Digital rights management license delivery system and method

• US 20040181490A1
• Filed: 03/12/2003
• Published: 09/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Limelight Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Limelight Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Gordon, Michael, Raciborski, Nathan
• Granted Patent: US 7,310,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• 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]

Abstract

A system for Digital Rights Management (DRM) license delivery is presented in which the license and encrypted content is accessed from a unique download URL address for each unit of encrypted content for each subscriber. The license is delivered only a limited number of times from each URL (typically once, but optionally more than once) and is delivered to the client system that first accesses the URL (or if more than one license delivery is authorized by the content owner or distributor) to the same or different client system that accesses the URL up to the maximum number of license delivery events authorized.. When the subscriber is ready to view the content, the subscriber clicks on the download URL to cause the browser for the subscriber client system to request the web page located at the unique URL location. In response to the request, the host system delivers a license and the encrypted content to the subscriber client system that accessed the URL. If the unique download URL is accessed subsequent times, the host system delivers the encrypted content, but does not re-deliver the license. Since the subscriber client system has already stored the license, if the subscriber client system re-accesses the site, it will be able to download and play the media content for so long as the terms of the license permit. However, if another client system accesses the unique URL address, for example if the subscriber e-mails the URL address to another user, the content can be downloaded but will not be played by the subsequent client system because the license is not re-delivered.

Claims

2. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a license request from said client computer to said host computer to obtain a license to decrypt said encrypted media content; and

wherein the step of determining whether the number of requests for a license to decrypt said media content exceeds a predetermined value is carried out in response to said request.

7. The method of claim 7, wherein

the step of transmitting a request for license is directed to a license server, and the step of transmitting a license to decrypt said encrypted media content is carried out by said license server;

and

the step of determining whether the number of requests for a license to decrypt said encrypted media content exceeds a predetermined value comprises transmitting said encrypted media content coupled with a license to decrypt said encrypted media content to said client computer.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of transmitting a request for license is directed to a license server, and the step of transmitting a license to decrypt said encrypted media content is carried out by said license server;

and

the step of determining whether the number of requests for a license to decrypt said encrypted media content exceeds a predetermined value comprises transmitting said encrypted media content coupled with a license to decrypt said encrypted media content to said client computer, and if the number of requests for a license to decrypt said media content exceeds said predetermined value, transmitting said encrypted media content only.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of transmitting said unique URL to said client computer is via electronic mail.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of transmitting said unique URL to said client computer is via a web page.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

generating a unique URL associated with said encrypted media content when said client computer requests said media content and said client computer has not exceeded said predetermined number of license requests;

transmitting said unique URL to said client computer; and

wherein the step of transmitting a request for said encrypted media content from said client computer to said host computer is done through the use of the URL.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of transmitting said unique URL to said client computer is via electronic mail.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of transmitting said unique URL to said client computer is via a web page.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

generating a unique URL associated with said encrypted media content when said client computer requests said media content and said client computer has not exceeded said predetermined number of license requests;

transmitting said unique URL to said client computer; and

wherein the step of transmitting a request for said encrypted media content from said client computer to said host computer is done through the use of the URL.

17-1. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the host computer software further comprises instructions for determining a hardware profile of the client computer, wherein the encrypting instruction encrypts the encryption key with the hardware profile of the client computer.