Portable Digital Rights for Multiple Devices

• US 20090012805A1
• Filed: 12/12/2007
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Haveson, Ryan A., Lau, Kevin, Alkove, James M., Strom, Clifford P., Morris, Max G., Grigorovitch, Alexandre V., Plette, Scott A., McKelvey, Alexander, Schnell, Patrik
• Granted Patent: US 8,639,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management

Abstract

Portable digital rights for multiple devices is described. In an embodiment, a digital rights management (DRM) system includes a first device with a removable component configured as a token that is associated with a DRM license. The first device also includes a removable memory card that stores protected media content on which the first device can perform actions as permitted by the DRM license. The DRM system also includes a second device that can have the removable component and the removable memory card when removed from the first device and installed in the second device such that the second device can perform the actions on the protected media content as permitted by the DRM license.

Claims

1. A Digital Rights Management (DRM) system, comprising:

a first device configured with;

a removable component configured as a token that is associated with a DRM license;

a removable memory card configured to store protected media content on which the first device is configured to perform actions as permitted by the DRM license; and

a second device configured with the removable component and the removable memory card when removed from the first device and installed in the second device such that the second device is configured to perform the actions on the protected media content as permitted by the DRM license.

2. A DRM system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first device is further configured with an internal memory configured to store additional protected media content on which the first device is configured to perform the actions as permitted by the DRM license, and wherein the first device is restricted from performing the actions when the removable component configured as the token is removed from the first device.

3. A DRM system as recited in claim 1, wherein the removable component is a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card that is associated with the DRM license.

4. A DRM system as recited in claim 1, wherein the removable component and the removable memory card are a combined component such that the removable memory card is the token associated with the DRM license.

5. A DRM system as recited in claim 1, wherein the removable component includes a certificate and private key associated with the DRM license, the second device further configured to perform the actions on the protected media content when the removable component with the certificate and private key is installed in the second device.

6. A DRM system as recited in claim 1, wherein the DRM license is associated with license identifiers that, in combination, authenticate the device to a domain controller of the DRM system.

7. A Digital Rights Management (DRM) system, comprising:

a domain that includes multiple devices each having a private key that is common to the domain, the domain further including unique certificates associated with a DRM license for each of the multiple devices;

a first device of the domain configured with;

a device component corresponding to a first unique certificate that is associated with the DRM license;

a removable memory card configured to store protected media content on which the first device is configured to perform actions as permitted by the DRM license;

a second device of the domain configured with;

an additional device component corresponding to a second unique certificate that is associated with the DRM license; and

the removable memory card when removed from the first device and installed in the second device such that the second device is configured to perform the actions on the protected media content as permitted by the DRM license associated with the additional device component.

8. A DRM system as recited in claim 7, wherein each of the unique certificates for the multiple devices include identifiers corresponding to the device components which are tokens associated with the DRM license for the multiple devices.

9. A DRM system as recited in claim 7, further comprising a third device configured with the device component and the removable memory card when removed from the first device and installed in the third device such that the third device is configured to perform the actions on the protected media content as permitted by the DRM license.

10. A DRM system as recited in claim 7, wherein the first device is further configured with an internal memory configured to store additional protected media content on which the first device is configured to perform the actions as permitted by the DRM license when the removable memory card is removed from the first device.

11. A DRM system as recited in claim 7, wherein the device component of the first device is a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card that is associated with the DRM license.

12. A DRM system as recited in claim 7, wherein the device component and the removable memory card are a combined component such that the removable memory card is a token associated with the DRM license for the first device.

13. A method, comprising:

associating a DRM license for a domain with a removable component of a first device that includes a removable memory card which stores protected media content on which the first device can perform actions as permitted by the DRM license;

recognizing a second device when the removable component and the removable memory card are installed in the second device;

initiating domain certification of the second device such that the second device can perform the actions on the protected media content as permitted by the DRM license.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising detecting the removable component as having been previously registered on the domain.

15. A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising restricting the first device from performing the actions on additional protected media content stored on an internal memory of the first device when the removable component that is associated with the DRM license is removed from the first device.

16. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the removable component is a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card that is associated with the DRM license.

17. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the removable component and the removable memory card are a combined component such that the removable memory card is associated with the DRM license.

18. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the removable component includes a certificate private key associated with the DRM license, and wherein the domain certification of the second device is initiated when the removable component with the certificate private key is installed in the second device.

19. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the first device and the second device are included as multiple devices in a domain having a private key that is common to the domain, the domain further including unique certificates associated with the DRM license for each of the multiple devices.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein each of the unique certificates for the multiple devices include identifiers corresponding to the removable components which are tokens associated with the DRM license for the multiple devices.