Dynamic digital content licensing

• US 20070005504A1
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Krishnamoorthy, Shyam, Chen, Ling, Caiafa, Daniel, Hook, Jerry, Walther, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 7,337,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Various techniques are described for managing license rights for a variety of digital content. One technique involves initiating a request for a specific content package. The content package includes a unique content package identifier that can be linked with a license offer that also has a unique identifier. A determination is made as to whether the specific content package is available locally, and if not, the specific content package is downloaded. A use license can be obtained for digital content contained within the specific content package. One or more use-license parameters can be determined based on the use license obtained for the digital content. Finally, use of the digital content is enabled in accord with the license parameters that were thus determined.

Claims

1. A method for managing portable content license rights for digital content usable with a plurality of computing systems, comprising the steps of:

(a) enabling a request for a specific content package to be initiated, the specific content package including a content package identifier and being associated with a license offer having a license offer identifier;

(b) determining whether the specific content package is available locally from an electronic user device, and if not, downloading the specific content package from a storage other than a storage of the electronic user device;

(c) opening the specific content package;

(d) determining if an integrity of the specific content package is compromised;

(e) deleting the specific content package responsive to a determination that the integrity of the specific content package is compromised;

(f) downloading an authenticated version of the specific content package after deleting the specific content package, the integrity of which is determined to be compromised;

(g) obtaining a portable use license for digital content that is contained within the specific content package;

(h) determining one or more use-license parameters based on the portable use license obtained for the digital content; and

(i) enabling use of the digital content in accord with the license parameters that were determined at any of the plurality of computing systems at which the digital content is available, without first requiring the digital content to be deleted from a first computing system of the plurality of computing systems before use of the digital content is enabled at a second computing system included in the plurality of computing systems.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for content is initiated in connection with one of:

(a) a game controller;

(b) a joystick;

(c) a console interface;

(d) a software application that is executing; and

(e) a keyboard.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining if the specific content package is available locally from the storage of the electronic user device comprises the steps of:

(a) checking a local content registry for one or more registry entries corresponding to the specific content package;

(b) identifying any registry entries corresponding to the specific content package; and

(c) as a function of any registry entry thus identified, returning an indicator that indicates whether the specific content package is available locally.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining a use license for the specific content package comprises the steps of:

(a) sending a request for the use license, the request including a unique computing system identifier and at least one unique user identifier; and

(b) receiving a use-license package that is associated with the computing system identifier, the user identifier, and available with one or more license offers directed to the specific content package, wherein each distinct license offer available is identified with a unique license offer identifier.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the use-license package is embodied in a data structure signed by an owner of a private key, wherein the data structure includes a unique digest associated with the specific content package and a plurality of data records corresponding to one or more digital content access permissions.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the use-license parameters further comprises the steps of:

(a) opening the use-license package, the use-license package including a record of permissions for each of the one or more license offers and wherein the one or more license offers are each associated with the user identifier;

(b) determining whether the use license is restricted or unlimited;

(c) determining one or more permissions for each license offer responsive to a determination the use license is restricted; and

(d) generating a record of permissions for the specific content package based on an aggregation of permissions from each of the one or more offers associated with the user identifier.

9. The method of claim 8, and further comprising the steps of:

(a) determining whether more than one user identifier is associated with the computing system identifier;

(b) comparing the record of permissions for each user identifier associated with the content package identifier, responsive to a determination that more than one user identifier is associated with the computing system identifier; and

(c) generating a multi-user permission record for the digital content associated with the computing system identifier, the multi-user permission record being based on an aggregation of the record of permissions associated with each such user identifier.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the permissions limit the use to at least one of:

(a) a single user identifier;

(b) a single computing system identifier;

(c) a predefined number of times that the digital content can be used;

(d) a predefined period of time during which the digital content can be used;

(e) a predefined number of computing system identifiers;

(f) an unlimited number of computing system identifiers;

(g) a predefined number of user identifiers;

(h) an unlimited number of user identifiers; and

(i) a predefined number of times that the digital content can be duplicated.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital content comprises at least one of:

(a) a digital game software component;

(b) an executable gaming application;

(c) an instruction set for expanding a gaming application; and

(d) a media file.

