Apparatus for Transferring Licensed Digital Content Between Users

• US 20080065911A1
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sandisk Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Harkabi, Dan, Elazar, Gidon, Weingarten, Nehemiah
• Granted Patent: US 8,839,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/194
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1084 via third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Techniques are described for reselling digital data content, such as books, other types of documents, music, video, software and games. Such data are stored in a small portable digital rights management (DRM) device, such as a non-volatile memory card or flash drive, along with a license that defines the extent of the use permitted of the data. The content and license data are processed by a microprocessor that is included in the memory card or flash drive, including modification of the license in response to the data content being resold and transferred to another memory card or flash drive. The process is a digital version of selling a book, CD, DVD or the like in a second-hand market.

Claims

1. A portable device, comprising:

a reprogrammable non-volatile memory capable of storing data content and data of an associated license,

a memory controller,

an interface through which access to the memory may be established by any one of a plurality of digital appliances, the access to the memory being under control of the memory controller,

wherein the memory controller has access to content and license data stored in the memory to provide a limited rendition of the data content through the interface in accordance with the terms of the license for utilization by any one of the plurality of digital appliances, and

wherein the memory controller is further operable to modify the terms of the license in order to thereafter alter the rendition of the data content through the interface.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory is partitioned into at least open and hidden portions in a manner that the data content and data of an associated license are storable in the hidden portion of the memory, the memory controller provides access through the interface to the open portion of the memory but not the hidden portion and the memory controller has access to the hidden portion of the memory.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the data content and data of an associated license are stored in the hidden portion of the memory.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory is further capable of storing data content and data of an associated license in an encrypted form in a portion of the memory to which the memory controller provides access through the interface.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the data content and data of an associated license are stored in an encrypted form in a portion of the memory to which the memory controller provides access through the interface.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory is partitioned into at least open and hidden portions in a manner that the data content are storable in an encrypted form in an open portion of the memory and data of an associated license are storable in the hidden portion of the memory, the memory controller provides access through the interface to the open portion of the memory but not the hidden portion and the memory controller has access to the hidden portion of the memory.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the data content are stored in an encrypted form in the open portion of the memory and data of an associated license are stored in the hidden portion of the memory.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory controller is operable to modify the terms of the license in a manner that thereafter terminates the ability of the controller to provide the limited rendition of the data content through the interface.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory controller is operable to modify the license data in response to a command received through the interface.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory controller is operable to automatically modify the license data upon the data content being transferred though the interface without the limited rendition.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a connector having a set of electrical contacts adapted to mate with receptacles of the plurality of digital appliances.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the interface includes wireless communication adapted to operate with the plurality of digital appliances.

13. A computer system comprising the portable device according to claim 1 characterized by an inability to utilize the limited rendition of the content data but with its interface connected with one of the plurality of digital appliances that does utilize the limited rendition of the content data.

14. A computer system, comprising:

at least one server containing various items of data of content and associated data of licenses that define permitted renditions of the items of content data,

a plurality of digital appliances that are individually capable of communicating with the server and utilizing permitted renditions of various items of data content in accordance with their associated license data,

a plurality of portable storage devices that individually comprise;

a reprogrammable non-volatile memory,

a memory controller, and

an interface through which access to the memory may be established with one of the plurality of digital appliances, access to the memory being under control of the memory controller, and

wherein at least one of the items of content data with its associated license data are transferable from the server to the memory of at least one of the portable storage devices through one of the digital appliances to which the portable storage device is interfaced,

wherein the memory controller has access to the content and license data stored in the memory to provide a limited rendition of the data content to one of the digital appliances with which the portable device is interfaced in accordance with the associated license data, and

wherein the associated license data allows the memory controller to transfer the content data through the interface without the limited rendition and in response modify the associated license data stored in the memory in order to thereafter alter the rendition of the data content that is permitted through the interface.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the associated license data causes the memory controller to automatically modify the associated licensed data in response to transfer of the content data through the interface without the limited rendition.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the associated license data causes the memory controller to modify the associated license data to terminate any further transfer or rendition of the content data through the interface.