Digital content management system using electronic watermark

• US 6,182,218 B1
• Filed: 06/24/1997
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Piracy Protection LLC (LF Capital Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Corporation
• Inventors: Saito, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Laufer, Pinchus M.
• Application Number:
  US08/881,533
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 380/4, 380/21, 380/54, 380/202, 380/278, 380/279, 382/100, 382/232, 707/9, 707/10, 707/104, 705/1, 705/51, 705/55, 705/57, 705/58, 713/168, 713/176, 713/161
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

A system for managing a digital content, particularly a digital content to which a copyright is claimed, and a system for supplying a public-key which is used in the management of the digital content are provided. The digital content management program is embedded to an operating system of a user apparatus as a micro kernel, a watch program or a watch command which is linked to the digital content management program is transmitted to the user apparatus by using a network or data broadcasting, and thereby, the illegitimate usage of the digital content is watched. A visible watermark is added to the digital content when illegitimately utilized, to restrain later usage. Even in regular usage, the route of copying or transferring the digital content can also be ascertained by adding an invisible watermark. Further, a public-key is put in a public-key distribution screen to be distributed by the network or broadcasting. Image data to which information on owner of the public-key or on the user is added as an invisible electronic watermark, is entered to the public-key distribution screen, so that the authenticity of the public-key and the user is checked by the electronic watermark.

Claims

1. A method for digital content management in which a public-key is supplied from a public-key management center to a user, said method comprising the steps of:

putting said public-key in a public-key distribution screen,

attaching an image to said public-key distribution screen;

adding information regarding a public-key owner as an invisible electronic watermark to said image;

distributing said public-key distribution screen by broadcast;

separating said public-key from said public-key distribution screen by said user;

presenting said public-key distribution screen by said user to said public-key management center; and

checking said public-key owner by said public-key management center using said invisible electronic watermark.

2. The method of digital content management according to claim 1, wherein an electronic fingerprint of said public-key owner is used as said information of said public-key owner.

3. A method for digital content management in which a public-key is supplied from a public-key management center to a user, said method comprising the steps of:

requesting the distribution of said public-key from said public-key management center by said user;

putting said public-key by said public-key management center in a public-key distribution screen to be distributed to said user;

attaching an image to said public-key distribution screen;

adding information regarding said public-key owner as an invisible electronic watermark to said image;

separating said public-key from said public-key distribution screen by said user;

presenting said public-key distribution screen by said user to said public-key management center; and

checking said public-key owner by said public-key management center using said invisible electronic watermark.

4. The method of digital content management according to claim 3, wherein an electronic fingerprint of said public-key owner is used as said information of said public-key owner.

5. A method for digital content management in which a public-key is supplied from a public-key management center to a user, said method comprising the steps of:

presenting information of said user and requesting the distribution of said public-key from said public-key management center by said user;

putting said public-key by said public-management center into a public-key distribution screen to be distributed to said user;

attaching an image to said public-key distribution screen;

adding information regarding said user as an invisible electronic watermark to said image;

separating said public-key from said public-key distribution screen by said user, and transferring said public-key distribution screen to a public-key owner together with digital content encrypted by using said public-key;

presenting said public-key distribution screen by said public-key owner to said public-key management center; and

checking said user by said public-key management center using said invisible electronic watermark.

6. The method of digital content management according to claim 5, wherein an electronic fingerprint of said user is used as said information of said user.