System and methods for managing digital creative works

• US 7,047,241 B1
• Filed: 10/11/1996
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Erickson, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean M.
• Application Number:
  US08/731,291
• Time in Patent Office: 3,504 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

Digital Creative Works such as copyrighted electronic media are packaged in a secure electronic format, or CONTAINER, and registered on associated registration server, which serves to provide on-line licensing and copyright management for that Work. Users are connected to the registration server through a computer network or the Internet to enable data transfers and to transact licenses to utilize the media. Packaged electronic media are typically created by an author or derivative user of the work. Once the packaged media is registered on the server, the media is made available for limited use and possible license through an authorization server. This limited use is specified within the minimum permissions data set assigned to each packaged media. Without a license, users are typically permitted to view the packaged media—through a system which unpackages the media—but cannot save, print or otherwise transfer the media without obtaining auxiliary permissions to do so from the authorization server. The electronic media is authenticated through digital signatures and optional encryption.

Claims

1. A method of providing auxiliary permissions from a computer server to a remote computer, the computer server operating to at least manage a digital copyrighted work, said method comprising:

communicating with a remote computer, the remote computer including a processor and memory, the remote computer further including the digital copyrighted work in a packaged form stored in the memory, the packaged form including a secure digital container having a set of minimum permissions, the remote computer further comprising a software application executing on the processor to utilize the set of minimum permissions to help govern access to the digital copyrighted work according to limits imposed by the set of minimum permissions, wherein the access is less than unrestricted access to the digital copyrighted work;

receiving a request from the remote computer for expanded access to the digital copyright work; and

if the remote computer signals an acceptance of terms for the expanded access to the digital copyrighted work, then;

communicating an auxiliary permission to the remote computer, the software application using the auxiliary permission to expand the access to the digital copyrighted work through the remote computer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of minimum permissions provides restricted access to a form of the digital copyrighted work.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the auxiliary permission enables expanded access to the form of the digital copyrighted work.