METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING THE DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRONIC FILES

• US 20120215811A1
• Filed: 02/17/2011
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Media Mail Technology Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Media Mail Technology Pty Limited
• Inventors: TIPPER, GUY CHARLES, WOOD, CHRISTOPHER JAMES
• Granted Patent: US 8,442,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/103 applying security measure for protecting copyright
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data

Abstract

A remote server is arranged to respond to a request from a user terminal for the download of a media file to cause a unique water-marked copy of a media file to be generated and sent to the user terminal. At the same time the remote server is arranged to access a seal server, which causes an electronically sealed record of the transaction to be generated and stored in a download database. Subsequently, if a suspect media file is identified the sealed record provides evidence of the original transaction which led to the water-marked copy of the media file being issued and hence the original source of the unauthorised copy of the file. Control of distributed media files can be enforced by imposing penalties in the event that unauthorised copies corresponding to the distributed water-marked media files are identified.

Claims

1. A method of recording evidence to establish the origin of an electronic file, comprising:

receiving a request to provide a copy of an electronic file from a requester;

generating a water-marked copy of the requested electronic file;

creating an electronic seal on the basis of data indicative of the generated watermarked copy of the requested electronic file, the requester of the copy of the electronic file and the time of the generation of the electronic seal;

storing a copy of the electronic seal; and

providing the generated water-marked copy of the requested electronic data to the requester.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a water-marked copy of an electronic file comprises:

obtaining an electronic file;

determining a code to be embedded in the electronic file; and

modifying portions of the electronic file to embed value corresponding to the determined code, wherein the modification of portions of the electronic file are not such so as to effect the functionality of the modified file compared with the obtained electronic file.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the electronic file comprises data recording sound and the modification of portions of the electronic file comprise modifying sound data included in the file in a manner which is not detectable when listening to the sound.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the electronic file comprises image data and the modification of portions of the electronic file comprise modifying image data included in the file in a manner which is not detectable when viewing the image recorded by the image data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the data indicative of the generated watermarked copy of the requested electronic file comprises a copy of the generated watermarked copy of the requested electronic file.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising processing the generated watermarked copy of the requested electronic file to determine a hash value of the generated watermarked copy of the requested electronic file and using the determined hash value as data indicative of the generated watermarked copy of the requested electronic file when creating an electronic seal.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein creating an electronic seal on the basis of data indicative of the generated watermarked copy of the requested electronic file, the requester of the copy of the electronic file and the time of the generation of the electronic seal comprises:

obtaining time data indicative of a current time;

determining a hash value for an electronic document including data indicative of the generated watermarked copy of the requested electronic file, the requester of the copy of the electronic file and the current time;

encrypting the determined hash value for the electronic document; and

using the encrypted hash value as the electronic seal.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the electronic seal includes human interpretable data selected from the group comprising the name and address of the requester of the electronic file;

the name of the electronic file;

data identifying the provider of the electronic file and data identifying the provider of the electronic seal.

9. A method of providing an electronic file to a requester and recording data as evidence of the request, comprising:

providing a requester with terms and conditions for obtaining a copy of an electronic file, wherein the terms and conditions include a term restricting the provision of copies of the electronic file to third parties;

responding to input from the requester confirming acceptance of the terms and conditions provided to the requester by generating a request to receive a copy of an electronic file and dispatching the request.

receiving a request to provide a copy of an electronic file from a requester;

generating a water-marked copy of the requested electronic file;

creating an electronic seal on the basis of data indicative of the generated watermarked copy of the requested electronic file, the requester of the copy of the electronic file and the time of the generation of the electronic seal;

storing a copy of the electronic seal; and

providing the generated water-marked copy of the requested electronic data to the requester.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein generated request comprises data identifying the requester and data identifying the requested electronic file.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising;

identifying a copy of a suspect electronic file;

comparing data indicative of the suspect electronic file with data indicative of a generated watermarked copy of a requested electronic file for which an electronic seal has been generated;

in the event that the comparison indicates that the suspect electronic file corresponds to a generated watermarked copy of a requested electronic file, determining the identity of the requester of the generated watermarked copy of a requested electronic file corresponding to the suspect electronic file; and

enforcing the term restricting the provision of copies of the electronic file to third parties against the requester.