12. A memory medium on which are stored machine instructions for carrying out the steps of claim 1.

2-3. -3. (canceled)

13-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A system for dynamically managing user licenses for digital content, the system having a console service configured for executing a plurality of content management functions, the console service being configured for securely communicating with a user console over a network and including:

(a) a database in which are stored records employed for managing the user licenses for the digital content;

(b) a content repository in communication with the database; and

(c) a server computer in communication with the content repository and the database, the server computer including a processor and a memory in communication with the processor, the memory storing data and machine instructions that cause the processor to carry out a plurality of functions, including;

(i) identifying a license request for a content package received from a first computing system, the request including a first computing system identifier, a content package identifier, and a user identifier;

(ii) matching the user identifier with a user account record in the database, in response to identifying the request, the user account record including a primary computing system identifier associated with the user identifier and a transaction history, the transaction history including content license offers associated with the content package that are licensed for use by the user identifier, and wherein each license offer includes a unique license offer identifier;

(iii) determining all available licenses for the content package based on the user account record; and

(iv) providing a license package to the first computing system, the license package including content access permissions granted the user identifier, based on the user account record.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the console service is configured to carry out a further plurality of functions, including:

(a) receiving a request for the content package from the first computing system, the request including the first computing system identifier, the user identifier and a content package identifier; and

(b) providing the requested content package to the first computing system subject to the user account record associated with the user identifier.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the console service is configured to carry out a further plurality of functions, including:

(a) determining whether the first computing system identifier is identical to the primary computing system identifier; and

if so,

(b) sending the content package to the first computing system;

else,

(c) determining whether the user account record includes a license to provide the content package to the first computing system when the first computing system identifier is not identical to the primary computing system identifier; and

if so,

(d) providing the content package to the first computing system.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the console service is configured to carry out a further plurality of functions, including:

(a) determining the content package identifier based on the content package request;

(b) retrieving the content package from the content repository based on the content package identifier;

(c) associating the content package identifier of the content package that was retrieved, with the user account record; and

(d) providing the content package to the first computing system.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the console service is configured to carry out a further plurality of functions, including:

(a) identifying any license offer associated with the content package identifier included in the user account record;

(b) accessing a content offer database, and identifying each additional license offer associated with the content package identifier that is not included in the user account record; and

(c) generating a combined license offer record enumerating each content access permission granted by the combination of license offers identified above in functions (a) and (b) of this claim.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the license package is embodied in a private key signed data structure that includes a unique digest associated with the content package and a plurality of binary flags corresponding to the one or more content access permissions.

27. A memory medium on which are stored machine instructions for carrying out a plurality of steps when executed, comprising:

(a) detecting a license request for authenticated digital content from a first computer system, the request including a first computing system identifier, a digital content identifier, and a user identifier;

(b) matching the user identifier with a user account record in response to detecting the license request, the user account record including a primary computing system identifier associated with the user identifier and a transaction history, the transaction history including a record of each license granted to the user identifier that is associated with the authenticated digital content, wherein each license includes a unique license identifier;

(c) determining all licenses for the authenticated digital content based on the user account record; and

(d) providing a license data structure to the first computing system, the license data structure including an indication of all available licenses for the content package that are associated with the user identifier, based on the user account record.

28. The memory medium of claim 27, wherein the machine instructions are further executable for carrying out the steps of:

(a) identifying each license offer associated with the content package identifier included in the user account record;

(b) accessing a content offer database and identifying each additional license offer associated with the content package identifier that is not included in the user account record; and

(c) generating a combined license offer record enumerating each content access permission granted by the combination of license offers identified above in steps (a) and (b) of this claim.