System for Tracking Digital Information Over a Communications Network

• US 20110126283A1
• Filed: 01/21/2009
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callstat Solutions LLC (Jeffrey M. Gross)
• Original Assignee: Xurius Digital Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Homer, Gregg S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,234,405 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

A method for tracking digital files transmitted over the Internet by placing certain identifying indicia within a file, and monitoring selected sites through which Internet traffic is transmitted, to determine the source and destination of a transmission containing a file with particular identifying indicia. Identifying indicia (“ID”) is placed in the header of each digital file whose transmission over the Internet is to be monitored. A data communications monitoring device is installed at an Internet service provider'"'"'s (ISP'"'"'s) facility. The monitoring device intercepts packets received by the ISP. These intercepted packets are then examined to determine whether they contain an ID of interest. If a sought ID is found within the packet, the source and destination fields in the Internet Protocol (IP) header are logged, along with the ID and other information, in a database. The pertinent contents of the database are then periodically sent to the proprietors whose IDs were discovered in packets in transit across the Internet. A proprietor may then take appropriate steps to secure compensation for the unauthorized copies, or to prevent further dissemination thereof.

Claims

1. A method for tracking transmission of a digital file over a communications network, the method comprising:

receiving packets constituting segments of the file in transit over the communications network;

examining the files to determine the presence of specific identifying indicia therein;

if the specific identifying indicia is determined to be present, logging information regarding the files; and

if the specific identifying indicia is determined not to be present, preventing logging of information regarding the files.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications network comprises a local area network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications network comprises a wide area network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications network comprises the World Wide Web.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the entirety of the digital files are examined to determine the presence of specific identifying indicia therein.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein a portion the digital files are examined to determine the presence of specific identifying indicia therein.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the information regarding the files comprises information embodied in the file itself.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the information regarding the files comprises information about the file that is not embodied in the file itself.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording an Internet Protocol header destination address for the files.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the specific identifying indicia and the source or destination to a proprietor of the file.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the specific identifying indicia and the source or destination to a remote site.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein examining the files further comprises:

searching the files for TCP headers containing port numbers indicative of an email message;

searching the packets in which port numbers indicative of e-mail messages were found, for an attachment; and

if the attachment is found, locating the source or destination in an IP header for a file containing the attachment.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the specific identifying indicia comprises the file name of the file.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the specific identifying indicia comprises an extension to an existing file format, prepended to the file.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the specific identifying indicia comprises a sequence of bits embedded in the file.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the specific identifying indicia comprises an absence of code in a predefined area within the file.

58. The method of claims 1, 17, 28, and 41 wherein the file is at least one of an audio file, image file, video file, or application file.

59. The method of claims 1, 17, 28, and 41 wherein the specific identifying indicia has been embedded into the file by a provider of the file.

60. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing the specific identifying indicia in the file.

17. A system for tracking transmission of a digital file over a communications network, the system comprising:

a server configured to receive the file;

a monitor, connected to the server, and configured to process the file;

wherein the monitor is configured to;

examine the file to determine the presence of specific identifying indicia therein;

record information regarding each file containing the specific identifying indicia; and

prevent recording of information regarding each file determined not to contain the specific identifying indicia.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the communications network comprises a local area network.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the communications network comprises a wide area network.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the communications network comprises the World Wide Web.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein the monitor, connected to the server, processes the entire file.

22. The system of claim 17 wherein the monitor, connected to the server, processes a portion of the file.

23. The system of claim 17 wherein the information regarding each file containing the specific identifying indicia comprises information embodied in the file itself.

24. The system of claim 17 wherein the information regarding each file containing the specific identifying indicia comprises information that is not embodied in the file itself.

25. The system of claim 17 wherein the monitor is further configured to:

search the files for TCP headers containing port numbers indicative of e-mail messages;

search each of the files in which port numbers indicative of e-mail messages were found, for an attachment; and

locate a source Internet address in an IP header for the file containing the attachment.

26. The system of claim 17 wherein the specific identifying indicia comprises a user-defined character sequence selected from the group consisting of:

an extension to an existing file format, prepended to the file;

a sequence of bits embedded in the file; and

an absence of code in a predefined area within the file.

27. A system for tracking an Internet transmission of a digital file, the system comprising:

a modem which receives the file;

a server for processing the file;

a monitor, connected between the modem and the server, which processes packets constituting segments of the file;

wherein the monitor is programmed to;

examine file headers in the packets to determine the presence of specific identifying indicia therein;

record a source Internet address for the file for each of the packets containing the specific identifying indicia; and

if the specific identifying indicia is determined to not be present, prevent recording of the Internet Protocol header source address for each of the packets of the file; and

if the specific identifying indicia is determined to be present, means for sending the received file unaltered to a next Internet leg in a transmission path of the file.

28. A method for tracking the transmission of a digital file over the Internet, the method comprising:

receiving packets constituting segments of the file in transit over the Internet;

examining file headers in the packets to determine the presence of specific identifying indicia therein;

recording, for each of the packets containing the specific identifying indicia, a source Internet address for the file;

if the specific identifying indicia is determined to not be present, preventing recording of the Internet Protocol header source address for each of the packets of the file; and

if the specific identifying indicia is determined to be present, sending the received packets unaltered to a next Internet leg in a transmission path of the file.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein examining further comprises:

searching the file headers for TCP headers containing port numbers indicative of e-mail messages;

searching the packets in which port numbers indicative of e-mail messages were found, for a MIME header indicative of an attachment; and

if the MIME header indicative of an attachment is found;

searching a header directly prepended to the file to find the specific identifying indicia therein, if the MIME header is indicative of an attachment containing a type of the file sought; and

locating a source Internet address in an IP header for the file containing the attachment, if the specific identifying indicia is found.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the specific identifying indicia comprises a user-defined character sequence selected from the group consisting of:

an extension to an existing file format, prepended to the file;

a sequence of bits embedded in the file; and

an absence of code in a predefined area within the file.

31-40. -40. (canceled)

41. A system for tracking the transmission over a communications network of a digital file containing specific identifying indicia, the system comprising:

a server for receiving the file;

monitoring means, connected to the server, for examining the file to determine the presence of the specific identifying indicia therein; and

means for recording information regarding each file containing the specific identifying indicia, wherein the means for recording information is configured to not record information regarding each file determined not to contain the specific identifying indicia.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein the communications network comprises a local area network.

43. The system of claim 41 wherein the communications network comprises a wide area network.

44. The system of claim 41 wherein the communications network comprises the World Wide Web.

45. The system of claim 41 wherein the monitoring means, connected to the server, examines the entire file.

46. The system of claim 41 wherein the monitoring means, connected to the server, examines a portion of file.

47. The system of claim 41 wherein the information regarding each file containing the specific identifying indicia comprises information embodied in the file itself.

48. The system of claim 41 wherein the information regarding each file containing the specific identifying indicia comprises information that is not embodied in the file itself.

49. The system of claim 41 wherein the monitoring means further comprises searching means configured to:

locate the file for TCP headers containing port numbers indicative of e-mail messages;

locate files in which port numbers indicative of e-mail messages were found, for an attachment; and

locate a source Internet address in an IP header for the file containing the attachment.

50-57. -57. (canceled)