System and methods providing secure delivery of licenses and content

• US 20060116963A1
• Filed: 01/20/2006
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Macrovision Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Macrovision Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Collier, David Charles, Fenney, Robert J., Capitant, Patrice J., Nuttall, Francois-Xavier
• Application Number:
  US11/336,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20060116963A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• 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 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A computer network having a requesting node and a providing node permits data transfer therebetween when permitted by an authorizing node. Reports generated in response to authorizations and reports generated in response to data transfers are reconciled at a reconciliation node to improve the accuracy of payments collected and paid for use of the data. Such payments include copyright royalties for audio, video, and other works recorded in digital format.

Claims

1. A system for communicating with a client having a client port, the system comprising:

a first port that conducts a first transaction with the client port to establish a request for a permit and that conducts a second transaction with the client port to establish a request for a data product, the request for a data product comprising at least a portion of a permit, the first port comprising a first plurality of processes;

a second port that provides a permit to the client port in accordance with the request for the permit, the second port comprising a second plurality of processes; and

a third port that provides a data product to the client port in accordance with the request for the data product, the third port comprising a third plurality of processes;

wherein

processes of the first plurality and second plurality are coupled to convey at least a portion of the request for the permit and a portion of the request for the data product to the second plurality of processes; and

processes of the second plurality and third plurality are coupled to convey at least the portion of the request for the data product to the third plurality of processes.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the second port is associated with a first network address and the third port is associated with a second network address.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the first port is associated with a third network address.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the second port provides the permit according to a protocol that provides a barrier to access.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein information that would facilitate access beyond the permit and the data product is not provided.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the omitted information includes an identifier associated with at least one of the second port and the third port.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the second port is enabled for providing the permit without action by the client subsequent to receiving the request for the permit.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the third port is enabled for providing the data product without action by the client subsequent to receiving the request for the data product.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein at least one of the permit and the request for the data product comprises a network address associated with the client port.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein at least two of the first port, the second port, and the third port are hosted on one processor.

20. The system of claim 3 wherein the third port provides the data product according to a protocol that provides a barrier to access.

11. A system for permitting authorized access by a client and for cooperating with a provided first interface that accesses a request for a permit, the request for a permit originating on the client, and that accesses a request for a data product, the request for a data product originating on the client and comprising at least a portion of a permit, the system comprising:

a second interface that provides access to the permit across the second interface to the client, wherein;

the second interface comprises a first link between the system and the client for delivery of the permit; and

the first link is enabled in accordance with at least a portion of the request for the permit; and

a third interface that provides access to a data product across the third interface to the client, wherein;

the third interface comprises a second link between the system and the client for delivery of the data product; and

the second link is enabled in accordance with at least a portion of the request for the data product, thereby conditionally permitting authorized access to the data product.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the data product comprises at least one of a digital work, a file, an audio recording, a video recording, an executable program, a document, a multimedia program, and content.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein access of a data product comprises at least one of receiving at least a portion of the data product over a network, executing at least a portion of the data product, reading at least a portion of the data product, and recalling at least a portion of the data product from a storage device.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the second interface is associated with a first network address and the third interface is associated with a second network address.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the first interface is associated with a third network address.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein delivery of at least one of the permit and the data product comprises data transfer according to a protocol.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the protocol provides a barrier to access of at least one of the permit and the data product.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein information is not provided that would facilitate access beyond the permit and the data product.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the omitted information includes at least one of an identifier associated with at least one of the second interface and the third interface.

21. A method comprising:

conveying first electronic digital data in a first transfer to deliver a permit;

conveying second electronic digital data in a second transfer to deliver a product;

receiving a plurality of reports, wherein the plurality of reports include a permit request report, a permit delivery report, a product delivery request report, a product delivery commencement report, and a product delivery completion report; and

identifying, as indicated by a set of reports of the plurality, at least one of incomplete transactions and events that indicate unauthorized attempted access, wherein each complete transaction comprises delivery of a product specified in a delivered permit.

22. A system comprising:

means for conveying a first electronic digital data in a first transfer to deliver a permit;

means for conveying a second electronic digital data in a second transfer to deliver a product;

means for receiving a plurality of reports, wherein the plurality of reports include a permit request report, a permit delivery report, a product delivery request report, a product delivery commencement report, and a product delivery completion report; and

means for identifying, as indicated by a set of reports of the plurality, at least one of incomplete transactions and events that indicate unauthorized attempted access, wherein each complete transaction comprises delivery of a product specified in a delivered permit.

23. A method for delivering a permit, the method comprising:

receiving a request for the permit, the permit for requesting access to a data product, receiving being performed by a receiving system linked by a network link to a delivering system, receiving being performed independently of the delivering system; and

delivering per the request, delivering being performed by the delivering system in response to, and otherwise independently of, the receiving system and without identifying the delivering system.