Systems and methods for secure transaction management and electronic rights protection

• US 20070266429A1
• Filed: 07/13/2007
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1995
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intertrust Technologies Corporation (Fidelio Acquisition Co LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intertrust Technologies Corporation (Fidelio Acquisition Co LLC)
• Inventors: Van Wie, David, Ginter, Karl, Spahn, Francis, Shear, Victor
• Application Number:
  US11/827,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20070266429A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1408 by using cryptography for digital transmission H04L9/00
• 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 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/023 the neutral party being a clearing house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/389 Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• 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 2463/102 : applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/103 : applying security measure for protecting copy right protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment, e.g. protection the software providers copyright G06F21/10; data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; secrecy systems or subscription systems H04N7/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 : for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 : involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 : Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 : Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 : Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 : Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 : Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 : involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 : embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 : Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 : Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 : involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 : Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 : OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 : Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 : for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 : Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 : involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 : Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/83555 : using a structured language for describing usage rules of the content, e.g. REL
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 : involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 : Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 : Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for secure transaction management and electronic rights protection. Electronic appliances such as computers equipped in accordance with the present invention help to ensure that information is accessed and used only in authorized ways, and maintain the integrity, availability, and/or confidentiality of the information. Such electronic appliances provide a distributed virtual distribution environment (VDE) that may enforce a secure chain of handling and control, for example, to control and/or meter or otherwise monitor use of electronically stored or disseminated information. Such a virtual distribution environment may be used to protect rights of various participants in electronic commerce and other electronic or electronic-facilitated transactions. Distributed and other operating systems, environments and architectures, such as, for example, those using tamper-resistant hardware-based processors, may establish security at each node. These techniques may be used to support an all-electronic information distribution, for example, utilizing the “electronic highway.”

Claims

1. A system for storing and distributing electronic content, the system including:

one or more computer-readable mediums containing a plurality of electronic content items, the plurality of electronic content items having been received by the system from a plurality of content providers, at least some of the electronic content items having control information associated therewith, the control information defining one or more guidelines for managing use of one or more associated electronic content items;

one or more interfaces collectively operable to provide information regarding electronic content items contained on the computer-readable mediums to users, to receive requests for electronic content-items from users, and to send electronic content items and associated control information to users in response to said requests, at least some of the electronic content items being at least partially encrypted, the control information being configured to be enforced by a user'"'"'s electronic device; and

programming contained on a computer-readable medium, the programming, when executed by the system, being operable to cause the system to provide information regarding the electronic content items to users, and to send electronic content items and associated control information to users in response to requests.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of content providers include at least one content creator, content distributor, or content owner.

3. The system of claim 1, in which the programming, when executed by the system, is operable to send the electronic content items to users separately from the associated control information.

4. The system of claim 1, in which at least one of the one or more interfaces is operable to receive audit information from users, the audit information relating to the users'"'"' use of electronic content items received from the system.

5. The system of claim 4, in which at least one of the one or more interfaces is operable to send information derived from the audit information to one or more content providers.

6. The system of claim 5, in which at least one of the one or more interfaces is operable to receive payment information from users, the payment information relating to the users'"'"' use of electronic content items received from the system.

7. The system of claim 6, in which at least one of the one or more interfaces is operable to send information derived from the payment information to one or more content providers.

8. The system of claim 1, in which the one or more computer-readable mediums are contained in one or more network servers.

9. The system of claim 1, in which the system comprises a network store for making electronic content items available to users in a retail fashion.

10. The system of claim 1, in which at least some of the electronic content items are stored on the one or more computer-readable mediums in unencrypted form, and packaged in a secure object prior to being sent to users via the one or more interfaces.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising programming stored on a computer-readable medium, the programming, when executed by the system, being operable to cause the system to provide authoring tools to content providers, the authoring tools being operable to enable content providers to associate control information with electronic content items.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising programming stored on a computer-readable medium, the programming, when executed by the system, being operable to cause the system to insert fingerprinting information into one or more electronic content items prior to transmission of the one or more electronic content items to a user.

13. The system of claim 1, in which the one or more computer-readable mediums further contain references to electronic content items stored on a computer-readable medium other than the one or more computer-readable mediums.

14. The system of claim 1, in which at least one electronic content item comprises a publication, piece of software, a game, or a movie.

15. A system comprising:

a content system, the content system comprising;

a registration system;

a content catalog;

a search mechanism;

content storage;

a controls packager; and

a container packager;

a clearinghouse system, the clearinghouse system comprising;

a registration system;

a control structure library;

a disbursement system;

an authorization system;

a billing system; and

an audit system.

16. The system of claim 15, in which the system comprises a networked collection of one or more servers.

17. The system of claim 16, in which the content system and the clearinghouse system comprise hardware and/or software running on the networked collection of one or more servers.

18. A system for storing and distributing electronic content, the system comprising:

a plurality of content items, the plurality of content items having been received from one or more content providers;

a first interface operable to send said content items to an electronic appliance of a requesting user, at least some of the content items being at least partially encrypted and having associated rules for governing redistribution or other use by users, the associated rules being configured to be enforced by the requesting user'"'"'s electronic appliance;

a second interface operable to receive audit information from the requesting user, the audit information relating to one or more aspects of the requesting user'"'"'s redistribution or other use of a content item received by the requesting user via said first interface; and

a third interface operable to receive payment information from the requesting user, the payment information relating to at least one act of redistribution or other use of a content item received by the requesting user via the first interface.

19. The system of claim 18, in which the first interface, second interface, and third interface are the same interface.

20. The system of claim 18, in which the system comprises one or more servers.

21. A system for storing and distributing electronic content, the system comprising:

a plurality of content items, the plurality of content items having been received from one or more content providers;

means for sending one or more content items to an electronic appliance of a requesting user, at least some of the one or more content items being at least partially encrypted and having associated rules for governing redistribution or other use by the requesting user, the associated rules being configured to be enforced by the requesting user'"'"'s electronic appliance;

means for receiving audit information from the requesting user, the audit information relating to one or more aspects of the requesting user'"'"'s use of a content item received by the requesting user from the means for sending one or more content items; and

means for receiving payment information from the requesting user, the payment information relating to at least one use of a content item received by the requesting user from the means for sending one or more content items.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for sending payment related information to one or more content providers.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for at least part of the audit information to one or more content providers.