Content distribution program, content distribution method, server, content utilization apparatus, and content utilization system

• US 20070239619A1
• Filed: 03/22/2007
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Maruyama, Hidefumi, Chiba, Tetsuhiro, Hachiya, Yuuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,595,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0825 using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates

Abstract

An encrypted content and a license are separated from each other to be distributed individually, so that the encrypted content is decrypted using the license in a user apparatus. A server encrypts licenses of a plurality of encrypted contents for package sale to generate an inactive license packaged in one file and distribute the inactive license to a user terminal utilizing an activation license for package sale. An activation license for package sale is distributed in response to a purchase request from the user terminal, a plurality of encrypted licenses contained in the inactive license are decrypted, an encrypted content contained in an object for package sale is decrypted using a license corresponding thereto so that the decrypted content is reproduced.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium which stores a program allowing a computer constituting a server which separates an encrypted content and a license from each other to distribute the encrypted content and the license individually, and causes a user apparatus to decrypt the encrypted content to reproduce the same based upon the license to execute:

an activation license generating step of generating an activation license for package sale;

an inactive license generating step of encrypting licenses of a plurality of encrypted contents for package sale using the activation license to generate an inactive license packaged to one file;

an inactive license distributing step of distributing the inactive license to a user terminal; and

an activation license distributing step of, when receiving and processing a purchase request of the package from the user terminal, distributing the inactive license for decrypting a plurality of encrypted licenses contained in the inactive license and decrypting an encrypted content contained in an object for the package sale using a license corresponding thereto reproduce the decrypted content.

2. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the activation license generating step generates the activation license including a cryptography key encrypting the licenses of a plurality of encrypted contents for package sale and a permission condition of the plurality of encrypted contents for package sale.

3. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the inactive license distributing step stores the inactive license together with the encrypted contents in a mobile medium to provide the mobile medium to the user apparatus.

4. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the inactive license generating step generates the inactive license incorporated with metadata constituting an album with contents to be packaged in addition to the cryptography key and the permission condition, and the user apparatus reads a plurality of encrypted contents corresponding to the metadata of the inactive license to reproduce contents according to the constitution of the album.

5. A storage medium which causes a computer constituting a user apparatus which acquires an encrypted content and a license thereof provided separately to decrypt the encrypted content based on the license and reproduce the same to execute;

a content acquiring step of acquiring a plurality of encrypted contents for package sale to reserve the encrypted contents;

an inactive license acquiring step of encrypting licenses of a plurality of encrypted contents for package sale using an activation license to acquire and reserve an inactive license packaged to one file;

an activation license acquiring step of acquiring and reserving an activation license corresponding to the inactive license according to a package purchase request to the server;

an inactive license activating step of decrypting a plurality of encrypted licenses contained in the inactive license using the activation license and storing the decrypted licenses in a secure license management database; and

a content reproduction processing step of decrypting an encrypted content contained in an object for package sale using a corresponding license to reproduce the decrypted content.

6. The storage medium according to claim 5, wherein the activation license includes a cryptography key encrypting the licenses of a plurality of encrypted contents for package sale and a permission condition to the plurality of encrypted contents for package sale.

7. The storage medium according to claim 5, wherein the encrypted content acquiring step and the inactive license acquiring step read and reserve an encrypted content and an inactive license stored in a mobile medium.

8. The storage medium according to claim 5, wherein an acquired single encrypted content is decrypted by searching a license corresponding thereto and stored in the license management database and utilizing the searched license or a license decrypted using the inactive license and is reproduced.

9. The storage medium according to claim 5, wherein inactive license acquiring step acquires an inactive license incorporated with metadata constituting an album with contents to be packaged in addition to the cryptography, key and the permission condition, and

the content reproduction processing step acquires a plurality of encrypted contents corresponding to the metadata of the inactive license to reproduce the contents according to the constitution of the album.

