Method and apparatus for hierarchical assignment of rights to documents and documents having such rights

• US 20070038859A1
• Filed: 10/23/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Xin, Raley, Michael, Ta, Thanh, Tadayon, Bijan, Nahidipour, Aram, Lao, Guillermo
• Granted Patent: US 8,869,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1075 Editing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A self-contained device for protecting content, the content having usage rights associated therewith, includes a usage rights portion having usage rights that control the use of the content; a rights management module that authorizes a request to access to the content based on the usage rights; a rights assignment module that generates and updates the usage rights based on the content access; and an interface module that allows accessing of the content.

Claims

1. A self-contained device for protecting content, the content having usage rights associated therewith, the device comprising:

a usage rights portion having usage rights that control the use of the content;

a rights management module that authorizes a request to access to the content based on the usage rights;

a rights assignment module that generates and updates the usage rights based on the content access; and

an interface module that allows accessing of the content.

2. The self-contained device of claim 1, wherein the content includes at least one of E-Books, books, documents, music, audio information, multimedia presentations, and video information.

3. The self-contained device of claim 1, wherein the usage rights specify rights to copy, transfer, print, edit, modify, update, play, execute or view the content.

4. The self-contained device of claim 1, further comprising:

a microprocessor, wherein the microprocessor implements the rights management module, and the rights assignment module; and

a storage device corresponding to the usage rights portion and that stores the usage rights.

5. The self-contained device of claim 1, further comprising a content portion having the content to be protected.

6. The self-contained device of claim 5, further comprising:

a microprocessor, wherein the microprocessor implements the rights management module, and the rights assignment module; and

a storage device corresponding to the content portion and the usage rights portion and that stores the content and the usage rights.