with said items and said method further comprises:

associating by said central control repository said respective rights expressions with said items, when said central control repository processes said items.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the actions to be taken by said repository based on a characteristic of said item.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining the respective actions to be taken by said central control repository based on respective rights expressions associated with said items.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

searching by said central control repository for items corresponding to said respective repository rights expressions in other repositories; and

performing the respective actions said central control repository is to take when said central control repository finds said items corresponding to said respective repository rights expressions in said other repositories.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said manner of use comprises a usage right.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said manner of use includes a prohibited manner of use of said item.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said manner of use includes a permitted manner of use of said item.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

specifying in said repository rights expression a condition for said repository taking said actions with respect to said item being that said item be at least one of comprised and configured in a specified manner.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein said item includes at least one of digital content, digital goods, digital services, non-digital content, non-digital goods and non-digital services.

24. A computer system comprising one or more memories and one or more processors and configured to perform the method of claim 1.

25. A computer-readable medium bearing instructions arranged to cause one or more processors to perform the method of claim 1.

26. A system for enforcing rights expressions specifying manners of use of an item, said system comprising:

means for specifying a repository rights expression indicating a manner of use of an item at a repository; and

means for associating said repository rights expression with said repository,

wherein said manner of use indicates at least one of what action said repository is to take when said repository processes said item and what action said repository is to take when said repository receives a request for said item.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said means for specifying, and said means for associating comprise devices of a computer system.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said means for specifying, and said means for associating comprise devices of a computer system.

29. A system for enforcing rights expressions specifying manners of use of an item, said system comprising:

one or more repositories having associated therewith one or more rights expressions indicating at least one of a manner of use and a condition of use of an item at a repository; and

wherein said manner of use and condition of use indicates at least one of what action said repository is to take when said repository processes said item and what action said repository is to take when said repository receives a request for said item.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein at least one of said repositories is configured to compare respective rights expression thereof with a rights expression associated with said item and indicating at least one of a manner of use and a condition of use of said item to determine at least one of what action said repository is to take when said repository processes said item and if use of said item should be granted.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein said one or more repositories comprise first and second repositories, and said system further comprises:

said first repository having associated therewith a first rights expression indicating at least one of a manner of use and a condition of use of said item at said first repository; and

said second repository having associated therewith a second rights expression indicating at least one of a manner and a condition of use of said item at said second repository,

wherein said first repository and said second repository are configured to compare a rights expression associated with said item and indicating at least one of a manner of use and a condition of use of said item with said first rights expression and said second rights expression to determine at least one of what action said repository is to take when said repository processes said item and if use of said item should be granted.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein said item is configured to be required to be processed by said system.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein at least one repository of said one or more repositories is configured to examine characteristic of said item.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein at least one of said manner of use and said condition of use comprises a usage right.

35. The system of claim 29 wherein said manner of use includes a prohibited manner of use of said item.

36. The system of claim 29, wherein said manner of use includes a permitted manner of use of said item.

37. The system of claim 29, wherein at least one repository of said one or more repositories comprises a rendering repository.

38. The system of claim 29, wherein at least one repository of said one or more repositories comprises a printer.

39. The system of claim 30, wherein said respective repository rights expressions overrule said rights expression associated with said item.

40. The system of claim 30, wherein said respective repository rights expressions are overruled by said rights expression associated with said item.

41. The system of claim 29, wherein a condition for processing said item by at least one repository of said one or more repositories is that said item be at least one of comprised and configured in a manner specified by a respective repository rights expression.

42. The system of claim 29, wherein a condition for processing said item by at least one repository of said one or more repositories is that said at least one repository be at least one of comprised and configured in a manner specified by at least one of a respective repository rights expression and a rights expression associated with said item.

43. The system of claim 29, wherein said item includes at least one of an audio item and a video item.

44. The system of claim 29, wherein said item includes at least one of digital content, digital goods, digital services, non-digital content, non-digital goods and non-digital services.

45. A repository for use in a system for enforcing rights expressions specifying manners of use of an item, said repository comprising:

a processor module configured to process a rights expression associated with said repository and indicating at least one of a manner of use and a condition of use of an item at said repository; and

a determination module configured to determine based on said rights expression associated with said repository at least one of what action said repository is to take when said repository processes said item and what action said repository is to take when said repository receives a request for said item.

46. The repository of claim 45, further comprising:

a comparison module configured to compare a rights expression associated with said item and indicating at least one of a manner of use and a condition of use of said item with said rights expression associated with said repository for said determination module to determine said action.