12. A computer network comprising:

a user terminal responsive to user input indicative of user acceptance of terms and conditions for obtaining a copy of an electronic file including a term restricting the provision of copies of the electronic file to third parties to generate a request for an electronic file;

a seal server responsive to a request to provide an electronic seal to;

determine a current time;

determine an encrypted hash value on the basis of data included in the received request, the current time and data identifying the seal server;

return the encrypted hash value as an electronic seal to the requester of the electronic seal; and

a remote server responsive to receipt of a request for an electronic file from the user terminal to obtain a copy of the electronic file;

process the obtained copy of the requested electronic file to generate a watermarked copy of the electronic file;

generate a request for an electronic seal to be generated on the basis of data indicative of;

the generated watermarked copy of the requested electronic file, the requester of the copy of the electronic file and the time of the generation of the electronic seal; and

responsive to receipt of a requested electronic seal to store a copy of the requested electronic seal and to dispatch the watermarked copy of the electronic file to the requester.

13. The computer network of claim 12 wherein the remote server is responsive to receipt of a requested electronic seal to dispatch a watermarked copy of an electronic file to a requester together with a copy of the electronic seal.

14. The computer network of claim 12 further comprising:

a time server including a clock, wherein the time server is connected to the seal server via a secure communications link and the seal server responsive to request to provide an electronic seal to determine a current time by sending a request via the secure link to the time server and the time server is responsive to a request received via the secure link to provide the seal server with time data indicative of the current time indicated by the clock.

15. The computer network of claim 12 further comprising a media file database configured to store media files, wherein the remote server responsive to receipt of a request for an electronic file from the user terminal to obtain a copy of a media file stored in the media file database.

16. A server operable to provide electronic files to a user terminal in response to a request from the user terminal identifying an electronic file and an end user'"'"'s acceptance of terms and conditions including a term restricting the provision of copies of the electronic file to third parties to generate a request for an electronic file, the server comprising:

a water-marking module operable responsive to receipt of a request for an electronic file from the user terminal to obtain a copy of the electronic file and process the obtained copy of the requested electronic file to generate a watermarked copy of the electronic file; and

wherein the server is configured to generate a request for an electronic seal generated on the basis of data indicative of the generated watermarked copy of the requested electronic file, the requester of the copy of the electronic file and the time of the generation of the electronic seal; and

responsive to receipt of a requested sealed to dispatch the watermarked copy of the electronic file to the requester.

17. The server of claim 16 further comprising:

a hash calculator operable to determine a hash value for a generated watermarked copy of an electronic file;

wherein the server is configured to generate a request to provide a an electronic seal based on a hash value determined for a generated watermarked copy of an electronic file as data indicative of the generated watermarked copy of the requested electronic file.

18. The server of claim 17 further comprising:

a download database operable to store copies of requested electronic seals receive in response to requests generated by the server.

19. The server of claim 18 wherein the server is responsive to provision of a suspect copy of an electronic file to:

cause the hash calculator operable to determine a hash value for the suspect electronic file;

determine if the download database includes a copy of an electronic seal associated with the hash value determined for a suspect electronic file; and

if so provide data identifying the requester of the copy of the electronic file and the time of the generation of the electronic seal.

20. A non-transitory computer interpretable medium storing computer interpretable instructions which when interpreted by a programmable computer cause the computer to respond to receipt of a request for an electronic file from a user terminal by:

obtaining a copy of the requested electronic file;

process the obtained copy of the requested electronic file to generate a watermarked copy of the electronic file;

generate a request to provide an electronic seal on the basis of data indicative of the generated watermarked copy of the requested electronic file, the requester of the copy of the electronic file and the time of the generation of the electronic seal; and

respond to receipt of a requested electronic seal by storing the received electronic seal and dispatching the watermarked copy of the electronic file to the user terminal.