Accessing Protected Content In A Rights-Management Architecture

• US 20090293116A1
• Filed: 06/17/2009
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: DeMello, Marco A., Krishnaswamy, Vinay, Manferdelli, John L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,032,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/17
• 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 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data

Abstract

A digital rights management system for the distribution, protection and use of electronic content. The system includes a client architecture which receives content, where the content is preferably protected by encryption and may include a license and individualization features. Content is protected at several levels, including: no protection; source-sealed; individually-sealed (or “inscribed”); source-signed; and fully-individualized (or “owner exclusive”). The client also includes and/or receives components which permit the access and protection of the encrypted content, as well as components that allow content to be provided to the client in a form that is individualized for the client. In some cases, access to the content will be governed by a rights construct defined in the license bound to the content. The client components include an object which accesses encrypted content, an object that parses the license and enforces the rights in the license, an object which obtains protection software and data that is individualized for the client and/or the persona operating the client, and a script of instructions that provides individualization information to a distributor of content so that the content may be individualized for the client and/or its operating persona. Content is generally protected by encrypting it with a key and then sealing the key into the content in a way that binds it to the meta-data associated with the content. In some instances, the key may also be encrypted in such a way as to be accessible only by the use of individualized protection software installed on the client, thereby binding use of the content to a particular client or set of clients.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions to perform acts comprising:

authenticating a software application that requests access to a content file; and

providing at least one cryptographic service for the software application, wherein;

the computer-executable instructions to perform the at least one cryptographic service are separate from the software application and invocable by an application programming interface call from the software application;

the at least one cryptographic service comprises unsealing sealed data, wherein the sealed data comprises a symmetric encryption key, the content file, and information associated with the user to whom the content file is licensed;

the information associated with the user is selected from the group consisting of;

a name, a credit card number, and a receipt number; and

the content file is cryptographically bound to the information via a cryptographic hash.