LIMITED-RIGHTS LOCAL PLAYBACK OF DIGITAL CONTENT

• US 20100227681A1
• Filed: 03/03/2009
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Poulos, Adam, Hellyar, Paul Stephen, Soemo, Thomas Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/397,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20100227681A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/207 for accessing game resources from local storage, e.g. streaming content from DVD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play
• 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 2221/2109 Game systems

Abstract

A method of playing a digital content item includes downloading the digital content item from a removable data-holding medium to a local data-holding medium of a media playing system and sending a licensing request to a network-accessible, digital-content service. The method further includes receiving a limited-rights license for the digital content item from the digital-content service, where the limited-rights license grants a right to play the digital content item from the local data-holding medium of the media playing system without the removable data-holding medium being present under one or more conditions. The method further includes receiving a request to play the digital content item and verifying the limited-rights license for the digital content item. The method further includes playing the digital content item from the local data-holding medium if the limited-rights license verifies, without the removable data-holding medium being present.

Claims

1. A gaming system, comprising:

one or more networked game-playing devices, each game-playing device including a local data-storage medium and a drive configured to read a game medium;

a network-accessible gaming service configured to;

receive a licensing request from one of the networked game-playing devices, the licensing request including information associated with a game installed from a game medium to the local data-storage medium of that game-playing device;

verify that a limited-rights license can be granted for the game;

create the limited-rights license, the limited-rights license granting a right for the game-playing device from which the request was received to play the game from the local data-storage medium of that game-playing device without the game medium being present under one or more conditions; and

send the limited-rights license to that game-playing device.

2. The system of claim 1, where the licensing request includes a device ID identifying the game-playing device from which the licensing request was received, a user ID identifying a user of that game-playing device, a game ID identifying the game, and a version ID identifying a version of the game.

3. The system of claim 1, where the gaming service is configured to verify that the limited-rights license can be granted for the game by receiving a game ID identifying the game and a user ID identifying a user of that game-playing device and determining if the limited-rights license has already been granted for the game ID to the user.

4. The system of claim 1, where the gaming service is configured to verify that the limited-rights license can be granted by verifying equivalence of a known root hash generated from a secure version of the game and a root hash hashed from the game on the local data-storage medium.

5. The system of claim 1, where a condition on the limited-rights license includes a fixed-duration period of time during which the limited-rights license grants the right to play the game from the local data-storage medium of the game-playing device without the game medium being present.

6. A method of playing a digital content item, the method comprising:

downloading the digital content item from a removable data-holding medium to a local data-holding medium of a media playing system;

sending a licensing request to a network-accessible, digital-content service;

receiving a limited-rights license for the digital content item from the digital-content service, the limited-rights license granting a right to play the digital content item from the local data-holding medium of the media playing system without the removable data-holding medium being present under one or more conditions;

receiving a request to play the digital content item;

verifying the limited-rights license for the digital content item; and

playing the digital content item from the local data-holding medium if the limited-rights license verifies.

7. The method of claim 6, where the removable data-holding medium is a game disc and the media playing system is a game-playing device.

8. The method of claim 6, where the licensing request requests the digital-content service to grant the limited-rights license, the licensing request including information identifying a user of the media playing system and the digital content item.

9. The method of claim 8, where the licensing request includes a user ID identifying a user of the media playing system, a device ID identifying the media playing system, an item ID identifying the digital content item, and a version ID identifying a version of the digital content item.

10. The method of claim 6, where sending the licensing request includes sending an item ID identifying the digital content item and a user ID identifying a user of the media playing system, so the digital-content service is able to determine if the limited-rights license has already been granted for the item ID to the user.

11. The method of claim 6, where verifying the limited-rights license includes performing a security check to determine that the digital content item is secure.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising verifying equivalence of a root hash hashed from the digital content item on the local data-holding medium and a known root hash generated from a secure version of the digital content item.

13. The method of claim 6, where a condition on the limited-rights license includes a fixed-duration period of time during which the limited-rights license grants the right to play the digital content item from the local data-holding medium of the media playing system without the removable data-holding medium being present.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a date of the request to play the digital content item and verifying that the date of the request to play the digital content item falls within the fixed-duration period of the limited-rights license.

15. The method of claim 6, where the limited-rights license is digitally signed with a digital signature, the digital signature encrypted with a private key.

16. The method of claim 15, where verifying the limited-rights license for the digital content item includes decrypting the digital signature with a public key on the media playing system, the public key corresponding to the private key used to encrypt the limited-rights license.

17. A game-playing device comprising:

a logic subsystem;

a data-holding subsystem holding instructions executable by the logic subsystem to;

download a game from a game disc to the data-holding subsystem;

send a licensing request to a network-accessible gaming service, the licensing request including a user ID identifying a user of the game-playing device, a device ID identifying the game-playing device, a game ID identifying the game, and a version ID identifying a version of the game;

receive a limited-rights license for the game from the game-playing service, the limited-rights license granting a right to play the game from the data-holding subsystem of the game-playing device without the game disc being present under one or more conditions and the limited-rights license digitally signed with a digital signature encrypted by a private key corresponding to the game-playing service;

receive a request to play the game;

access the limited-rights license for the game;

decrypt the digital signature with a public key associated with the private key of the game-playing service;

verify the game on the game-playing device is secure based on the limited-rights license; and

play the game from the data-holding subsystem if the limited-rights license verifies.

18. The device of claim 17, where a condition on the limited-rights license includes a fixed-duration period of time during which the limited-rights license grants the right to play the game from the data-holding subsystem of the game-playing device without the game disc being present.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the instructions are further executable to determine a date of the request to play the game and verify the date of the request to play the game falls within the fixed-duration period of the limited-rights license.

20. The device of claim 17, where the instructions are further executable to verify the limited-rights license is secure by verifying equivalence of a root hash hashed from the game on the data-holding subsystem and a known root hash generated from a secure version of the game.