Software anti-piracy systems and methods utilizing certificates with digital content

• US 7,043,050 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2001
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Yuval, Gideon A.
• Primary Examiner(s): COUSO, YON JUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/848,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20020164047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,833 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/135, 382/112, 382/306, 358/3.29, 358/3.28, 350/50, 350/201, 704/207, 704/222, 705/40, 713/176, 283/113, 380/54
• US Class Current: 382/100
• 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

Systems and methods are described herein for embedding and detecting a 1-bit watermark in a digital content file, such as an audio file or a video file. If the 1-bit watermark is detected in the digital content, a certificate associated with the digital content is located. The certificate contains copyright information that indicates permissible uses of the digital content file, e.g., the digital content file may be played one time, five times, any number of times during a specified time period, etc. If the watermark is not detected, the file is processed. This allows for processing of unmarked content, such as public domain and legacy content. In one implementation, a device configured to process the digital content file is also configured to locate a certificate associated with the digital content file before processing the digital content file. If the certificate is not found, the digital content file is not played. If the certificate is found, the device only processes the digital content file in accordance with instructions in the associated certificate.

Claims

1. An electronic device for playing a digital content file, comprising:

a processor configured to process a digital content file;

memory;

a watermark detector configured to detect the presence of a watermark signal in the digital content file; and

an authentication module configured to access a certificate, which indicates permissible uses of the digital content file, associated with and separate from the digital content file and determine from the certificate how the processor is authorized to process the digital content file in the event that the watermark detector detects the watermark signal.

2. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the authentication module is further configured to access the certificate in a remote location.

3. The electronic device as recited in claim 2, wherein the watermark signal is a 1-bit watermark signal.

4. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the certificate associated with the digital content file indicates that the digital content file may be played but not copied; and

the authentication module is further configured to limit the processor to playing the digital content file.

5. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the certificate associated with the digital content file indicates that the digital content file may be not be played after a specified date; and

the authentication module is further configured to prevent the processor from playing the digital content file after the specified date.

6. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the certificate associated with the digital content file indicates that the digital content file may be played one time only; and

the authentication module is further configured to limit the processor to playing the digital content file only one time.

7. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the certificate associated with the digital content file indicates that the digital content file belongs to the public domain; and

the authentication module is further configured to allow the processor to play and copy the digital content file an unlimited number of times.

8. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the digital content file is an audio file.

9. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the digital content file is a video file.

10. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the digital content file is a multimedia file.

11. A method for watermarking a digital content file, comprising:

embedding a watermark into the digital content file; and

associating the digital content file with a certificate that contains copyright information including at least one indication regarding a permissible use of the digital content file and is not a part of the digital content file; and

wherein when the watermark is detected in the digital content file, the associated certificate is accessed and the digital content file is processed according to the copyright information.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the embedding a watermark into the digital content file further comprises embedding a 1-bit watermark into the digital content file.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising delivering the digital content file and the associated certificate over a network.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the delivering further comprises electronically transmitting the digital content file and the associated certificate over the network to a network site.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein:

the delivering further comprises electronically transmitting the digital content file and the associated certificate; and

the digital content file and the associated certificate are transmitted together.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein:

the digital content file is delivered to a first party; and

the associated certificate is delivered to a second party.

17. A method, comprising:

associating a certificate file with a digital content file; and

configuring the certificate file with permissible use information about the digital content file so that when the digital content file is processed, the digital content file is processed in accordance with the permissible use information contained in the certificate file.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the configuring the certificate file further comprises configuring the certificate file so that a user having possession of the digital content file may only process the digital content file one time.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the configuring the certificate file further comprises configuring the certificate file so that a user having possession of the digital content file may not copy the digital content file.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the configuring the certificate file further comprises configuring the certificate file to indicate the digital content file belongs to the public domain so that the digital content file may be played or copied an unlimited number of times.

21. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the configuring the certificate file further comprises configuring the certificate file to indicate the digital content file may only be processed during a specified time period.

22. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the digital content file is an audio file.

23. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the digital content file is a video file.

24. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the digital content file is a multimedia file.

25. A method, comprising:

attempting to detect a watermark signal in a digital content file;

if the watermark signal is detected, attempting to locate a certificate associated with the digital content file, the certificate including copyright information having at least one indication regarding a permissible use of the digital content file; and

if the watermark signal is detected and the associated certificate is located, processing the digital content file according to the copyright information included in the certificate.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the certificate is stored in a remote location relative to the digital content file.

27. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising:

if the watermark signal is detected and the associated certificate is not located, preventing processing of the digital content file.

28. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising allowing unlimited processing of the digital content file if the watermark signal is not detected.

29. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the watermark signal further comprises a 1-bit watermark signal.

30. A digital content file stored on one or more computer-readable media, comprising a watermark that indicates the existence of a certificate associated with the digital content file, the certificate containing copyright information including at least one indication regarding a permissible use of the digital content file.

31. The digital content file as recited in claim 30, wherein the certificate associated with the digital content file is stored remotely from the digital content file.

32. The digital content file as recited in claim 30, wherein the watermark is a 1-bit watermark.

33. The digital content file as recited in claim 30, further comprising audio content.

34. The digital content file as recited in claim 30, further comprising video content.

35. One or more computer-readable media containing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform the following:

attempting to detect a watermark in a digital content file;

if the watermark is detected, attempting to locate a certificate that is associated with the digital content file, the certificate containing instructions to regarding the digital content file;

if the certificate is located, processing the digital content file according to the instructions; and

wherein the watermark only indicates the existence of the certificate.

36. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 35 wherein the watermark signal is a 1-bit watermark signal.

37. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 35, further comprising receiving the digital content file, and wherein the locating a certificate further comprises receiving the certificate contemporaneously with the digital content file.

38. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 35, further comprising receiving the digital content file, and wherein the locating a certificate further comprises receiving the certificate separately from the digital content file.

39. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 35, further comprising receiving the digital content file, and wherein the locating a certificate further comprises locating the certificate on a remote site.

40. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 35, further comprising receiving the digital content file, and wherein the locating a certificate further comprises locating the certificate on an Internet site.

41. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 35, further comprising processing the digital content file if no watermark is detected.

42. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 35, further comprising preventing processing of the digital content if the watermark is detected but no certificate is located.

43. A propagated data signal, comprising:

digital content; and

a 1-bit watermark embedded in the digital content; and

wherein the 1-bit watermark indicates the presence of a certificate associated with the digital content, the certificate containing copyright information including at least one indication regarding a permissible use of the digital content and being stored apart from the digital content.

44. The propagated data signal as recited in claim 43, further comprising certificate information that identifies a location of the certificate associated with the digital content.

45. The propagated data signal as recited in claim 43, wherein the digital content is audio content.

46. The propagated data signal as recited in claim 43, wherein the digital content is video content.

47. The propagated data signal as recited in claim 43, wherein the digital content is multimedia content.