Integration of digital asset management with intellectual property management

• US 20060218148A1
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Alt, Martin, Freyler, Ralf, Weber, Jutta
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,601 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/923 Intellectual property
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/948 Product or catalog

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a digital asset storage, search and retrieval system. Each digital asset may comprise one or more versions and properties. The system may access stored digital assets using hierarchical classifications under a taxonomy based on the properties. The digital assets may be assigned conditions governing usage of the assets. Via relationship networks, the digital assets may “inherit” the conditions from other digital assets.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor; and

computer-executable instructions for execution by the processor, the instructions to implement a digital asset management application, the digital asset management application to, in response to a user request, access a database of digital assets,

the instructions to further implement an intellectual property management system, the intellectual property management system comprising a plurality of relationships among the digital assets to propagate conditions on usage of the digital assets.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a relationship is an inheritance relationship between a higher-level digital asset and a lower-level digital asset, the inheritance relationship to transfer a condition assigned to the higher-level digital asset to the lower-level digital asset.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the conditions relate to at least one of a right to use a digital asset and a restriction on a use of the digital asset.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising access control for the digital assets based on the conditions.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein a digital asset is associated with a legal information document that states the at least one of a right and a restriction in text.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the right applies for a specified time period defined by the restriction.

7. A method comprising:

assigning, to a first digital asset, a condition on its use;

forming a relationship between the first digital asset and a second digital asset; and

automatically propagating the condition from the first digital asset to the second digital asset based on the relationship.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

controlling access to the first digital asset and the second digital asset based on the condition.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein controlling access comprises preventing unauthorized viewing of the first and second digital assets.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein controlling access comprises preventing unauthorized downloading of the first and second digital assets.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the condition relates to at least one of a right to use the first and second digital assets and a restriction on a use of the first and second digital assets.

12. A machine-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions to perform a method as in claim 7.

13. A method comprising:

forming a first network of related digital assets for propagation of conditions on use of the digital assets;

forming a second network of related digital assets for propagation of conditions on use of the digital assets, the second network different from the first; and

combining the first and the second networks to form a third network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the networks comprise inheritance relationships between higher-level digital assets and lower-level digital assets, the inheritance relationships to transfer conditions assigned to the higher-level digital assets to the lower-level digital assets.

15. A machine-readable medium storing data structures, the data structures comprising a plurality of relationships among digital assets to propagate conditions on usage of the digital assets.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein a relationship is an inheritance relationship between a higher-level digital asset and a lower-level digital asset, the inheritance relationship to transfer a condition assigned to the higher-level digital asset to the lower-level digital asset.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the conditions relate to at least one of a right to use a digital asset and a restriction on a use of the digital asset.