Digital rights management

• US 20050289076A1
• Filed: 08/18/2005
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle Corporation UK Limited (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sealedmedia Limited (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Lambert, Martin R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,996,486 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]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A digital rights management (DRM) “bureau” server can be used in many different ways. In one example, a system distributes the storage of rights and/or the rights management decision making process between a DRM client and a DRM server, in order to overcome the shortcomings inherent in exclusively client-side or exclusively server-side DRM systems. In another example, a system manages rights to content on behalf of plural publishers.

Claims

1. A system for managing rights to content, the system comprising:

a DRM server that is arranged to handle rights management on behalf of a plurality of content publishers and to issue rights to one or more consumers accordingly.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the DRM server is arranged to participate in rights management decisions in cooperation with a client-side DRM system.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the DRM server is arranged to issue rights to DRM-protected content without which access to the said DRM-protected content is precluded.

4. A system according to any of claims 1, wherein the DRM server is arranged to maintain accounts for consumers into which the plurality of content publishers can deposit consumer-specific rights.

5. A system according to any of claims 1, wherein the DRM server is arranged to require that a consumer provide a consumer identification in order to download a right to access content.

6. A system according to any of claims 1, wherein the DRM server is arranged to implement cross-consumer rights management policies.

7. A system according to any of claims 1, wherein the DRM server is arranged to implement cross-publisher rights management policies.

8. A system according to any of claims 1, wherein the DRM server is arranged to permit at least one consumer to roam between at least two consumer devices and to ensure that said at least one consumer can only simultaneously access the content on a limited number of the at least two consumer devices.

9. A system according to any of claims 1, wherein the DRM server is arranged to deliver a copy of a right to a consumer whilst retaining a copy of the right in storage.

10. A system for providing rights to content to consumers, the system comprising:

a server that is arranged to provide a network-accessible interface that is arranged to enable publishers of content to create and configure rights templates that can be subsequently purchased by or granted to consumers as rights instances.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the server is arranged to provide consumer accounts in which the rights instances can be stored.

12. A system for providing rights to content to consumers, the system comprising:

a DRM server that is arranged to calculate a charge for a publisher based upon the number of consumers holding rights to content from the publisher on the DRM server.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the DRM server is arranged to redetermine the charge at predetermined intervals.

14. A system for providing rights to content of a publisher to consumers, the system comprising:

a DRM server that is arranged to calculate a charge for a publisher based upon the loading imposed on the DRM server by consumers holding the rights to content of said publisher.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein the charge is based on the number of individual accesses to the DRM server resulting from the consumers accessing content of said publisher.

16. A system for providing rights to content of a publisher to consumers, the system comprising:

a DRM server that is arranged to calculate a charge for a publisher based upon the volume of the rights maintained on the DRM server on behalf of consumers holding the rights to content of the publisher.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein the volume of the rights is determined in accordance with the time that the DRM server holds said rights.

18. A system for providing rights to content of a publisher to consumers, the system comprising:

a DRM server that is arranged to calculate a charge for a publisher based upon a percentage of the value of rights associated with content produced by the publisher and maintained by the DRM server.

19. A DRM client for obtaining access rights to DRM encrypted content and decrypting the content, the DRM client also being capable of encrypting content.

20. A DRM client according to claim 19, wherein the DRM client is capable of adding a digital signature to content encrypted by the DRM client.

21. In combination, at least two DRM servers with a gateway therebetween, wherein one of the DRM servers is arranged to hold an account on behalf of a consumer and to allow said consumer to access DRM-protected content whose rights are controlled by the other of said DRM servers via the gateway.

22. A combination according to claim 21, wherein the gateway between the at least two DRM servers is operated subject to cross-charging relationships between the operators of the DRM servers.

23. A combination according to claim 21, wherein the one of the DRM servers that holds an account for a consumer is arranged to forward consolidated usage reports, consolidated statements and consolidated billing to said consumer based on total access to the DRM servers by the consumer.