Provisions for validating content using a content registration authority

• US 20060195914A1
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Saretto, Cesare J., von Koch, Walter V., Schwartz, Eyal, Hurst, Ryan M., Czeisler, Adam C., Fortini, Christian, Badh, Ranjib S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,716,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/645 using a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

Strategies are described for validating content transferred over a communication channel using a more effective approach than heretofore provided in the art. A content registration authority is provided which registers the content disseminated by one or more content providers to one or more client devices. A client device which receives content that has been registered can securely consume the content, based on an assumption that a content provider which furnishes the content is entrusted by the content registration authority to provide the content, and without prompting a user of the client device to expressly approve the content provider. In a first solution, the content registration authority registers the content by issuing a certification stamp; in a second solution, the content registration authority registers the content by storing registration information in a central repository. The content may contain instructions which perform operations in the context of an instant messenger application.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the validation of content over a network, comprising:

registering content provided by a content provider at a content registration authority, based on a content identifier forwarded by a content provider,

wherein the registration of the content allows a client device which receives the content from the content provider to securely consume the content, based on an assumption that the content provider is entrusted by the content registration authority to provide the content, without prompting a user of the client device to explicitly approve the content itself or the content provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content includes instructions that prompt a processor device to perform at least one operation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content is configured for use in an instant messaging application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content identifier comprises a hash of the content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device which receives the content receives the content directly from the content provider.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device which receives the content receives the content from another client device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising revoking the registration when one or more revoking events have occurred.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising a preliminary operation of transferring a host program, associated with the content registration authority, to the client device, wherein the content comprises information that is used in conjunction with the host program.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the host program comprises at least one of:

an application for conducting IM communication;

an application for creating, manipulating, and/or rendering a document; and

application for creating, manipulating, and/or rendering script-based content.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the content registration authority transfers the host program to the client device free of charge, but a fee is charged for providing the content or enabling the creation of the content that is used in conjunction with the host program.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the registering comprising forming a stamp based at least in part on the content identifier, wherein the content provider packages the stamp and content together for transfer to the client device, and wherein the client device uses the stamp to validate the content.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the stamp provides encrypted information formed at the content registration authority using a private key associated with the content provider.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the stamp also identifies timing information for use in revoking the content upon its expiration.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the registering comprising storing the content identifier in a registration store to provide a registered content identifier, wherein the client device validates the content received from the content provider by determining whether the received content corresponds to a registered content identifier.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the registering occurs before the content provider transfers the content to the client device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the registering occurs via a secure communication route after the content provider transfers the content to the client device.

17. One or more machine-readable media containing machine readable instructions for implementing the method of claim 1.

18. A content registration authority comprising logic configured to implement the method of claim 1.

19. A system for facilitating the validation of content over a network, comprising:

at least one content provider for disseminating content to at least one client device;

a content registration authority for registering content provided by said at least one content provider,

wherein the registration of the content allows said at least one client device which receives the content from said at least one content provider to securely consume the content, based on an assumption that said at least one content provider is entrusted by the content registration authority to provide the content, and without requiring the user to explicitly approve of the content itself or said at least one content provider.

20. A client device for validating content received over a network, comprising:

security functionality configured to;

receive content from at least one content provider; and

validate said content by;

determining whether signature information transmitted with the content matches separately computed signature information;

determining whether the content has not yet been revoked; and

determining whether the content has been registered by a content registration authority,

wherein the validation of the content does not require a user of the client device to expressly approve of the content itself or said at least one content provider.