METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DIGITAL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT

• US 20150288692A1
• Filed: 04/02/2014
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: D2L Corporation
• Original Assignee: D2L Corporation
• Inventors: WEI, Erkang
• Granted Patent: US 11,032,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70

Abstract

There is provided a method and system for digital rights enforcement. The method includes: determining digital content requested by a user via a selected user device; determining digital rights associated with the digital content; reviewing the digital rights to determine access rights relating to authorized devices for the user; determining whether the user has exhausted the access rights; and if the access rights are exhausted: determining at least one use factor for each of the user'"'"'s previously authorized user devices; determining a previously authorized user device on which to revoke access to the digital content based on the at least one use factor; and revoking access rights to the previously authorized user associated device; otherwise downloading the digital content on the selected user device. The system includes a content review module and a revoker module.

Claims

1. A method for digital rights enforcement over multiple devices, the method comprising:

determining digital content requested by a user via a selected user device;

determining digital rights associated with the digital content;

determining access rights relating to authorized devices for the user based at least in part on the digital rights associated with the digital content;

determining whether the user has exhausted the access rights; and

if the access rights are exhausted;

determining at least one use factor for each of the user'"'"'s previously authorized user devices;

determining a previously authorized user device on which to revoke access to the digital content based on the at least one use factor; and

revoking access rights to the previously authorized user associated device;

otherwise downloading the digital content on the selected user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the revoking of the access rights to the previously authorized user device occurs automatically.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is requested to approve the selection of which previously authorized user associated device to revoke prior to the revoking of the access rights.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the at least one use factor is selected from the group of:

time the digital content was downloaded on the user device;

last access of the digital content on the user device;

time spent using the digital content on the user device; and

frequency of accessing the digital content on the user device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a number of concurrent downloads requested by the user after determining the digital content requested by the user; and

if the number of concurrent downloads is above a predetermined threshold, waiting for a preset condition to be satisfied before proceeding.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the preset condition is the expiry of a predetermined time interval.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encrypting the digital content prior to downloading the digital content on the selected user device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the encrypting of the digital content occurs contemporaneous to the request for the digital content.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a catalogue of available digital content to the user prior to determining the digital content requested by the user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the displaying of the catalogue comprises:

determining user data related to the user; and

determining catalogue content from a learning management system based on the user data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the revoking of the access rights comprises deleting the digital content from the previously authorized user device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the revoking of the access rights comprises deleting a decryption key from the previously authorized user device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the revoking access rights comprises:

monitoring for connection of the previously authorized user device to a network; and

sending a signal revoking the access rights of the previously authorized user device to the previously authorized user device to revoke the digital content.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a user identification; and

determining access rights relating to authorized devices for the user based at least in part on the user identification.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user identification identifies the user as either a student or instructor and the determining of the access rights relating to authorized devices further comprises determining a course related to the digital content.

16. A system for digital rights enforcement over multiple devices, the system comprising:

a content review module configured to;

determine digital content requested by a user via a selected user device; and

determine digital rights associated with the digital content; and

an revoker module configured to;

determine access rights relating to authorized devices for the user based at least in part on the digital rights associated with the digital content;

determine whether the user has exhausted the access rights; and

if the access rights are exhausted;

determine at least one use factor for each of the user'"'"'s previously authorized user devices;

determine which previously authorized user device on which to revoke access to the digital content based on the at least one use factor; and

send a revoke message to revoke the access rights to the previously authorized user device;

otherwise allow the download of the digital content on the selected user device.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising an enforcement module configured to revoke the access rights on the previously authorized user device.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the revoker module is further configure to provide a prompt to the user wherein the user is requested to approve the selection of which previously authorized user device to revoke prior to the revoking of the access rights.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein one or more of the at least one use factor is selected from the group of:

time the digital content was downloaded on the user device;

last access of the digital content on the user device;

time spent using the digital content on the user device; and

frequency of accessing the digital content on the user device.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the content review module is further configured to:

determine a number of concurrent downloads requested by the user after determining the digital content requested by the user; and

if the number of concurrent downloads is above a predetermined threshold, wait a predetermined time interval before proceeding.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein the content review module is further configured to:

encrypt the digital content prior to downloading the digital content on the selected user device.

22. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

a display module configured to display a catalogue of available digital content to the user.

23. The system of claim 17 wherein the enforcement module is configured to revoke the access rights by deleting the digital content from the previously authorized user device.

24. The system of 17 wherein the enforcement module is configured to revoke the access rights by deleting a decryption key from the previously authorized user device.