10. A content distribution method which separates an encrypted content and a license thereof to distribute the content and the license individually and causes a user apparatus to decrypt the encrypted content based upon the license and reproduce the decrypted content, comprising:

an activation license generating step of generating an activation license for package sale;

an inactive license generating step of encrypting licenses of a plurality of encrypted contents for package sale using the activation license to generate an inactive license packaged to one file by;

an inactive license distributing step of distributing the inactive license to a user terminal; and

an activation license distributing step of, when receiving and processing a purchase request of the package from the user terminal, distributing the activation license corresponding to the inactive license.

11. A content utilization method which acquires an encrypted content and a license thereof provided separately to decrypt the encrypted content based on the license to reproduce the same, comprising:

a content acquiring step of acquiring and reserving a plurality of encrypted contents for package sale;

an inactive license acquiring step of encrypting licenses of a plurality of encrypted contents for package sale using an activation license to acquire and reserve an inactive license packaged to one file;

an activation license acquiring step of acquiring and reserving an activation license according to a package purchase request to the server;

an inactive license activating step of decrypting a plurality of encrypted licenses contained in the inactive license utilizing the activation license and storing the decrypted licenses in a secure license management database; and

a content reproduction processing step of decrypting an encrypted content contained in an object for the package sale using a license corresponding thereto according to content information of the inactive license to reproduce the decrypted content.

12. A content distribution apparatus which separates an encrypted content and a license thereof from each other to distribute the content and the license individually and causes a user apparatus to decrypt the encrypted content based upon the license and reproduce the decrypted content, comprising:

a activation license generating step of generating an activation license for package sale;

an inactive license generating step of encrypting licenses of a plurality of encrypted contents for package sale using the activation license to generate an inactive license packaged to one file;

an inactive license distributing step of distributing the inactive license to a user terminal; and

an activation license activating step of, when receiving and processing a purchase request of a package from the user terminal, distributing the activation license to decrypt a plurality of encrypted licenses included in the inactive license and storing the plurality of encrypted licenses decrypted in a secure license management database; and

an activation license distributing step of decrypting an encrypted content contained in an object for the package sale using a license corresponding thereto according to content information of the inactive license to reproduce the decrypted content.

13. A content utilization apparatus which acquires an encrypted content and a license thereof provided separately to decrypt the encrypted content based on the license to the same, comprising:

a content acquiring unit which acquires and reserves a plurality of encrypted contents for package sale;

an inactive license acquiring unit which encrypts licenses of a plurality of encrypted contents for package sale using an activation license to acquire and reserve an inactive license packaged to one file;

an activation license acquiring unit which acquires and reserves an activation license according to a package purchase request to the server;

an inactive license activation step which decrypts a plurality of encrypted licenses included in the inactive license utilizing the activation license and stores the decrypted licenses in a secure license management database; and

a content reproduction processing unit which decrypts an encrypted content contained in an object for package sale using a license corresponding to content information of the inactive license to reproduce the decrypted content.

14. A content distribution system where an encrypted content and a license thereof are separated from each other and are distributed individually by a content distribution apparatus and the encrypted content is decrypted based upon the license and is reproduced by a content utilization apparatus, wherein

the content distribution apparatus comprises:

an activation license generating unit which generates an activation license for package sale;

an inactive license generating unit which encrypts licenses of a plurality of encrypted contents for package sale using the activation license to generate an inactive license packaged to one file;

an inactive license distributing unit which distributes the inactive license to a user terminal; and

an activation license distributing unit which distributes the activation license when receiving a purchase request from the user terminal to process the same, and

the content utilization apparatus comprises

a content acquiring unit which acquires and reserves the encrypted content;

an inactive license acquiring unit which acquires and reserves the inactive license;

an activation license acquiring unit which acquires and reserves the activation license according to a package purchase request to the content distribution apparatus;

an inactive license activation processing unit which decrypts a plurality of encrypted licenses included in the inactive license using the activation license to store the plurality of encrypted licenses decrypted into a secure license management database; and

a content reproduction processing unit which decrypts an encrypted content contained in an object for the package sale using a license corresponding thereto according to content information of the inactive license to reproduce the decrypted content.