Digital rights management using network topology testing

• US 20060206432A1
• Filed: 11/03/2005
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motion Picture Association of America
• Original Assignee: Motion Picture Association of America
• Inventors: Williams, Jim C., Russell, John Christopher Park
• Application Number:
  US11/266,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20060206432A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/57
• 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 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• 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 63/0209 Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

A method and system for preventing unauthorized use of copyrighted digital information over a broadband network includes testing network topology between a source and recipient device. Testing may include transmitting well-crafted information packets for transmission between source and recipient, and evaluating network response to gain information about the topology of the connecting network. Key components for using digital content, or the content itself, may be placed in a package that will not be transmitted by unauthorized network devices. Authorization or capability to use or receive the digital content is based at least in part on network topology between the source and recipient device.

Claims

1. A method for preventing unauthorized use of copyrighted digital information comprising the steps of:

transmitting a test packet from a source to a receiving device for copyrighted digital information, the test packet being crafted so as to be not transmittable by a prohibited device;

disabling use of the copyrighted digital information by the receiving device if the test packet is not successfully transmitted to the receiving device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising waiting to receive a response packet from the receiving device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising evaluating a transmission path between the source and the receiving device, based on whether or not the response packet is received from the receiving device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the evaluating step further comprises measuring an elapsed time between the transmitting of the test packet and a time that the response packet is received.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the disabling step is further conditioned at least in part on the elapsed time measured in the evaluating step.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the test packet in a series of test packets, ones of the series of test packets configured so as to be not transmittable by a different prohibited device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising evaluating a transmission path between the source and the receiving device, based on whether or not response packets are received from the receiving device in response to the series of test packets.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the disabling step comprises placing at least a portion of the copyrighted digital content in the well-crafted packet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the disabling step comprises placing a key component for accessing the copyrighted digital content in the well-crafted content.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting the well-crafted packet comprising a ping packet.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting the well-crafted packet comprising a non-routable packet.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting the well-crafted packet selected from the group consisting of:

an unknown layer-3 packet, an invalid layer-3 CRC packet, and a unknown layer-2 packet.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the program instructions further comprise transmitting the test packet in a series of test packets, ones of the series of test packets configured so as to be not transmittable by a different prohibited device.

13. A system for preventing unauthorized use of copy-protected content, comprising:

a processor operable to execute program instructions;

a memory operably associated with the processor, the memory holding the program instructions comprising;

transmitting a test packet from a source to a receiving device for copyrighted digital information, the test packet being crafted so as to be not transmittable by a prohibited device;

disabling use of the copyrighted digital information by the receiving device if the test packet is not successfully transmitted to the receiving device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions further comprise waiting to receive a response packet from the receiving device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the program instructions further comprise evaluating a transmission path between the source and the receiving device, based on whether or not the response packet is received from the receiving device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the evaluating step of the program instructions further comprises measuring an elapsed time between the transmitting of the test packet and a time that the response packet is received.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the program instructions further comprise conditioning performance of the disabling step at least in part on the elapsed time measured in the evaluating step.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the program instructions further comprise evaluating a transmission path between the source and the receiving device, based on whether or not response packets are received from the receiving device in response to the series of test packets.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the disabling step of the program instructions further comprises placing at least a portion of the copyrighted digital content in the well-crafted packet.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the disabling step of the program instructions further comprises placing a key component for accessing the copyrighted digital content in the well-crafted content.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the transmitting step of the program instructions further comprises transmitting the well-crafted packet comprising a ping packet.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the transmitting step of the program instructions further comprises transmitting the well-crafted packet comprising a non-routable packet.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the transmitting step of the program instructions further comprises transmitting the well-crafted packet selected from the group consisting of:

an unknown layer-3 packet, an invalid layer-3 CRC packet, and a unknown layer-2 packet.