CONTENT PROTECTION

• US 20150254435A1
• Filed: 11/04/2013
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mining IP Limited
• Original Assignee: Mining IP Limited
• Inventors: Fells, Julian
• Granted Patent: US 11,010,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

The information marked on one electronic content is compared to that marked on another electronic content in order to determine if either are unauthorised. There are a number of ways of comparing the information in order to make this determination. One way is to detect if two electronic content accessed by the same device have information associated with different users. Another way is to detect if two electronic content accessed by different devices have information associated with a single user. A further way is to use the time or sequence of access in conjunction with the information. Other ways of determining unauthorised content are disclosed.

Claims

1-81. -81. (canceled)

82. A system for authorizing performance of a first copy of content, the system comprising:

a first receiver for receiving a first mark, the first mark including first data relating to an external parameter associated with a first copy of content marked with the first mark;

a comparator for comparing the first data to second data, wherein the second data relates to an external parameter associated with a second copy of content marked with a second mark; and

a processor configured to determine that performance of the first copy of content is authorized if the comparison of the first and second data meets a predetermined condition.

83. An electronic device comprising the system of claim 82, wherein the first receiver is configured to receive the first copy of content marked with the first mark and the second copy of content marked with the second mark, the electronic device further comprising:

an extractor for extracting the first data from the first mark and the second data from the second mark; and

a memory configured for storing the second data, wherein the comparator is configured to compare the first data to stored second data.

84. An electronic device according to claim 83, wherein the first mark is a digital watermark in the first copy of content and/or the second mark is a digital watermark in the second copy of content, and wherein the first copy of content and second copy of content relate to different content.

85. An electronic device according to claim 84, wherein the first and second data relate to a first and second sequential data entry respectively, and the processor is configured to determine that performance of the first copy of content is authorized if the first sequential data entry is later in sequence than the second sequential data entry.

96. The system according to claim 82, wherein the first receiver is configured to receive a first copy of content and/or a second copy of content and/or a second mark, the system further comprising:

an extractor for extracting the first data from the first mark and/or the second data from the second mark.

97. The system according to claim 96, further comprising a second receiver configured to receive the second copy of content or the second mark, the second mark including the second data relating to the external parameter associated with the second copy of content.

98. The system according to claim 96, further comprising a memory configured for storing data from received marks, wherein the comparator is configured to compare the first data to stored data.

99. The system according to claim 98, wherein the first data and the second data relate to a first and second account code respectively, and the processor is configured to determine that performance of the first copy of content is authorized if the first and second account codes match or that performance of the first copy of content is authorized if the number of different account codes received is lower than a predetermined threshold.

100. The system according to claim 98, wherein the first data and the second data relate to a first sequenced data entry and a second sequential data entry respectively, and the processor is configured to determine that performance of the first copy of content is authorized if the first sequential data entry is later in sequence than the second sequential data entry or that performance of the first copy of content is authorized if the first sequential data entry is within a predetermined maximum range of the second sequential data entry.

101. The system according to claim 100, wherein the first sequential data and the second sequential data entries relate to first and second timestamps respectively.

102. The system according to claim 98, wherein the processor is configured to apply a restriction to performance of the first copy of content and/or send a report to an external server if the first and second data do not meet the predetermined condition.

104. The system according to claim 98, wherein the second copy of content relates to an advert and the external parameter associated with the second copy of content is a second advert code;

wherein the first mark indicates that the first copy of content is advert funded and the external parameter associated with the first copy of content is a first advert code, and the processor is configured to determine that performance of the first copy of content is authorized if the comparison of the first data and the second data meets the predetermined condition that the first advert code and the second advert code match or the predetermined condition that the first advert code and the second advert code are in sequence.

105. The system according to claim 82, wherein the first mark is a digital watermark in the first copy of content and/or the second mark is a digital watermark in the second copy of content.

86. An electronic device for authorizing performance of a first copy of content, the electronic device comprising:

a receiver configured for receiving a first copy of content marked with a first mark, wherein the first mark includes first data relating to an external parameter associated with the first copy of content;

an extractor for extracting the first data from the first mark; and

a transmitter for sending the first data to an external entity for authorization by comparison of the first data to second data, the second data relating to an external parameter associated with a second copy of content marked with a second mark.

87. A method of authorizing performance of a first copy of content, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first mark, the first mark including first data relating to an external parameter associated with a first copy of content marked with a first mark;

comparing the first data to second data, wherein the second data relates to an external parameter associated with a second copy of content marked with a second mark; and

determining that performance of the first copy of content is authorized if the comparison of the first and second data meets a predetermined condition.

88. The method according to claim 87, wherein the step of receiving the first mark includes:

receiving the first copy of content and/or the second copy of content and/or the second mark; and

extracting the first data from the first mark and/or the second data from the second mark.

89. The method according to claim 88, further comprising the step of:

storing the second data;

wherein the step of comparing the first data to second data includes comparing the first data to the stored second data.

90. The method according to claim 89, wherein the step of determining that performance of the first copy of content is authorized includes the steps of:

if the first and second account code do not match, a cumulative count is increased; and

the predetermined condition is met if the cumulative count is lower than a predetermined threshold.

91. The method according to claim 89, wherein the first data and the second data relate to a first and second sequenced data entry respectively, and the step of determining that performance of the first copy of content is authorized includes meeting the predetermined condition that the first sequenced data entry is later in sequence than the second sequenced data entry or the predetermined condition that the first sequenced data entry is within a predetermined maximum range of the second sequenced data entry.

92. The method according to claim 91, wherein the first sequenced data and the second sequenced data entries are first and second timestamps respectively.

93. The method according to claim 89, further comprising the step of:

if the first data and the second data do not meet the predetermined condition, restricting the first copy of content and/or reporting an event to an external server.

94. The method according to claim 87, wherein the first copy of content and second copy of content relate to different content.

95. The method according to claim 89, wherein the second copy of content relates to an advert and the external parameter associated with the second copy of content is a second advert code;

wherein the first mark indicates that the first copy of content is advert funded and the external parameter associated with the first copy of content is a first advert code, and the step of determining that performance of the first copy of content is authorized includes determining if the first and second advert codes match or determining that the first and second advert codes are in sequence.

106. The method according to claim 87, wherein the first mark is a digital watermark in the first copy of content and/or the second mark is a digital watermark in the second copy of content.