Method and system for delivering digital products electronically

• US 6,289,452 B1
• Filed: 11/07/1997
• Issued: 09/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cybersource Corporation (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cybersource Corporation (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pettitt, John Philip, Lewis, Robert Lincoln Jr., Rendleman, Jesse Noel Jr., Arnold, Thomas Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Application Number:
  US08/965,836
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 705/59, 705/52, 705/51, 705/53, 705/54, 705/76, 713/175, 713/167, 713/156
• US Class Current: 713/175
• 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]

Abstract

A system and method for delivering a digital product electronically is disclosed. The system and method comprises providing an electronic license certificate (ELC) from an enduser to a server and then validating the ELC by the server. Finally, the method and system includes sending the digital product from the server to the user based upon validation of the electronic license certificate by the server. Accordingly, a digital product delivery system that is based on the concept of an active license (AL) which contains a plurality of active license objects (ALPOs) is disclosed. An ALPO is a software program that contains a digitally signed certificate document that may entitle the holder to receive, possess, and use a specific product. In essence, this certificate is a software application program that contains three major components: an electronic license certificate (ELC), a certificate viewer, and application functions to perform operations as granted by the license certificate, for example, retrieving and installing digital products.

Claims

1. A method for delivering a digital product electronically comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an electronic license certificate (ELC) from an end-user to a server, wherein said electronic license certificate may be used to verify that said user is entitled to download said digital product and no other digital product;

(b) validating the ELC by the server;

(c) sending the digital product from the server to the end-user based upon validation of the ELC by the server;

wherein the ELC is provided to said server by providing to said server an active license which comprises executable code and at least one active license object (ALPO), wherein the at least one ALPO includes the ELC;

wherein the executable code generates a license signature which identifies the user; and

wherein the at least one ALPO comprises a plurality of ALPOS.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of ALPOs comprises a digitally signed certificate document.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the digitally signed certificate document comprises:

a particular ELC; and

a certificate viewer.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the ELC will include information relating to the user.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the ELC is transmitted to said end-user before step (a) and only after said end-user has transmitted data indicating acceptance of terms for using said digital product.

6. A method of delivering digital products, the method comprising the steps of:

generating an object specifically configured to participate in delivering a specific digital product over a network, wherein said object includes;

a digital certificate that may be used to verify that a user is entitled to download a set of one or more digital products that include said specific digital product but not said object, and

first code that may be executed by a client to cause delivery of a copy of said digital certificate to a server;

causing delivering of said object to said client via said network; and

wherein said object includes at least one other digital certificate that may be used to verify that said user is entitled to download and use a set of one or more other digital products that include at least one other digital product but not said object and said specific digital product.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further includes the step of:

said server receiving said copy of said digital certificate from said client in conjunction with a request to deliver said specific digital product to said client;

determining whether said copy of said digital certificate verifies that said user is entitled to download said specific digital product; and

causing delivery of said specific digital product when said copy of said digital certificate verifies that said user is entitled to download said specific digital product.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said specific digital product is configured to run on said client without any participation by said object once said specific digital product is installed on said client.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said object is generated in response to receiving, from the client on behalf of the user, data that indicates that said user has acquired a right to posses said specific digital product.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said object includes second code that invokes an user interface for delivery of said specific digital product to said client.

11. The method of claim 6, further including limiting how many times said specific digital product may be downloaded to any client using said digital certificate.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said specific digital product is delivered to said client in an unencrypted form.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said specific digital product is delivered to said client in a compressed form.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein said object is configured to participate in the delivery of at least one other digital product.

15. A computer-readable medium carrying an object that includes one or more sequences of instructions for participating in delivery of digital products, wherein

said object is specifically configured to participate in the delivery of a specific digital product over a network;

said object includes a digital certificate that may be used to verify that a user is entitled to download a set of one or more digital products that include said specific digital product but not said object;

wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors on a client causes the one or more processors to perform steps that include causing delivery of a copy of said digital certificate to a server to verify that said user is entitled to download and use said set of one or more digital products; and

wherein said object includes at least one other digital certificate that may be used to verify that said user is entitled to download and use a set of one or more other digital products that include at least one other digital product but not said object and said specific digital product.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said object further includes instructions for causing said client to interact with said server to deliver said specific digital product to said client via a particular network, wherein the step of causing said client to interact includes the step of delivering said copy.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said specific digital product is configured to run on said client without any participation by said object once said specific digital product is installed on said client.

32. The computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein said computer-readable media further includes instructions for said object invoking a user interface for delivery of said specific digital product to said client.

18. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for delivering a digital product electronically, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

(a) providing an electronic license certificate (ELC) from an end-user to a server, wherein said electronic license certificate may be used to verify that said user is entitled to download said digital product and no other digital product;

(b) validating the ELC by the server;

(c) sending the digital product from the server to the end-user based upon validation of the ELC by the server; and

wherein the ELC is provided to said server by providing to said server an active license which comprises executable code and at least one active license object (ALPO), wherein the at least one ALPO includes the ELC;

wherein the executable code generates a license signature which identifies the user; and

wherein the at least one ALPO comprises a plurality of ALPOS.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein each of the plurality of ALPOs comprises a digitally signed certificate document.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the digitally signed certificate document comprises:

a particular ELC; and

a certificate viewer.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 in which the ELC will include information relating to the user.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 in which the ELC is transmitted to said end-user before step (a) and only after said end-user has transmitted data indicating acceptance of terms for using said digital product.

19. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for delivering digital products, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

generating an object specifically configured to participate in delivering a specific digital product over a network, wherein said object includes;

a digital certificate that may be used to verify that a user is entitled to download a set of one or more digital products that include said specific digital product but not said object, and

first code that may be executed by a client to cause delivery of a copy of said digital certificate to a server;

causing delivering of said object to said client via said network; and

wherein said object includes at least one other digital certificate that may be used to verify that said user is entitled to download and use a set of one or more other digital products that include at least one other digital product but not said object and said specific digital product.

24. The computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the method further includes the step of:

said server receiving said copy of said digital certificate from said client in conjunction with a request to deliver said specific digital product to said client;

determining whether said copy of said digital certificate verifies that said user is entitled to download said specific digital product; and

causing delivery of said specific digital product when said copy of said digital certificate verifies that said user is entitled to download said specific digital product.

25. The computer-readable media of claim 24, wherein said specific digital product is configured to run on said client without any participation by said object once said specific digital product is installed on said client.

26. The computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein said object is generated in response to receiving, from the client on behalf of the user, data that indicates that said user has acquired a right to possess said specific digital product.

27. The computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein said object includes second code that invokes an user interface for delivery of said specific digital product to said client.

28. The computer-readable media of claim 19, further including limiting how many times said specific digital product may be downloaded to any client using said digital certificate.

29. The computer-readable media of claim 24, wherein said specific digital product is delivered to said client in an unencerypted form.

30. The computer-readable media of claim 29, wherein said specific digital product is delivered to said client in a compressed form.

31. The computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein said object is configured to participate in the delivery of at least one other digital product.