Copy protection of digital images transmitted over networks

• US 6,353,892 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2000
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kioba Processing, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alchemedia Ltd.
• Inventors: Schreiber, Daniel, Goldman, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoleil, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonzo, Bryce P.
• Application Number:
  US09/731,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20010000359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200, 713/201
• US Class Current: 726/26
• 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 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/12 Digital output to print unit , e.g. line printer, chain printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/109 Font handling; Temporal or kinetic typography
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/126 Character encoding
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32776 using an interactive, user-operated device, e.g. a computer terminal, mobile telephone H04N1/32782, H04N1/32784 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4426 involving separate means, e.g. a server, a magnetic card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/444 to a particular document or image or part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4486 using digital data encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3249 data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method for protecting digital images distributed over a network, including the steps of receiving a request from a client computer running a network browser, for an original layout page containing references to digital images therein, parsing the original layout page for the references to digital images, generating a modified layout page from the original layout page by replacing at least one of the references to digital images in the original layout page with references to substitute data, and sending the modified layout page to the client computer. A system is also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method for protecting digital images displayed in a web browser, comprising:

displaying a digital image, the digital image comprising pixel data;

issuing a request to access pixel data of the digital image by invoking instructions for accessing pixel data;

intercepting the request to access pixel data of the digital image;

causing program logic of the instructions to jump to logic for substitute instructions; and

providing substitute data for pixel data of the digital image.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said requesting access is invoked by a keyboard.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said requesting access is invoked by a mouse.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said requesting access is invoked by a software application.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said requesting access uses a save-as command.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said requesting access uses a screen capture command.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the screen capture command is a Print Screen command.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said requesting access uses a copy command.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said requesting access usess a command for copying data to a clipboard.

10. The methods of claim 1 wherein the instructions are a Windows BitBlt function.

11. A system for protecting digital images displayed in a web browser, comprising:

a software application displaying a digital image, the digital image comprising pixel data;

a command processor issuing a request to access pixel data of the digital image by invoking instructions for accessing pixel data;

a request interceptor intercepting the request to access pixel data of the digital image received from said command processor and causing program logic of the instructions to jump to logic for substitute instructions; and

a data processor providing substitute data for pixel data of the digital image.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said command processor is invoked by a keyboard.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said command processor is invoked by a mouse.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein said command processor is invoked by a software application.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein said command processor is invoked by a save-as command.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein said command processor is invoked by a screen capture command.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the screen capture command is a Print Screen command.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein said command processor is invoked by a copy command.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein said command processor is invoked by a command for copying data to a clipboard.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the instructions are a Windows BitBlt function.

21. A method for protecting digital images displayed in a web browser, comprising:

displaying a digital image, the digital image comprising pixel data;

issuing a request to access pixel data of the digital image by invoking a Macintosh ToolBox function for accessing pixel data;

intercepting the request to access pixel data of the digital image;

causing program logic of the Macintosh ToolBox function to jump to logic for substitute instructions; and

providing substitute data for pixel data of the digital image.

22. A method for protecting digital images displayed in a web browser, comprising:

displaying a digital image, the digital image comprising pixel data;

issuing a request to access pixel data of the digital image by invoking instructions for accessing pixel data;

intercepting the request to access pixel data of the digital image;

changing a pointer pointing to the instructions to point to substitute instructions; and

providing substitute data for pixel data of the digital image.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the pointer is an entry within a Macintosh Trap Dispatch Table.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the substitute instructions are a patched Macintosh ToolBox function.

25. A method for protecting digital images displayed in a web browser, comprising:

displaying a digital image, the digital image comprising pixel data;

issuing a request to access pixel data of the digital image by invoking instructions for accessing pixel data;

intercepting the request to access pixel data of the digital image;

executing substitute instructions; and

providing substitute data for pixel data of the digital image.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the instructions are a Windows BitBlt function and the substitute instructions are a patched Windows BitBlt function.

27. A system for protecting digital images displayed in a web browser, comprising:

a software application displaying a digital image, the digital image comprising pixel data;

a command processor issuing a request to access pixel data of the digital image by invoking a Macintosh ToolBox function for accessing pixel data;

a request interceptor intercepting the request to access pixel data of the digital image received from said command processor and causing program logic of the Macintosh ToolBox function to jump to logic for substitute instructions; and

a data processor providing substitute data for pixel data of the digital image.

28. A system for protecting digital images displayed in a web browser, comprising:

a software application displaying a digital image, the digital image comprising pixel data;

a command processor issuing a request to access pixel data of the digital image by invoking instructions for accessing pixel data;

a request interceptor intercepting the request to access pixel data of the digital image received from said command processor, and changing a pointer pointing to the instructions to point to substitute instructions; and

a data processor providing substitute data for pixel data of the digital image.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the pointer is an entry within a Macintosh Trap Dispatch Table.

30. The system of claim 28 wherein the substitute instructions are a patched Macintosh ToolBox function.

31. A system for protecting digital images displayed in a web browser, comprising:

a software application displaying a digital image, the digital image comprising pixel data;

a command processor issuing a request to access pixel data of the digital image by invoking instructions for accessing pixel data;

a request interceptor intercepting the request to access pixel data of the digital image received from said command processor and executing substitute instructions; and

a data processor providing substitute data for pixel data of the digital image.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the instructions are a Windows BitBlt function and the substitute instructions are a patched Windows BitBlt function.