System for controlling the distribution and use of digital works

• US 6,934,693 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2002
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Inventors: Pirolli, Peter L. T., Stefik, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Reagan, James A.
• Application Number:
  US10/176,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20030023561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 705/51, 705/57, 380/201, 380/232, 380/55
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/301 for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/031 torque limiting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0113 Mechanical advancing means, e.g. catheter dispensers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 : Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 : Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 : Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/146 : using digital cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 : Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1496 : involving discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 : Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 : Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 : applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 : Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 : Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 : wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 : using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 : using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 : using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 : Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 : Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 : received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 : using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 : involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23412 : for generating or manipulating the scene composition of objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• 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 21/2543 : Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26613 : for generating or managing keys in general key distribution for secret or secure communication involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP] H04L9/083; network support of key management H04L63/06; key management for network security in communication control or processing H04W12/04
• 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 21/6332 : directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 : directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• 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 21/8355 : involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/83555 : using a structured language for describing usage rules of the content, e.g. REL
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 : Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 : Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system for controlling the distribution and use of digital works using digital tickets. In the present invention, a “digital ticket” is used to entitle the ticket holder to exercise some usage right with respect to a digital work. Usage rights are used to define how a digital work may be used or distributed. Each usage right may specify a digital ticket which must be present before the right may be exercised. Digital works are stored in repositories which enforce a digital works usage rights. Each repository has a “generic ticket agent” which punches tickets. In some instances only the generic ticket agent is necessary. In other instances, punching by a “special ticket agent” residing on another repository maybe needed.

Claims

1. A method for securely rendering digital documents comprising:

storing a digital document in a document platform;

storing at least one usage right associated with said digital document, said at least one usage right specifying a manner of use indicating the number of times the digital document can be rendered by said document platform;

determining whether said digital document may be rendered by said document platform based on at least said at least one usage right; and

if said at least one usage right allows said digital document to be rendered on said document platform, rendering said digital document by said document platform,

wherein said digital document comprises plural sections of digital content and said at least one usage right includes plural usage rights respectively associated with each of said plural sections of content, and

each of said sections of digital content and a corresponding usage right define a layer of said digital document that is separately accessible.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of storing comprises storing at least one usage right on said document platform.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of storing comprises storing at least one usage right on a device separate from said document platform.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said determining step comprises enforcing terms of a usage agreement defined by said at least on usage right.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least on usage right specifies a type of use of the digital document.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said layers are associated with one another through a tree structure.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least on usage right specifies a type of use of the digital document and a quantity of use of the digital document.

8. A method for securely rendering digital documents comprising:

storing a digital document in a document repository;

storing at least one usage right associated with said digital document;

requesting access to said digital document from a document platform;

determining whether said request may be granted based on said usage right, said determining step including authenticating said document platform and determining whether said usage right includes a manner of use that allows transfer of said digital document to said document platform;

if said usage right allows said transfer of said digital document to said document platform, transferring at least a portion of said digital document to said document platform; and

rendering said digital document by said document platform,

wherein said digital document comprises plural sections of digital content and said at least one usage right includes plural usage rights respectively associated with each of said plural sections of content, and

each of said sections of digital content and a corresponding usage right define a layer of said digital document that is separately accessible.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein said step of storing comprises storing at least one usage right in said document repository.

10. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein said step of storing comprises storing at least one usage right in a device separate from said document repository.

11. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein said layers are associated with one another through a tree structure.

12. A method for securely rendering digital documents comprising:

receiving a request to copy a digital document from a document repository to a document platform said digital document having at least one usage right associated therewith;

authenticating said document platform by accessing at least one identifier associated with said document platform or with a user of said document platform and determining whether said identifier is associated with at least one of a document platform and user authorized to use said digital document;

if said authenticating step is successful, determining whether said digital document may be copied and stored on a document platform based on a manner of use included in said at least one usage right;

if said at least one usage right allows at least a portion of said digital document to be transferred to a document plafform, transferring at least a portion of said digital document to said document platform; and

rendering said digital document by said document platform,

wherein said digital document comprises plural sections of digital content and said at least one usage right includes plural usage rights respectively associated with each of said plural sections of content, and

each of said sections of digital content and a corresponding usage right define a layer of said digital document that is separately accessible.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein said step of storing comprises storing at least one usage right on said document platform.

14. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein said step of storing comprises storing at least one usage right on a device separate from said document platform.

15. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein said at least on usage right specifies a type of use of the digital document and a quantity of use of the digital documents.

16. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein said layers are associated with one another through a tree structure.