Method and system for managing rights in digital information over a network

• US 6,993,131 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2000
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Meyers, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Tongoc
• Application Number:
  US09/662,378
• Time in Patent Office: 1,967 Days
• Field of Search: 713/189, 713200-201, 713/159, 713/165, 713/172, 713/100, 713/176, 705/51, 705 53- 54, 705/57, 705/58, 705/59, 705 65- 69, 705/27, 705/41, 705/405, 380/200, 380/201, 380/202, 380/210, 380/211, 380/212, 380/56
• US Class Current: 380/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• 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 21/418 External card to be used in combination with the client device, e.g. for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

A method and system for distributing digital information is disclosed. Preferably, a user acquires a tangible object which contain a code authorizing access to the digital information. The user reads the tangible object through a reader, which sends the code to a server on which the digital information is stored. The server then authorizes access to the digital information to one or more access devices listed in registries belonging to the user. The user may use the digital information on the terms he agrees to, and, while in use by the user, access to the digital information to other users or other playback devices is disabled. Once the user no longer is using the digital information, the access device erases the digital information, and signals the server that the digital information is no longer in use, thereby re-enabling access to the digital information by the other playback devices listed in the registry.

Claims

1. A method of distributing digital information, comprising:

registering a digital object containing said digital information;

registering an access device for receiving said digital object;

requesting that access to said digital object be granted to said access device;

transmitting said digital object to said access device;

registering said digital object as being in use by said access device; and

denying further transmission of said digital object to any other access device while said digital object is in use by said access device transferring access to said digital object from said one of said plurality of access devices to a non-registered access device, not stored as one of said registry; and

disabling access to said digital object to said plurality of access devices stored in said registry while said non-registered access device has access to said digital object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

registering a plurality of access devices for receiving said digital object, said plurality of access devices having common rights of access to said digital object; and

wherein said step of registering said digital object as being in use by said access device grants access to said digital object to all of said plurality of access devices having common access rights, but to no more than one of said plurality of access devices at a time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said plurality of access devices includes access devices of different types, and said digital object is transmitted to each of said types of access device in a form specific to each of said types of access device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said plurality of access devices includes access devices of different types, and said digital object is transmitted to each of said types of access device with a content specific to each of said types of access device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

identifying said digital object with a unique identifying code, said unique identifying code being contained in a physical object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said physical object includes one of the group consisting of:

a magnetic memory, a bar code, an optical memory and an RF tag.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of transmitting said digital object to said access device includes transmitting said digital object over a computer network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said computer network includes the internet.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein said access device is capable of reading said physical object to access said unique identifying code and said step of requesting that access to said digital object be granted to said access device further comprises the step of reading said physical object.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

establishing an encryption protocol for transmitting said digital information to said registry of access devices;

encrypting said digital information in accordance with said encryption protocol;

transmitting said digital information to said at least one of said access devices having common access rights to said digital information in encrypted form;

decrypting said digital information on receipt thereof by said at least one of said access devices having common access rights to said digital information.

11. A system of distributing digital information, comprising:

a first registry for registering a digital object containing said digital information;

an access device for receiving said digital object;

means for requesting that access to said digital object be granted to said access device;

a first transmitter for transmitting said digital object to said access device;

a controller for registering said digital object as being in use by said access device; and

a manager for denying further transmission of said digital object to any other access device while said digital object is in use by said access device.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a plurality of access devices for receiving said digital object, said plurality of access devices having common rights of access to said digital object; and

a second registry for registering said plurality of access devices;

wherein said controller includes means to grant access to said digital object to all of said plurality of access devices having common access rights, but to no more than one of said plurality of access devices at a time.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for identifying said digital object with a unique identifying code, said means for identifying including a physical object.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said physical object includes one of the group consisting of a magnetic memory, a bar code, an optical memory and an RF tag.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a reader for reading said physical object.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

means for transferring said access to said digital object from said one of said plurality of access devices to a non-registered access device, not stored as one of said registry; and

means for disabling access to said digital object to said plurality of access devices stored in said second registry while said non-registered access device has access to said digital object.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for registering a unique identifying code containing a location of said digital object, said means for registering including a physical object;

a memory for storing a second registry of access devices for accessing said digital object, each of said access devices having common access rights to said digital object, at least one of said of access devices including a reader for reading said unique identifying code; and

a second transmitter for transmitting said unique identifying code to a server on which said digital object is stored, and also for transmitting said second registry of access devices to said server;

said manager including means for comparing said unique identifying code with a list of authorized codes of digital information;

said first transmitter including means for transmitting said digital object to at least one of said access devices having common access rights to said digital object, when said unique identifying code corresponds to an authorized code;

said manager further including means for denying access to said digital object to said access devices when said unique identifying code fails to correspond to an authorized digital object;

said controller including means for disabling further transmission of said digital object to any other access devices after transmission of said digital object to said at least one of said access devices; and

said controller further including means for re-enabling the transmission of said digital object to said at least one of said access devices after receipt of a signal indicating that said digital object is no longer being stored in said at least one of said access devices to which it had been transmitted.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for setting a time for transmitting said digital object to said access device.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising means for selecting which of said access devices stored in said registry will receive said digital information.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

means for encrypting said digital information before transmission thereof to said registry of access devices;

means for transmitting said digital information to said at least one of said access devices having common access rights to said digital information in encrypted form; and

means for decrypting said digital information on receipt thereof by said at least one of said access devices having common access rights thereto.