Application rights management in a mobile environment

• US 20050021995A1
• Filed: 07/21/2003
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: July Systems, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lal, Vishal, Chakravorthy, Jyothirmoy, Reddy, Rajesh T.S, Singhal, Umesh
• Granted Patent: US 7,089,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• 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 20/123 Shopping for digital content

Abstract

The present invention provides a technique for implementing digital rights management for digital content that can be used on Java enabled mobile devices. It enables the controlled usage of the digital content on the mobile device after it is downloaded from a content provider. This is achieved by a mobile service provider that generates a license based on a rights workflow and applies charging policies to prevent the downloaded digital content from being forwarded to other users. The digital content cannot be used without the license. The digital content can be delivered to the user either through combined or separate delivery, depending on whether the license is sent along with the digital content or not. On expiry of the license, the user is prompted for updating the license. The user can then use the digital content once the license is updated.

Claims

1. A method for enabling the distribution and usage of digital content protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM) policies, the digital content being distributed to mobile users through a mobile service provider, the digital content being used by mobile users through their respective mobile devices, the mobile devices being Java enabled, the method comprising:

a. the mobile service provider associating Digital Rights Management policies with the digital content;

b. downloading the digital content onto the mobile device;

c. downloading a license onto the mobile device, the license being generated on the basis of Digital Rights Management policies associated with the downloaded digital content;

d. the mobile user fulfilling preconditions for the use of the digital content, the preconditions being defined in accordance with the license; and

e. the mobile user using the digital content in accordance with the license.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the digital content to be downloaded is provided by a content provider to the mobile service provider.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the digital content to be downloaded is hosted by the mobile service provider.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of downloading the digital content onto the mobile device is carried out simultaneously with the step of downloading the license onto the mobile device.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the digital content to be downloaded is wrapped with the license to be downloaded before downloading on the mobile device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of downloading the digital content onto the mobile device is executed before executing the step of downloading the license onto the mobile device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of registering the digital contents with the mobile service provider.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the step of registering the digital content with the mobile service provider comprises the steps of:

a. fetching content files from the content provider;

b. generating a container for the digital content for content protection;

c. generating a license file with default settings; and

d. hosting the associated digital content on a download server.

9. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the step of registering the digital contents with the mobile service provider further comprises the step of creating of a content descriptor describing the digital content to be downloaded.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of using the digital content in accordance with the license further comprises the user using the digital content on the basis of a license.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein upon the expiration of the license, the method further comprises the steps of:

a. contacting the mobile service provider for updating the license;

b. prompting the user for payment based on the user'"'"'s choice of license update;

c. updating the license according to the user'"'"'s choice; and

d. informing the mobile service provider of the user'"'"'s action.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of using the digital content in accordance with the license further comprises the steps of:

a. the user using the digital content for the first time;

b. the mobile device contacting the mobile service provider to get a license;

c. the mobile service provider sending the license to the mobile device; and

d. the user using the digital content on the basis of the license.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein upon the expiration of the license, the method further comprises the steps of:

a. contacting the mobile service provider for updating the license;

b. prompting the user for payment based on the user'"'"'s choice of license update;

c. updating the license according to the user'"'"'s choice; and

d. informing the mobile service provider of the user'"'"'s action.

14. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprises the steps of performing an integrity check to ensure that the digital content has not been tampered with.

15. A system suitable for enabling the distribution and usage of digital content protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM) policies, the system comprising:

a. at least one mobile service provider for implementation of Digital Rights Management (DRM) policies and distribution of the digital content, the mobile service provider further comprising;

i. a server for generating a license for the digital content to be downloaded, the license being generated on the basis of Digital Rights Management policies associated with the digital content to be downloaded;

ii. means for packaging the digital content with the license; and

iii. means for delivering the digital content to the mobile device; and

b. at least one Java enabled mobile device for using the digital content provided through the mobile service provider.

16. The system as recited in claim 15 further comprising a content provider to provide the digital content.

17. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the mobile service provider further comprises means for updating the license on its expiry, the updating being done after fulfillment of preconditions as defined by the DRM policies.

18. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the mobile service provider further comprises:

a. means for informing a user of the digital content hosted;

b. means for prompting the user for fulfilling preconditions for the digital content to be downloaded, the preconditions being defined in accordance with the license; and

c. means for charging the user for the digital content to be downloaded.

19. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the mobile service provider further includes a means for registering the digital contents with the mobile service provider.

20. A system suitable for enabling the distribution and usage of digital content protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM) policies, the system being implemented on or in association with a mobile service provider, the mobile service provider having access to the digital content, the digital content being used by any Java-enabled mobile device, the system comprising:

a. a server for generating a license for the digital content to be downloaded, the license being generated on the basis of Digital Rights Management policies associated with the digital content;

b. means for packaging the digital content with the license to generate a rights protected digital content;

c. means for updating the license on its expiry after the preconditions are fulfilled, the preconditions being defined in accordance with the license; and

d. means for delivering the digital content to the mobile device.

21. The system as recited in claim 20 wherein the mobile service provider further includes:

a. means for informing a user of the digital content hosted;

b. means for prompting the user for fulfilling preconditions for the digital content to be downloaded, the preconditions being defined in accordance with the license; and

c. means for charging the user for the digital content to be downloaded.

22. A computer program product for enabling distribution and usage of digital content associated with Digital Rights Management policies, a mobile service provider implementing the Digital Rights Management policies on the digital content, the digital content being used by mobile users through their respective mobile devices, the mobile devices being Java enabled, the computer program product comprising:

a. a computer readable program means for associating Digital Rights Management policies with the digital content;

b. a computer readable program means for generating a license, the license being generated on the basis of Digital Rights Management policies associated with the digital content;

c. a computer readable program means for enabling fulfillment of preconditions for the digital content to be used, the preconditions being defined according to the license;

d. a computer readable program means for delivering the digital content to the mobile device; and

e. a computer readable program means for delivering the generated license to the mobile device.

23. The computer program product as recited in claim 22 wherein the computer readable program means for delivering the digital content to the mobile device further includes a computer readable program means for delivering the license with the digital content to the mobile device.

24. The computer program product as recited in claim 22 wherein the computer readable program means for delivering the digital content to the mobile device further includes a computer readable program means for wrapping the digital content with the license.

25. The computer program product as recited in claim 22 further including a computer readable program means for registering the digital contents with the mobile service provider.

26. The computer program product as recited in claim 22 wherein the computer readable program means for using the digital content further includes a computer readable program means for using the digital content on the basis of a license.