Copyright detection and protection system and method

• US 20050154681A1
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audible Magic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Audible Magic Corporation
• Inventors: Schmelzer, Richard A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,711,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/67
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/433 using audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/434 using image data, e.g. images, photos, pictures taken by a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• 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 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• 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: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/103 applying security measure for protecting copy right protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment, e.g. protection the software providers copyright G06F21/10; data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; secrecy systems or subscription systems H04N7/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 : by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00

Abstract

A method for detecting against unauthorized transmission of digital works comprises the steps of maintaining a registry of information permitting identification of digital copyrighted works, monitoring a network for transmission of at least one packet-based digital signal, extracting at least one feature from the at least one digital signal, comparing the extracted at least one feature with registry information and applying business rules based on the comparison result.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a business enterprise, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a first database for storing features permitting the identification of registered digital works;

monitoring a network for transmission of at least one digital signal characterized by a source and recipient address;

extracting at least one feature from the at least one digital signal;

comparing the extracted at least one feature with features from the database to determine whether the digital signal includes a registered digital work; and

taking action based on business rules.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said taking action comprises recording information identifying transmissions of registered digital works.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether a recipient address is authorized to receive transmission of a registered digital work.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of initiating an action based on the result of the identification step, wherein the action is in accordance with pre-defined business rules.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating at least one feature of a registered digital work, wherein the at least one feature includes feature vectors.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one feature includes source address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one feature includes destination address.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one digital signal comprises one or more of audio information, video information, image information, digital representation of text, or software.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of soliciting owners of digital works to register digital works with the business enterprise for inclusion in the first database.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of obtaining value from owners of digital works in exchange for registration of digital works in the first database.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of obtaining value from network providers or network operators in exchange for providing a copyright protection system or copyright protection services.

12. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of referring an intended recipient not authorized to receive a registered digital work to a commercial site where authorization to receive the registered digital work may be purchased.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of soliciting value from commercial sites to which intended recipients are referred by the business enterprise.

14. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of precluding an unauthorized recipient address from receiving uninterrupted transmission of a registered digital work.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether a source address is authorized to transmit a registered digital work.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of precluding an unauthorized source address from sending uninterrupted transmission of a registered digital work.

17. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of transmitting a message to an unauthorized recipient address.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of transmitting a message to an unauthorized source address.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of inserting digital content into the transmission.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of substituting digital content into the transmission.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the message includes instructions by which an unauthorized recipient address may purchase authorization to receive a registered digital work.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifiers of registered digital works are generated from the content of the digital works.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of maintaining a second database recording transmissions of digital works over the network.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the second database includes recipient addresses.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the second database includes source addresses.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of preparing reports including transaction information.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of selling the reports.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the network includes a connection to the Internet.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of maintaining a second database recording information identifying transmissions in digital works over the network.