Software authorization system and method

• US 6,460,023 B1
• Filed: 06/16/1999
• Issued: 10/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Pulse Entertainment Incorporated (Donnerwood Media, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harvill, Young, Bean, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jeanty, Romain
• Application Number:
  US09/334,436
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 705/51, 705/52, 705/53, 705/54, 705/26, 705/27, 705/57, 705/58, 380/278, 380/279, 380/281, 380/284, 717/11, 713/156, 713/168, 713/172, 713/183, 713/185, 713/189, 713/191
• US Class Current: 705/54
• 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 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress

Abstract

A system add method for controlling the execution or display to one or more pieces of software developed using the developer'"'"'s software is provided. The system permits the developer to receive revenue for use of the software without inconveniencing the customer or the user. In more detail, the system has a customer site with one or more locations containing one or more assets wherein a master key is purchased by the customer from the developer that specifies the one or more locations on the site of the customer where the software is located. The master key is stored at a particular location on the site of the customer and each asset contains a content key that identifies the location of the master key. The system further includes a user computer that determines if the execution or display of the asset downloaded from the customer'"'"'s site is authorized by the developer. To determine the authorization of an asset, the asset is downloaded from the customer'"'"'s site, the location of the master key based on the content key in the asset is determined, the master key is downloaded from the determined location on the customer'"'"'s site and the locations contained in the master key are compared to the location of the asset to determine if the asset is accessible by the user computer.

Claims

1. A system for controlling the execution or display of an asset on a customer'"'"'s site, the asset being developed using a developer'"'"'s software, the system comprising:

a customer site comprising one or more locations containing one or more assets, a master key purchased by the customer from the developer that specifies the one or more locations on the site of the customer where the software is located wherein the master key is stored at a particular location on the site of the customer, each asset containing a content key that identifies the location of the master key; and

a user computer comprising means for determining if the execution or display of the asset downloaded from the customer'"'"'s site is authorized by the developer, the determining means comprising means for downloading the asset from the customer'"'"'s site, means for determining the location of the master key based on the content key in the asset, means for downloading the master key from the determined location on the customer'"'"'s site and means for comparing the locations contained in the master key to the location of the asset to determine if the asset is accessible by the user computer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the location of each of the one or more assets comprises a Web page having a unique URL.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the master key further comprises a customer identification number, a URL of the master key and a listing of the URL'"'"'s of the Web pages authorized by the customer.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the master key further comprises, for each URL, a time period during which the Web page is authorized to be displayed to the user.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the user computer further comprises means for generating an error message if the asset is not authorized by the master key and means for generating a watermark covering the asset if the domain name is authorized, but the URL is not authorized.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the locations of the one or more assets comprises a domain name.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the master key and the content key are encrypted.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the asset comprises a rich media asset containing information about an animated character.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer site further comprises means for adding more URL'"'"'s into the master key to authorize more locations.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer site further comprises means for creating the asset comprising means for embedding the content key into the asset when the asset is created.

11. A device for controlling the execution or display of an asset downloaded from a customer'"'"'s site, the asset being developed using a developer'"'"'s software, the device

comprising:

means for downloading the asset from a customer'"'"'s site wherein the customer site comprises one or more locations containing one or more assets, a master key purchased by the customer from the developer that specifies the one or more locations on the site of the customer where the software is located wherein the master key is stored at a particular location on the site of the customer, each asset containing a content key that identifies the location of the master key;

means for determining if the execution or display of the asset downloaded from the customer'"'"'s site is authorized by the developer, the determining means comprising means for determining the location of the master key based on the content key in the asset, means for downloading the master key from the determined location on the customer'"'"'s site and means for comparing the locations contained in the master key to the location of the asset to determine if the asset is accessible by the user computer; and

means for displaying the asset if the asset is authorized.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the location of each of the one or more assets comprises a Web page having a unique URL.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the master key further comprises a customer identification number, a URL of the master key and a listing of the URL'"'"'s of the Web pages authorized by the customer.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the master key further comprises, for each URL, a time period during which the Web page is authorized to be displayed to the user.

15. The device of claim 13 further comprising means for generating an error message if the asset is not authorized by the master key and means for generating a watermark covering the asset if the domain name is authorized, but the URL is not authorized.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the locations of the one or more assets comprises a domain name.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the master key and the content key are encrypted.

18. The device of claim 11, wherein the asset comprises a rich media asset containing information about an animated character.

19. The device of claim 11 further comprising means for adding more URL'"'"'s into the master key to authorize more locations.

20. A method for controlling the execution or display of an asset on a customer'"'"'s site, the asset being developed using a developer'"'"'s software, the method comprising:

downloading an asset from a customer site comprising one or more locations containing one or more assets, a master key purchased by the customer from the developer that specifies the one or more locations on the site of the customer where the software is located wherein the master key is stored at a particular location on the site of the customer, each asset containing a content key that identifies the location of the master key;

determining if the execution or display of the asset downloaded from the customer'"'"'s site is authorized by the developer, the determining comprising determining the location of the master key based on the content key in the asset, downloading the master key from the determined location on the customer'"'"'s site and comparing the locations contained in the master key to the location of the asset to determine if the asset is accessible by the user computer.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the location of each of the one or more assets comprises a Web page having a unique URL.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the master key further comprises a customer identification number, a URL of the master key and a listing of the URL'"'"'s of the Web pages authorized by the customer.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the master key further comprises, for each URL, a time period during which the Web page is authorized to be displayed to the user.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising generating an error message if the asset is not authorized by the master key and generating a watermark covering the asset if the domain name is authorized, but the URL is not authorized.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the locations of the one or more assets comprises a domain name.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the master key and the content key are encrypted.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the asset comprises a rich media asset containing information about an animated character.

28. The method of claim 20 further comprising adding more URL'"'"'s into the master key to authorize more locations.

29. The method of claim 20 further comprising creating the asset comprising embedding the content key into the asset when the asset is created.