Method of personalizing and identifying communications

• US 7,158,929 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2003
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Trust Media Technology, S.p.r.l.
• Original Assignee: Trust Media Technology, S.p.r.l.
• Inventors: Meinrath, Ernst W., Spaey, Free, Wouters, Marc-Henri J. M. A., West, Stuart J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PALADINI, ALBERT WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US10/359,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20030177362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 703/24, 703/23, 705/57, 369/53.21, 386/94
• US Class Current: 703/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/101 by binding digital rights to specific entities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking

Abstract

What is disclosed is a method of creating and distributing works of art that takes advantage of the possibilities of duplication and distribution offered by modern computing and telecommunication, while preserving the rights of the authors. Unique versions of a work of art are generated from a source variable work of art such that each unique version is perceptibly different from all other unique versions of the work of art. Unique versions can then be distributed to specific users so that specific unique versions are associated with specific unique versions. In the event a unique version is improperly shared, the user associated with the improperly shared unique version can be identified.

Claims

1. A method of generating a unique work of art comprising the steps of:

generating a variable work of art having at least one perceptible component;

modifying said at least one perceptible component of said variable work of art to create a first unique version from said variable work of art such that said first version is perceptibly different from alternate unique versions created from said variable work of art.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the unique work of art is uniquely identifiable.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

receiving user preferences;

wherein said step of modifying said at least one perceptible component of said variable work of art is performed in substantial conformance with said user preferences.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of generating a variable work of art having at least one perceptible component comprises the steps of:

authoring a plurality of tracks of said variable work of art; and

defining variable components within said variable work of art.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step modifying said at least one perceptible component of said variable work of art comprises the steps of:

defining at least one segment of said at least one perceptible component of said variable work of art; and

altering humanly perceptible components of said at least one segment in a unique manner.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said variable work of art includes parameters that restrict at least one portion of said variable work of art.

7. A method of generating uniquely identifiable works of art comprising the steps of:

receiving a variable work of art having at least one perceptible component;

fixing a portion of said at least one perceptible component of said variable work of art in a plurality of manners to generate a plurality of unique versions of said variable work of art, wherein each said unique version is perceptibly different from other unique versions.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of:

distributing at least one of said unique versions.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said step of distributing at least one of said unique versions comprises the step of:

converting said at least one unique version into a digital format.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of distributing at least one of said unique versions further comprises the step of:

delivering said at least one unique version in said digital format over a network.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of distributing at least one of said unique versions further comprises the step of:

magnetically encoding said at least one unique version on a magnetic storage medium; and

delivering said encoded magnetic storage medium.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of distributing at least one of said unique versions further comprises the steps of:

optically encoding said at least one unique version on an optically encodable medium; and

delivering said encoded optically encodable medium.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of converting said unique version into a digital format includes the step of encoding said at least one unique version in an MP3 format.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of converting said unique version into a digital formal includes the step of encoding said at least one unique version in a .wav format.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of distributing at least one of said unique versions comprises the steps of:

magnetically encoding said at least one unique version on a magnetic storage medium; and

delivering said encoded magnetic storage medium.

16. A method of identifying a licensee of a work of art, comprising the steps of:

generating a list of humanly perceptible identifying features associated with at least one of a licensed work of art and a licensee;

receiving an identifiable work of art;

retrieving a least one humanly perceptible identifying feature from said identifiable work of art; and

comparing said at least one humanly perceptible identifying feature of said identifiable work of art to said list of humanly perceptible identifying features to identify a unique licensed work.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of identifying a licensee associated with said identifiable work of art.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said list of generating a list of humanly perceptible identifying features associated with at least one of a licensed work of art and a licensee includes the step of recording said list of humanly perceptible identifying features and licensee identification information prior to distribution of said work of art.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein said step of comparing is performed by a computer.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein said step of retrieving at least one humanly perceptible identifying feature is performed by a computer.