Method, Apparatus and System for Secure Distribution of Content

• US 20090290711A1
• Filed: 12/13/2006
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Ramaswamy, Kumar, Bloom, Jeffrey Adam
• Granted Patent: US 8,627,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63345 by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, apparatus and system for the secure distribution of content such as audiovisual content in a way that prevents users from misusing the content and provides a mechanism for tracking pirated material back to the original location of misappropriation. A security device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, incorporates encryption methods to insure the broadcast encryption key remains secure. A marking device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, incorporates, for example, digital watermarking methods that attach to the content information to identify a location of origin of the misappropriation, such as a Set-top Box (STB) and/or smart card.

Claims

1. A method for secure distribution of content, comprising:

encrypting the content using a first key;

encrypting the first key using a second key; and

distributing the encrypted content and the encrypted first key;

wherein the content is decrypted by decrypting the first key using a locally stored copy of the second key and decrypting the content using the decrypted first key.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encrypting the decrypted content using a third key, the third key being acquired via a secure channel; and

communicating the content encrypted using the third key to a source of the third key, wherein the content encrypted using the third key is decrypted using a local copy of the third keys.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

marking the decrypted content for identification purposes prior to the encryption of the content using the third key.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

marking the decrypted content for identification purposes; and

re-encrypting the marked content using the first key.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing the marked and re-encrypted content.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the mark comprises a watermark.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the distributed content and first key prior to decryption.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first key comprises a work key.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second key comprises a smart card key.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the third key comprises a session key.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the content comprises audiovisual content.

12. An apparatus for secure distribution of content, comprising:

a secure processing module for encrypting and decrypting content; and

a smart card for locally storing and decrypting encryption keys;

wherein upon receiving content encrypted with a first key and upon receiving the first key encrypted with a second key, the smart card of the apparatus decrypts the first key using a locally stored copy of the second key, and the secure processing module decrypts the received encrypted content using the decrypted first key.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a marking module for marking the decrypted content.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the secure processing module re-encrypts the marked content using the first key.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus receives a third key from a content player via a secure channel and wherein the secure processing module encrypts the decrypted content using the third key and wherein the apparatus communicates the content encrypted using the third key to the content player.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the content player decrypts the content encrypted via the third key using a locally stored copy of the third key.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a marking module for marking the decrypted content prior to encrypting the content using the third key.

18. A system for secure distribution of content, comprising:

a content source for distributing content;

a electronic counter-measure device for encrypting the distributed content using a first key and for encrypting the first key using a second key;

an apparatus for receiving the content encrypted with a first key and the first key encrypted with a second key, the apparatus including;

a secure processing module for encrypting and decrypting content; and

a smart card for locally storing and decrypting encryption keys; and

a storage device for storing the received encrypted content and the first key;

wherein upon receiving content encrypted with the first key and upon receiving the first key encrypted with the second key, the smart card of the apparatus decrypts the first key using a locally stored copy of the second key, and the secure processing decrypts the received encrypted content using the decrypted first key.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the apparatus further comprises a marking module for marking the decrypted content.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the secure processing module of the apparatus re-encrypts the marked content using the first key.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the marked, re-encrypted content is stored in the storage device.

22. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a content player for communicating a third key to the apparatus via a secure channel;

wherein the apparatus encrypts the decrypted content using the third key and communicates the content encrypted using the third key to the content player and the content player decrypts the content encrypted via the third key using a locally stored copy of the third key.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the apparatus further comprises a marking module for marking the decrypted content prior to encrypting the content using the third key.