Copyright information management system

• US 7,058,608 B1
• Filed: 07/19/2000
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sunmoretec Co. Ltd. (Kotobuki Realty Co., Ltd.), Suntory Ltd (Kotobuki Realty Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sunmoretec Co. Ltd. (Kotobuki Realty Co., Ltd.), Suntory Ltd (Kotobuki Realty Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Hitoshi, Iwamoto, Masao, Nagi, Takashi, Nagata, Tomohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): ELISCA, PIERRE E
• Application Number:
  US09/787,549
• Time in Patent Office: 2,148 Days
• Field of Search: 705/57, 705/58, 705/59, 380201-204, 707/10, 382/205, 709/229, 709/219, 709/203, 713/176
• US Class Current: 705/58
• 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 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A copyright information management system supporting the management and protection of products comprised of digitalized multimedia content in a product distribution environment. The copyright information management system (10) provides a copyright information management center (11), provided in a product distribution environment (15) where products are distributed through communications lines (14) between a product provider (12) including at least one of a copyright owner and distributor and a product user (13) receiving the product, for exchanging information relating to the products through the communications lines (14). The copyright information management center (11) centrally manages all copyright information through the communications lines (14) by preregistering copyright information relating to the individual products in the center (11).

Claims

1. A copyright information management system comprising:

A first subsystem having a copyright information management program unit that manages copyright information in a copyright information management center as a part of a product distribution environment electronic transmission that exchanges products, in the form of digital content, through electronic transmission; and

a second subsystem having a digital watermark information management program unit that operates in cooperation with the copyright information management program unit,

wherein the copyright information management center centrally manages copyright information in the product distribution environment through electronic transmission by preregistering copyright information relating to digital content products, the preregistered copyright information comprising product provider information and product information, and

the above copyright information management program unit is provided with a database for registering and managing copyright information, a product provider registration program, a product information registration program, a copyright information inquiry program, and at least one of a copyright information updating program and a copyright information deletion program.

2. A copyright information management system comprising:

a first subsystem having a copyright information management program unit that manages copyright information in a copyright information management center as part of a product distribution environment electronic transmission that exchanges products, in the form of digital content, through electronic transmission; and

a second subsystem having a digital watermark information management program unit that operates in cooperation with the copyright information management program unit,

wherein the copyright information management center centrally manages copyright information in the product distribution environment through electronic transmission by preregistering copyright information relating to digital content products, the preregistered copyright information comprising provider information and product information, and

the digital watermark information management program unit is provided with a digital watermark embedding program, a digital watermark detection program, a digital watermark display program, a digital watermark key management program, and a digital watermark key database.