Trusted information exchange based on trust agreements

• US 20070067630A1
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Vissapragada, Rama, Hood, Douglas, Lenkov, Dmitry, Scardina, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,682,795 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• 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 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

Techniques are provided for allowing organizations to preserve the trust and allow this trust to be propagated across multiple agencies and/or enterprises. A technology is provided that allows (mutually) trusted entities to share content (information, digital assets) over any protocol-based network such as the Internet based on granted rights and agreed conditions. In one embodiment, Trusted Information Exchange (TIE) systems have a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and use content (information, asset) repositories to store and forward content to trusted entities on the Internet. Techniques are provided to permit source TIE systems to manage the specific disposition and management of their assets to receiving TIE systems through directions conveyed in licenses that reflect apriori agreements.

Claims

1. A machine-executed method of exchanging digital information, comprising:

sending over a network system, from a first system controlled by a first party, to a second system controlled by a second party, a trust agreement that is digitally signed by the first party and includes the digital identity of the second party;

wherein the trust agreement licenses the second party to perform operations relating to a digital asset, wherein the operations include at least one of

(a) using the digital asset under terms specified in the trust agreement; and

(b) distributing the digital asset to third-parties under terms specified in the trust agreement;

(c) distributing the license to use or distribute the asset to third-parties under terms specified in the trust agreement.

receiving at the first system, from the second system, a trust agreement confirmation that is digitally signed by the second party; and

after receiving the trust agreement confirmation, providing the digital asset to the second party.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

before the second system sends the trust agreement confirmation to the first system, the second system invokes an approval workflow to obtain approval confirmation from a user; and

the second system sends the trust agreement confirmation to the first system only after the approval workflow obtains approval confirmation from the user.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating audit information at the second system, wherein the audit information reflects events that occurred at the second system during mediation of the trust agreement or asset distribution to third parties; and

sending the audit information to the first system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of generating audit information includes invoking an audit manager for auditable events, wherein said auditable invents include repository transactions and send/receive message completions that occurred during mediation of the trust agreement.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the trust agreement allows the second party to distribute the asset to third parties under terms specified in the trust agreement, and the method further includes:

sending over a network system, from the second system to a third system controlled by a third party, a second trust agreement that is digitally signed by the second party including the digital identity of the third party;

wherein the second trust agreement licenses the third party to perform operations relating to a digital asset, wherein the operations include at least one of

(a) using the digital asset under terms specified in the second trust agreement; and

(b) distributing the digital asset to other third-parties under terms specified in the second trust agreement;

receiving at the second system, from the third system, a second trust agreement confirmation that is digitally signed by the third party; and

after receiving the second trust agreement confirmation, the second system providing the digital asset to the third party.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein

the second trust agreement is nested in the trust agreement;

and

the trust agreement allows the second party to distribute the digital asset to third parties only if the second party first binds the third parties to the terms of the second trust agreement.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein:

the second trust agreement includes one or more restrictions on third party usage of the digital asset;

at least one of the one or more restrictions is a restriction that cannot be monitored by the second party; and

the trust agreement allows the second party to distribute the digital asset to third parties only if the second party first binds the third parties to the terms of the second trust agreement.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the trust agreement allows the second party to distribute the asset to third parties under terms specified in the trust agreement without allowing the second party to internally consume the asset.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said trust agreement is a Rights Expression Language (REL) document.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the trust agreement specifies translation/mapping rules between a first vocabulary used by the first party and a second vocabulary used by the second party.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the trust agreement includes a definition of the digital asset.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the digital asset to the second party includes:

the first system receiving a query from the second system; and

the first system providing said digital asset in response to said query.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

the first system receiving a second query from the second system;

the first system determining that the second query asks for information that includes assets not covered by said trust agreement; and

the first system responding to said second query with an error message or instructions, services, etc. to acquire requested asset trust agreement.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

the first system receiving a second query from the second system;

the first system determining that the second query asks for information that includes assets not covered by said trust agreement; and

the first system responding to said second query with information that does not include said assets that are not covered by said trust agreement.

18. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 1.

19. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 2.

20. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 3.

21. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 4.

22. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 5.

23. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 6.

24. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 7.

25. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 8.

26. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 9.

27. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 10.

28. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 11.

29. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 12.

30. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 13.

31. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 14.

15. A method of exchanging digital information, comprising:

sending over a network system, from a first system controlled by a first party, to a second system controlled by a second party, a subscription agreement that is digitally signed by the first party and includes the digital identity of the second party;

wherein the subscription agreement defines characteristics of digital assets that are covered by the first subscription agreement;

wherein the subscription agreement licenses the second party to perform a set of operations relative to digital assets that have said characteristics;

receiving at the first system, from the second system, a subscription agreement confirmation that is digitally signed by the second party;

after receiving the subscription agreement confirmation, the first system identifying a digital asset that has said characteristics;

prior to providing the digital asset to the second system, sending from the first system to the second system a trust agreement that is digitally signed by the first party and includes the digital identity of the second party;

wherein the trust agreement licenses the second party to perform said set of operations relative to said digital asset;

receiving at the first system, from the second system, a trust agreement confirmation that is digitally signed by the second party; and

after the trust agreement confirmation is received by the first system, the first system providing the digital asset to the second system.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the subscription license includes an embedded license that specifies all terms of the asset license.

32. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 15.

33. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 16.

17. A machine-executed method of exchanging digital information, comprising:

sending over a network system, from a first system controlled by a first party, to a second system controlled by a second party, a first trust agreement that is digitally signed by the first party and includes the digital identity of the second party;

wherein the first trust agreement licenses the second party to distribute licenses relating to the digital asset to third-parties under terms specified in the trust agreement;

receiving at the first system, from the second system, a first trust agreement confirmation that is digitally signed by the second party;

after the first trust agreement confirmation is received by the first system, sending over a network system, from the second system to a third system controlled by a third party, a second trust agreement that is digitally signed by the second party and includes the digital identity of the third party;

wherein the second trust agreement licenses the third party to use the digital asset under terms specified in the second trust agreement;

receiving at the first system, from the third system, a second trust agreement confirmation that is digitally signed by the third party; and

after receiving the second trust agreement confirmation at the first system, the first system providing the digital asset to the third system.

34. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 17.