Method and system for session based watermarking of encrypted content

• US 20050193205A1
• Filed: 12/14/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Widevine Technologies Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Shapiro, Eric B., Morten, Glenn A., Jacobs, Andre, Zhuk, Oscar V.
• Application Number:
  US11/012,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20050193205A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• 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 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 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp

Abstract

A method and apparatus applies a variety of session based watermarks in real-time to content that is streamed from a server towards a client. The invention employs content where differing targeted portions are selectively encrypted, such that other portions remain in the clear (unencrypted). Session information, such as an intended client, end-user, operator of a content server, content owner, and the like, may be used to generate the various watermarks. The watermarks may also be digitally signed and/or encrypted. The watermarks may be applied to the portions of the clear content as the content is streamed towards the client. In one embodiment, a bridge server is configured to modify packets of streaming media data files with the variety of watermarks. In another embodiment, the content server for the streaming media data includes a plug-in component that dynamically modifies the packets of streaming media data files with the variety of watermarks.

Claims

1. A system for communicating content over a network, comprising:

a client device that is configured to perform actions, including;

requesting the content; and

providing session information associated with the request; and

a computing device that is configured to perform actions, including;

receiving the session information associated with the request;

encrypting at least a portion of the content, wherein at least another portion of the content remains unencrypted;

determining a watermark, based at least in part, on the session information; and

applying the watermark to at least a portion of the unencrypted content in real-time as the encrypted and unencrypted portions of the content are streamed towards the client device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein encrypting at least a portion of the content further comprises selectively targeting at least the portion of the content for encryption.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein applying the watermark further comprises applying a different watermark to a different portion of the unencrypted content.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein applying the watermark further comprises applying a different watermark to the same portion of the unencrypted content.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein applying the watermark further comprises at least one of encrypting at least a portion of the watermark, and digitally signing at least another portion of the watermark.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device employs at least one of a watermarking plug-in and a watermarking bridge to apply the watermark.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the watermark is encrypted employing a different cryptographic key than is used to encrypt the portion of the content.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the client device is a mobile device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the session information further comprises at least one of a client device identifier, an end-user identifier, digital rights associated with an end-user, an end-user name, a pass code, a hash, a credit card number, and an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein determining the watermark, further comprises determining the watermark based on additional session information further comprising at least one of an identifier of a content owner, an identifier of a content encrypter, an identifier of a content provider, and an identifier of the content.

11. A system for communicating content over a network, comprising:

a content server that is configured to perform actions, including;

receiving a request for the content from a computing device;

receiving session information associated with the request;

encrypting at least a portion of the content, wherein at least another portion of the content remains unencrypted; and

streaming the encrypted and unencrypted portions of the content towards the computing device;

a watermarking component that is configured to intercept the streamed content and to perform actions, including;

receiving the session information;

determining a watermark, based at least in part, on the session information; and

applying the watermark to at least a portion of the unencrypted content in real-time as the encrypted and unencrypted portions of the content are further streamed towards the computing device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the watermarking component is at least one of a watermarking bridge and a watermarking plug-in component.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing device associated with the request further includes a wireless communication for receiving the streaming content.

14. An apparatus for communicating content over a network, comprising:

a processor in communication with the transceiver; and

a memory in communication with the processor for storing data and machine instructions that cause the processor to perform a plurality of operations, including;

receiving a content stream, wherein at least a portion of the content stream is encrypted, and at least another portion of the content stream is unencrypted;

receiving session information associated with the content stream;

determining a watermark, based at least in part, on the session information; and

applying the watermark to at least a portion of the unencrypted content stream in real-time as the content stream is further streamed over the network.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is configured to operate as at least one of a watermarking bridge and a watermarking component within a computing device.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the content stream was selectively encrypted employing a targeted selective encryption mechanism.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein applying the watermark further comprises applying a different watermark to a different portion of the unencrypted content.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein applying the watermark further comprises at least one of encrypting at least a portion of the watermark, and digitally signing at least another portion of the watermark.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the watermark is encrypted employing a different cryptographic key than is used to encrypt the portion of the content.

20. A method for communicating content over a network, comprising:

receiving session information associated with a request for the content;

encrypting at least a portion of the content, wherein at least another portion of the content remains unencrypted;

determining a watermark, based at least in part, on the session information; and

applying the watermark to at least a portion of the unencrypted content in real-time as the encrypted and unencrypted content is streamed towards a computing device associated with the request.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein session information further comprises at least one of a client device identifier, an end-user identifier, digital rights associated with an end-user, an end-user name, a pass code, a hash, a credit card number, an Internet Protocol (IP) address, an identifier of a content owner, an identifier of a content encrypter, an identifier of a content provider, and an identifier of the content.

22. A modulated data signal for communicating content over a network, the modulated data signal comprising instructions that enable a computing device to perform the actions of:

sending, from a client device, a request for the content;

sending, from the client device, session information associated with the request;

receiving the content streamed at a watermarking component, wherein at least a portion of the content is encrypted and at least another portion of the content is unencrypted;

enabling the watermarking component to determine a watermark, based at least in part, on the session information; and

enabling the watermarking component to apply the watermark to at least a portion of the unencrypted content in real-time as the content is further streamed towards the client device over the network.

23. The modulated data signal of claim 22, wherein the watermarking component further comprises at least one of a watermarking bridge and a watermarking plug-in component.

24. An apparatus for communicating content over a network, comprising:

a means for receiving a request for the content;

a means for receiving session information associated with the request for the content;

a means for receiving the content, wherein at least a portion of the content is encrypted and at least another portion of the content is unencrypted;

a means for determining at least one watermark, based at least in part, on the session information; and

a means for applying the at least one watermark to at least a portion of the unencrypted content in real-time as the content is streamed over the network.