METHOD AND SYSTEM TO DIGITALLY SIGN AND DELIVER CONTENT IN A GEOGRAPHICALLY CONTROLLED MANNER VIA A NETWORK

• US 20080109362A1
• Filed: 01/11/2008
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MIH Technology Holdings BV
• Original Assignee: Entriq Incorporated
• Inventors: Fransdonk, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,991,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/062 applying encryption of the keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution using key encryption key H04L9/0822
• 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 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

A method and system to digitally sign a content license associated with content, and to distribute content via a network in a geographically controlled manner, commences when a content requester requests delivery of the encrypted content. A content delivery system performs a content to determine a geographic location associated with the content requester. The content requestor authorization process may also determine geographic access criteria associated with the content, and whether the geographic location complies with the geographic access criteria. The content delivery system will release the content for delivery to the content requestor if the content location complies with the geographic access criteria.

Claims

1. A method to distribute content via a network in a geographically controlled manner, the method including:

receiving a request from a content requestor for delivery of content to the content requestor via the network;

performing a content requestor authorization process, the content requestor authorization process including determining a geographic location associated with the content requester, determining geographic access criteria associated with the content, and determining whether the geographic location complies with the geographic access criteria; and

releasing the content for delivery to the content requestor if the content location complies with the geographic access criteria.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining of the geographic location includes determining a delivery address to which a copy-protected device associated with the content requestor was delivered.

3. The method of claim 2 including releasing the content for deliver to the content requester if the delivery address complies with the geographic access criteria.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining of the geographic location includes determining a delivery address to which a user authentication device associated with the content requestor was delivered.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the content is released for delivery to the content requester if the delivery address complies with the geographic access criteria.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining of the geographic location includes mapping a source network address of the request for the delivery of the content to a request source location.

7. The method of claim 6 including releasing the content for delivery if the request source location complies with the geographic access criteria.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the copy-protected device comprises a set-top box.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the copy-protected device comprises a PKI-enabled hardware device.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein the user authentication device comprises an electronic token.

11. The method of claim 4 wherein the user authentication device comprises a smart card.

12. A system to distribute content via a network in a geographically controlled manner, the system including:

a content requestor; and

a content distributor coupled to the content requestor via the network, to receive a request from a content requestor for delivery of content to the content requester via the network, to perform a content requestor authorization process, the content requestor authorization process including determining a geographic location associated with the content requester, determining geographic access criteria associated with the content, and determining whether the geographic location complies with the geographic access criteria, and to release the content for delivery to the content requestor if the content location complies with the geographic access criteria.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the determining of the geographic location includes determining a delivery address to which a copy-protected device associated with the content requester was delivered.

14. The system of claim 13 including releasing the content for deliver to the content requestor if the delivery address complies with the geographic access criteria.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the determining of the geographic location includes determining a delivery address to which a user authentication device associated with the content requestor was delivered.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the content distributor releases the content for delivery to the content requestor if the delivery address complies with the geographic access criteria.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the determining of the geographic location includes mapping a source network address of the request for the delivery of the content to a request source location.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the content distributor releases the content for delivery if the request source location complies with the geographic access criteria.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein the copy-protected device comprises a set-top box.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein the copy-protected device comprises a PKI-enabled hardware device.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein the user authentication device comprises an electronic token.

22. The system of claim 15 wherein the user authentication device comprises a smart card.

23. A system to distribute content via a network in a geographically controlled manner, the system including:

content requestor means; and

content distributor means coupled to the content requestor means via the network, to receive a request from content requestor means for delivery of content to the content requestor means via the network, to perform a content requester authorization process, the content requestor authorization process including determining a geographic location associated with the content requestor means, determining geographic access criteria associated with the content, and determining whether the geographic location complies with the geographic access criteria, and to release the content for delivery to the content requester means if the content location complies with the geographic access criteria.

24. A machine-readable medium storing a sequence of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method to distribute content via a network in a geographically controlled manner, the method including:

receiving a request from a content requestor for delivery of content to the content requestor via the network;

performing a content requestor authorization process, the content requester authorization process including determining a geographic location associated with the content requester, determining geographic access criteria associated with the content, and determining whether the geographic location complies with the geographic access criteria; and

releasing the content for delivery to the content requestor if the content location complies with the geographic access criteria.