Techniques for defining using and manipulating rights management data structures
DCFirst Claim
1. A distributed data processing arrangement including:
- a first data processing apparatus including;
a central processing unit;
a first memory storing a descriptive data structure, said descriptive data structure including;
information regarding a first organization of elements within a secure container, said information including;
information on the organization of said elements within said secure container; and
information on the location of at least some of said elements within said secure container;
communications means by which said descriptive data structure may be communicated to a data processing apparatus different from said first data processing apparatus;
a second data processing apparatus located at a site different from the site of said first data processing apparatus, said second data processing apparatus including;
a central processing unit;
a second memory including;
a first secure container comprising at least;
data elements organized at least in part in accordance with the information contained in said descriptive data structure; and
at least one rule used to at least in part govern at least one aspect of access to or use of said data elements;
at least one of said rules requiring that information regarding at least one use of at least one of said data elements be at least temporarily recorded; and
at least one computer program designed to use at least a portion of said descriptive data structure in at least one operation on said first secure container or the contents of said first secure container;
said use including at least using said information regarding the organization of elements within said first secure container in a process of identifying and/or locating at least one of said elements; and
communications means by which said second data processing apparatus may receive at least a portion of said descriptive data structure or a copy thereof.
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Abstract
A descriptive data structure provides an abstract representation of a rights management data structure such as a secure container. The abstract representation may describe, for example, the layout of the rights management data structure. It can also provide metadata describing or defining other characteristics of rights management data structure use and/or processing. For example, the descriptive data structure can provide integrity constraints that provide a way to state rules about associated information. The abstract representation can be used to create rights management data structures that are interoperable and compatible with one another. This arrangement preserves flexibility and ease of use without compromising security.
1278 Citations
101 Claims
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1. A distributed data processing arrangement including:
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a first data processing apparatus including; a central processing unit; a first memory storing a descriptive data structure, said descriptive data structure including; information regarding a first organization of elements within a secure container, said information including; information on the organization of said elements within said secure container; and information on the location of at least some of said elements within said secure container; communications means by which said descriptive data structure may be communicated to a data processing apparatus different from said first data processing apparatus; a second data processing apparatus located at a site different from the site of said first data processing apparatus, said second data processing apparatus including; a central processing unit; a second memory including; a first secure container comprising at least; data elements organized at least in part in accordance with the information contained in said descriptive data structure; and at least one rule used to at least in part govern at least one aspect of access to or use of said data elements; at least one of said rules requiring that information regarding at least one use of at least one of said data elements be at least temporarily recorded; and at least one computer program designed to use at least a portion of said descriptive data structure in at least one operation on said first secure container or the contents of said first secure container; said use including at least using said information regarding the organization of elements within said first secure container in a process of identifying and/or locating at least one of said elements; and communications means by which said second data processing apparatus may receive at least a portion of said descriptive data structure or a copy thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of using a descriptive data structure, at a first data processing arrangement located at a first site, said method comprising:
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at a communications port of said first data processing arrangement, receiving a first secure container from a site remote from said first site, said first secure container comprising at least (a) content and (b) at least one rule designed to at least in part govern at least one use of or access to said content, said governance including at least a requirement that at least some information relating to said use or access be at least temporarily stored; at said communications port, receiving a second secure container from a site remote from said first site, said second secure container comprising at least (a) a descriptive data structure including information at least in part describing or representing at least one aspect of the organization of said first secure container content; and
(b) at least one rule designed to at least in part govern at least one use of or access to said descriptive data structure;using said second container rule to gain access to at least a portion of said descriptive data structure; and using said descriptive data structure portion in the process of making at least one use of said first secure container content. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A descriptive data structure embodied on a computer-readable medium or other logic device including the following elements:
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a representation of the format of data contained in a first rights management data structure said representation including; element information contained within said first rights management data structure; and organization information regarding the organization of said elements within said first rights management data structure; and information relating to metadata, said metadata including; metadata rules used at least in part to govern at least one aspect of use and/or display of content stored within a rights management data structure, said metadata rules including at least one rule specifying that information relating to at least one use or display of said content be recorded and/or reported. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A method of creating a first secure container, said method including the following steps;
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accessing a descriptive data structure, said descriptive data structure including or addressing organization information at least in part describing a required or desired organization of a content section of said first secure container, and metadata information at least in part specifying at least one step required or desired in creation of said first secure container; using said descriptive data structure to organize said first secure container contents; using said metadata information to at least in part determine specific information required to be included in said first secure container contents; and generating or identifying at least one rule designed to control at least one aspect of access to or use of at least a portion of said first secure container contents. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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82. A method of using a descriptive data structure including:
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at a first data processing arrangement of a value chain participant, receiving a descriptive data structure, said descriptive data structure including a template for the organization of content in a secure container; at said first data processing arrangement, creating a first secure container, said first secure container including; content organized at least in part in accordance with said template; and at least one rule designed to at least in part govern at least one access to or use of at least a portion of said content; communicating said first secure container to a second data processing arrangement located at or associated with a downstream value chain participant; and said downstream value chain participant opening said first secure container to retrieve at least a portion of said contents, said opening step including complying with at least one requirement imposed by a first of said first container rule(s). - View Dependent Claims (83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95)
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96. A data processing system including:
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a first data processing arrangement including; means for creating a first descriptive data structure, said first descriptive data structure including; information relating to the organization of data in a first secure container; and information relating to at least one attribute of said first data processing arrangement; said information including information relating to the level of security present at said first data processing arrangement; means for communicating said first descriptive data structure to a second data processing arrangement; a second data processing arrangement including; means for receiving said first descriptive data structure from said first data processing arrangement; means for receiving said first secure container; means for accessing at least a portion of said descriptive data structure; and means for using said first data processing arrangement attribute information in determining at least one use to be made of at least a portion of said first secure container. - View Dependent Claims (97, 98, 99, 100, 101)
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Specification