Method for lifetime tracking of intellectual property

• US 20050125352A1
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hirst, Roy
• Granted Patent: US 7,900,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment

Abstract

A method of storing and tracking digitally-encoded material includes associating a unique identifier with the digitally-encoded material, associating one or more built-in functions with the digitally-encoded material so that the unique identifier and the built-in functions are coupled to the digitally-encoded material. The built-in functions can govern transforms and rendering of the digitally-encoded material. The tracking is performed by associating a history of the digitally-encoded material with the digitally-encoded material. The history can be associated with the digitally-encoded material or kept in a database that communicates with the digitally-encoded material via the identifier. The built-in functions enable the digitally-encoded material to be stored in RAM in an encrypted form. A method for tracking can include encrypting a combination including the digitally-encoded material and the unique identifier and appending built-in function source code and the encrypted combination to form an executable entity executable independent of any particular operating system.

Claims

1. A method of storing digitally-encoded material, the method comprising:

associating a unique identifier with the digitally-encoded material; and

associating one or more built-in functions with the digitally-encoded material such that the unique identifier and the built-in functions are coupled to the digitally-encoded material, the built-in functions governing transforms and rendering of the digitally-encoded material.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating a history of the digitally-encoded material with the digitally-encoded material.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating a history of the digitally-encoded material, the history being located in a database.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the built-in functions include one or more of Copy, Paste and Print.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the associating the built-in functions with the digitally-encoded material enables the digitally-encoded material to be stored in RAM in an encrypted form.

6. A method for tracking digitally-encoded material, the method comprising:

appending a unique identifier to the digitally-encoded material;

encrypting a combination including the digitally-encoded material and the unique identifier; and

appending built-in function source code and the encrypted combination to form an executable entity capable of being executed independent of an a particular operating system.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the built-in functions include one or more of Copy, Paste and Print.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the built-in functions include rendering functions and transform functions.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the rendering functions include one or more of close, find shape, full screen, go to, guides, help, open, order, pan, properties, reveal, rotate/flip, search, select, size and position, spell check, and zoom.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the transform functions include one or more of copy, DRM Agent, encrypt/decrypt, export, insert, log, new, paste, print, replace, and save as.

11. A document configured to enable tracking, the document comprising:

a unique identifier;

digitally-encoded material associated with the unique identifier; and

one or more built-in functions coupled to the digitally-encoded material, the built-in functions configured to govern transforms and rendering of the digitally-encoded material independent of a particular operating system.

12. The document of claim 11 wherein the document can be stored in encrypted form into RAM.

13. The document of claim 11 wherein the built-in functions include rendering functions and transform functions.

14. The document of claim 13 wherein the rendering functions include one or more of close, find shape, full screen, go to, guides, help, open, order, pan, properties, reveal, rotate/flip, search, select, size and position, spell check, and zoom.

15. The document of claim 13 wherein the transform functions include one or more of copy, DRM Agent, encrypt/decrypt, export, insert, log, new, paste, print, replace, and save as.

16. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions to perform acts for storing digitally-encoded material, the acts comprising:

associating a unique identifier with the digitally-encoded material; and

associating one or more built-in functions with the digitally-encoded material such that the unique identifier and the built-in functions are coupled to the digitally-encoded material, the built-in functions governing transforms and rendering of the digitally-encoded material.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the acts further comprise:

associating a history of the digitally-encoded material with the digitally-encoded material.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the acts further comprise:

associating a history of the digitally-encoded material, the history being located in a database.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the built-in functions include one or more of Copy, Paste and Print.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the associating the built-in functions with the digitally-encoded material enables the digitally-encoded material to be stored in RAM in an encrypted form.

21. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions to perform acts for tracking digitally-encoded material, the acts comprising:

appending a unique identifier to the digitally-encoded material;

encrypting a combination including the digitally-encoded material and the unique identifier; and

appending built-in function source code and the encrypted combination to form an executable entity capable of being executed independent of an a particular operating system.

22. The computer readable of claim 21 wherein the acts further comprise:

tracking the digitally-encoded material by maintaining an auditable document history log.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 21 wherein the auditable document history log is maintained in one of a file associated with the digitally-encoded material and a database independent of the digitally-encoded material.