SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROTECTING CONTENT IN A WIRELESS NETWORK

• US 20090183264A1
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lundblade, Laurence G., Chmaytelli, Mazen
• Application Number:
  US12/329,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20090183264A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/28
• 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 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

A method of providing access to content within a user device is disclosed and may include determining a location of the content, determining whether the content is within an allowed region, and selectively prompting a user to purchase a license to access the content. In a particular aspect, the user may be prompted to purchase the license to the access the content when the content is not within an allowed region. If the license is purchased, the user may be allowed to access the content. The license may be an unlimited license, a limited license, or a transfer license.

Claims

1. A method of providing access to content within a device, the method comprising:

determining a location of the content;

determining whether the content is within an allowed region; and

selectively prompting a user to purchase a license to access the content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is prompted to purchase the license to access the content when the content is not within an allowed region.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the content is located within an allowed region; and

allowing access to the content.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the license is purchased; and

allowing access to the content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the license is an unlimited license to access the content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the license is a limited license to access the content in a new region.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the limited license allows access to the content for a time period.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the license is a transfer license that transfers rights to access to content from a first region to a second region.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the content is determined by locating a device in which the content resides.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the content includes at least one of the following:

audio content, video content, a photograph, a ring-tone, and software.

11. A wireless device used to access content, the wireless device comprising:

means for determining a location of the content;

means for determining whether the content is within an allowed region; and

means for selectively prompting a user to purchase a license to access the content.

12. The wireless device of claim 11, further comprising:

means for determining that the content is located within an allowed region; and

means for allowing access to the content.

13. The wireless device of claim 11, further comprising:

means for determining that the license is purchased; and

means for allowing access to the content.

14. A server providing access to content, the server comprising:

means for determining a location of the content;

means for determining whether the content is within an allowed region; and

means for selectively prompting a user to purchase a license to access the content.

15. The server of claim 14, further comprising:

means for determining that the content is located within an allowed region; and

means for allowing access to the content.

16. The server of claim 14, further comprising:

means for determining that the license is purchased; and

means for allowing access to the content.

17. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

at least one instruction for determining a location of the content;

at least one instruction for determining whether the content is within an allowed region; and

at least one instruction for selectively prompting a user to purchase a license to access the content.

18. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises:

at least one instruction for determining that the content is located within an allowed region; and

at least one instruction for allowing access to the content.

19. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises:

at least one instruction for determining that the license is purchased; and

at least one instruction for allowing access to the content.

20. A method of controlling superdistribution of content to a target device, the method comprising:

determining a location of the target device;

determining whether the target device is within an allowed region; and

selectively blocking superdistribution of the content to the target device based at least partially on the location of the target device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein superdistribution of the content is allowed when the target device is within the allowed region.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein superdistribution of the content is blocked when the target device is not within the allowed region.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

prompting a user of the device to purchase a superdistribution license to superdistribute the content outside the allowed region.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining that the superdistribution license is purchased; and

allowing superdistribution of the content outside of the allowed region.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

determining that the superdistribution license is not purchased; and

blocking superdistribution of the content outside of the allowed region.

26. A wireless device used to access content, the wireless device comprising:

means for determining a location of the target device;

means for determining whether the target device is within an allowed region; and

means for selectively blocking superdistribution of the content to the target device based at least partially on the location of the target device.

27. The wireless device of claim 26, further comprising:

means for prompting a user of the device to purchase a superdistribution license to superdistribute the content outside the allowed region.

28. The wireless device of claim 26, further comprising:

means for determining that the superdistribution license is purchased; and

means for allowing superdistribution of the content outside of the allowed region.

29. The wireless device of claim 27, further comprising:

means for determining that the superdistribution license is not purchased; and

means for blocking superdistribution of the content outside of the allowed region.

30. A server providing access to content, the server comprising:

means for determining a location of the target device;

means for determining whether the target device is within an allowed region; and

means for selectively blocking superdistribution of the content to the target device based at least partially on the location of the target device.

31. The server of claim 30, further comprising:

means for prompting a user of the device to purchase a superdistribution license to superdistribute the content outside the allowed region.

32. The server of claim 30, further comprising:

means for determining that the superdistribution license is purchased; and

means for allowing superdistribution of the content outside of the allowed region.

33. The server of claim 31, further comprising:

means for determining that the superdistribution license is not purchased; and

means for blocking superdistribution of the content outside of the allowed region.

34. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

at least one instruction for determining a location of the target device;

at least one instruction for determining whether the target device is within an allowed region; and

at least one instruction for selectively blocking superdistribution of the content to the target device based at least partially on the location of the target device.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises:

at least one instruction for providing a prompt at the device to purchase a superdistribution license to superdistribute the content outside the allowed region.

36. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises:

at least one instruction for determining that the superdistribution license is purchased; and

at least one instruction for allowing superdistribution of the content outside of the allowed region.

37. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises:

at least one instruction for determining that the superdistribution license is not purchased; and

at least one instruction for blocking superdistribution of the content outside of the allowed region.