Digital rights management in a mobile communications environment

• US 20070112676A1
• Filed: 06/09/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Sipponen, Juha-Pekka, Ylitalo, Tapio, Kontio, Markku
• Granted Patent: US 7,415,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1073 Conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0838 Key agreement, i.e. key establishment technique in which a shared key is derived by parties as a function of information contributed by, or associated with, each of these network architectures or network communication protocols for key exchange in a packet data network H04L63/061
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption

Abstract

The invention provides a method, system, and computer program product to control the access, copying, and/or transfer of a digital asset by mobile, wireless devices using a digital voucher. The digital voucher references a primary content that contains all of the expression for that particular asset and a secondary content that contains information that can be distilled out as a preview. The information in the primary content can be limited to a specified duration or a specific number of viewings. The author, owner, or possessor of the digital asset specifies the terms and conditions for distribution of the digital asset. The digital voucher authorizes the mobile, wireless device to access a specified primary or secondary content that may be located elsewhere in the network. The mobile, wireless device can download a copy of portions or all of the content depending on the terms specified in the voucher.

Claims

1. A system to enable wireless devices in a mobile communication environment, to engage in superdistribution of protected content, comprising:

a plurality of content servers in a network, each storing a copy of a digital asset containing content encrypted with a content key;

a plurality of voucher servers in the network coupled to said plurality of content servers, for registering said content and generating a voucher enabling access to said content in response to a request;

a plurality of payment servers in the network, coupled to said plurality of voucher servers, for requesting said voucher in response to a payment from a requester and forwarding the voucher to the requestor;

a first wireless device having a first device ID, sending a request to the network for said content and receiving from any one of said plurality of content servers the digital asset including a content ID, said encrypted content, and information on obtaining rights to the content, which is expressed in a voucher generated by a voucher server in the network;

a second wireless device having a second device ID;

said first wireless device performing super-distribution of the content to said second wireless device via messaging;

said second wireless device sending to one of said plurality of payment servers an authorization for payment for access to said content and a request for said voucher;

said one of said payment servers requesting said voucher from one of said plurality of voucher servers and forwarding the voucher to said second wireless device, thereby enabling access to said content without regard for which of the voucher servers generates the voucher;

whereby top-quality content creators of said content are rewarded with a possibility that their content can populate a whole mobile wireless device domain.

2. A method to enable a wireless device in a mobile communication environment, to engage in superdistribution of protected content, comprising:

storing a copy of a digital asset containing content encrypted with a content key, in a plurality of content servers in a network;

registering said content and generating a voucher enabling access to said content in response to a request, in a plurality of voucher servers in the network coupled to said plurality of content servers;

requesting said voucher in response to a payment from a requestor and forwarding the voucher to the requester, in a plurality of payment servers in the network, coupled to said plurality of voucher servers;

sending a request to the network for said content from a first wireless device having a first device ID, and receiving from any one of said plurality of content servers the digital asset including a content ID, said encrypted content, and information on obtaining rights to the content, which is expressed in a voucher generated by a voucher server in the network;

performing super-distribution of the content from said first wireless device to a second wireless device via messaging;

sending to one of said plurality of payment servers an authorization for payment for access to said content and a request for said voucher, from said second wireless device;

requesting said voucher from one of said plurality of voucher servers by said one of said payment servers and forwarding the voucher to said second wireless device, thereby enabling access to said content without regard for which of the voucher servers generates the voucher;

whereby top-quality content creators of said content are rewarded with a possibility that their content can populate a whole mobile wireless device domain.

3. A program product to enable a wireless device in a mobile communication environment, to engage in superdistribution of protected content, comprising:

a computer readable medium;

code in the computer readable medium for storing a copy of a digital asset containing content encrypted with a content key, in a plurality of content servers in a network;

code in the computer readable medium for registering said content and generating a voucher enabling access to said content in response to a request, in a plurality of voucher servers in the network coupled to said plurality of content servers;

code in the computer readable medium for requesting said voucher in response to a payment from a requestor and forwarding the voucher to the requester, in a plurality of payment servers in the network, coupled to said plurality of voucher servers;

code in the computer readable medium for sending a request to the network for said content from a first wireless device having a first device ID, and receiving from any one of said plurality of content servers the digital asset including a content ID, said encrypted content, and information on obtaining rights to the content, which is expressed in a voucher generated by a voucher server in the network;

code in the computer readable medium for performing super-distribution of the content from said first wireless device to a second wireless device via messaging;

code in the computer readable medium for sending to one of said plurality of payment servers an authorization for payment for access to said content and a request for said voucher, from said second wireless device;

code in the computer readable medium for requesting said voucher from one of said plurality of voucher servers by said one of said payment servers and forwarding the voucher to said second wireless device, thereby enabling access to said content without regard for which of the voucher servers generates the voucher;

whereby top-quality content creators of said content are rewarded with a possibility that their content can populate a whole mobile wireless device domain.