Protecting decrypted compressed content and decrypted decompressed content at a digital rights management client

• US 6,948,073 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2001
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: England, Paul, Peinado, Marcus, Sankaranarayan, Mukund
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): SANDOVAL, KRISTIN D
• Application Number:
  US09/892,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20030014655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200, 713/193, 380/200, 380/201, 380/204, 380/217, 380/216, 380/269, 725/31, 725/25, 705/51
• US Class Current: 726/32
• 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

Theft of decompressed digital content as the content is being rendered is prevented. A requested slow-down of the rendering of the content is detected. Transfers of relatively large amounts of data are detected. A re-compressor-based requested slow-down of the rendering of the content is detected. A re-compressor re-compressing the content is detected. In each situation, the detected activity is presumably initiated by a content thief attempting to steal the content. In each situation, the detected activity is responded to in a manner designed to frustrate the presumed attempt of the content thief to steal the content.

Claims

1. A method of preventing theft of decompressed digital content as the content is being rendered, the method comprising:

detecting a requested slow-down of the rendering of the content;

presuming the detected requested slow-down is initiated by a content thief attempting to steal the content; and

responding to the detected requested slow-down in a manner designed to frustrate the presumed attempt of the content thief to steal the content,

wherein rendering of the content occurs on a processor having an amount of capacity, and wherein responding comprises reserving a portion of the amount of the capacity of the processor for rendering, the reserved capacity not being available to the content thief for use in stealing the content.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein responding comprises ignoring requests for the slow-down.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein responding comprises ignoring requests for the slow-down after receiving a pre-determined number of such requests.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein responding comprises stopping rendering of the content.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein responding comprises slowing rendering of the content to a rate smaller than that of the requested slow-down.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein responding comprises degrading rendering of the content.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the slow-down comprises noting a reduction in a rate of rendering of the content.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the slow-down comprises noting requests for individual renderings of frames of the content.

9. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions thereon for preventing theft of decompressed digital content as the content is being rendered, the instructions being organized into modules including:

a first module for detecting a requested slow-down of the rendering of the content, and for presuming the detected requested slow-down is initiated by a content thief attempting to steal the content; and

a second module for responding to the detected requested slow-down in a manner designed to frustrate the presumed attempt of the content thief to steal the content,

wherein rendering of the content occurs on a processor having an amount of capacity, and wherein the second module reserves a portion of the amount of the capacity of the processor for rendering, the reserved capacity not being available to the content thief for use in stealing the content.

10. The medium of claim 9 wherein the second module ignores requests for the slow-down.

11. The medium of claim 9 wherein the second module ignores requests for the slow-down after receiving a pre-determined number of such requests.

12. The medium of claim 9 wherein the second module stops rendering of the content.

13. The medium of claim 9 wherein the second module slows rendering of the content to a rate smaller than that of the requested slow-down.

14. The medium of claim 9 wherein the second module degrades rendering of the content.

15. The medium of claim 9 wherein the first module notes a reduction in a rate of rendering of the content.

16. The medium of claim 9 wherein the first module notes requests for individual renderings of frames of the content.