PREVENTING UNAUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTION OF MEDIA CONTENT WITHIN A GLOBAL NETWORK

• US 20090265557A1
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edward Vincent Fitzgerald, Hank Risan
• Original Assignee: Edward Vincent Fitzgerald, Hank Risan
• Inventors: RISAN, Hank, Fitzgerald, Edward Vincent
• Granted Patent: US 8,667,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• 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 2221/2117 User registration
• 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 63/0435 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention is a method for providing media content while preventing its unauthorized distribution. The method includes transmitting from a client to an administrative node a request for delivery of an instance of media content (IMC); determining which content source (CS) of a plurality of CSs to provide delivery of the IMC, provided the client is authorized to receive the IMC; transmitting to the client an access key and a location of the IMC; transmitting from the client to the CS a second request and the access key; in response to receiving the second request and the access key, transferring the IMC from the CS to the client; transmitting from the client to the administrative node an indicator indicating a successful transfer of the IMC; and generating a transaction applicable to the client and associated with the transfer of the IMC to the client.

Claims

1. A method for controlling presentation of media content on a media storage device, said method comprising:

verifying presence of a content presentation mechanism and a usage compliance mechanism on a client system, said usage compliance mechanism including a file system filter driver for controlling data reads associated with said media content;

permitting presentation of said media content via said client system provided said usage compliance mechanism is present on said client system, said client system is communicatively coupled with a network, and a source node of said network authorizes presentation of said media content, said network comprises a plurality of source nodes; and

presenting said media content via said content presentation mechanism that is communicatively coupled with said usage compliance mechanism, said content presentation mechanism enabled to present said content when communicatively coupled with said source node.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

installing said usage compliance mechanism on said client system when said usage compliance mechanism is not present on said client system; and

installing said content presentation mechanism on said client system when said content presentation mechanism is not present on said client system.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said media storage device comprises an autorun mechanism disposed thereon that initiates installation of said usage compliance mechanism and said content presentation mechanism on said client system in response to said client system receiving said media storage device and said usage compliance mechanism and said content presentation mechanism are not present on said client system.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

encrypting said media content prior to disposal of said content on said media storage device.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said encrypting comprises a first encryption applied to said media content and a second encryption applied to said first encryption and associated content.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein said encrypting comprises a unique first encryption applied to each instance of media content when a plurality of media content is disposed on said media storage device and a unique second encryption is applied to each said unique first encryption and associated content.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

decrypting said second encryption with said file system filter driver using a second decryption key stored on a source node of said plurality of source nodes.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

decrypting said first encryption with said media content presentation mechanism using a first decryption key stored on a source node of said plurality of source nodes concurrent with said presenting.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

affixing a unique identifier on said media storage device.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said unique identifier is a serial number generated prior to or during disposition of said media content on said media storage device.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

watermarking said content via said content presentation mechanism during decryption of a first encryption applied to said media content, said content presentation mechanism further causing said unique identifier to be watermarked onto an outgoing data stream containing said media content.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

updating said content presentation mechanism via a source node of said plurality of source nodes.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

updating said usage compliance mechanism via a source node of said plurality of source nodes.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining which source node of said plurality of source nodes to update said content presentation mechanism or said usage compliance mechanism.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein said determining further comprises:

determining which source node of said plurality of source nodes is nearest to the physical location of said client system.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein said determining further comprises:

determining which source node of said plurality of source nodes contains said content presentation mechanism or said usage compliance mechanism.