Digital rights management

• US 7,210,039 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2001
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Byteweavr, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Phocis Limited
• Inventors: Rodgers, Alastair, Barlow, Andrew, Robbins, Neill
• Primary Examiner(s): Peeso, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US10/380,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20040059929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,048 Days
• Field of Search: 713/182, 713/189, 713/161, 713/168
• US Class Current: 713/182
• 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 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data

Abstract

The present invention relates to digital rights management and more particularly to a system and method for securely publishing and controlling the usage of digital content. Advantageously a publisher or owner of digital content or of a copyright work can distribute securely that work in a secure digital form.

Claims

1. A data entity comprising first encrypted data decodable only by a first local application located at a first client machine, second encrypted data usable, in decrypted form, by the first application or a second local application, that is one of a specified list of trusted applications, that can be decrypted using authorisation data received from a remote licensing server, located at the first client machine only after the first encrypted data has been decoded, the second encrypted data representing encrypted digital content.

2. A data entity as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a reference to a first remote licensing server for providing an identification of the data entity to the first remote licensing server to instigate in response to providing the identification transmission of the authorisation data from the first remote server to the first client machine to change the license status of the second encrypted data from a first state to a second state.

3. A data entity as claimed in claim 2, in which the authorisation data allows the second encrypted data to be at least decoded and/or output by the second local application at the first client machine.

4. A data entity as claimed in claim 1, in which the second encrypted data comprises at least digital content.

5. A data entity as claimed in claim 4 in which the digital content comprises at least one of textual information, graphical information, moving image information and sound information.

6. A data entity as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of performing a licensing process via which authorisation to utilise the second encrypted data can be obtained prior to receiving the authorisation data from the remote licensing server.

7. A data entity as claimed in claim 6 in which licensing data is arranged to perform or control at least one licensing operation.

8. A data entity as claimed in claim 7 in which the licensing data can be dynamically changed at the remote licensing server independently of any manipulation of or operations in relation to the data entity.

9. A data entity as claimed in claim 7 in which the licensing process includes providing payment or payment details to a third party via a second remote server for permission to utilise or decrypt the second encrypted data.

10. A data entity as claimed in claim 1 in which the first or second local application forwards information to the remote licensing server relating to the usage of the data entity.

11. A data entity as claimed in claim 10 in which the usage relates to output of a media file.

12. A data entity as claimed in claim 1 in which the first and/or second local application is at least one of a list of trusted applications, the list being contained within the first encrypted data.

13. A data entity as claimed in claim 1 in which the first encrypted data comprises visual data, for output to a user.

14. A data entity as claimed in claim 1 in which at least one of the first and second encrypted data are XML objects.

15. A data entity as claimed in claim 1 further comprising third data comprising identification data to allow the first local application to identify the version of the publication application used to create the data entity.

16. A data entity as claimed in claim 1 in which the digital content is a reference to further digital content.

17. A data entity as claimed in claim 16 in which the reference is a URL.

18. A data entity as claimed in claim 1 which is substantially free of decryption keys.

19. A data processing method comprising:

receiving a data entity, processing the data entity using a first local application, decrypting first encrypted data, accessing a remote licensing server and receiving authorisation data from the remote licensing server to allow the first application or a second local application to decrypt second encrypted data responsive to the decryption of the first encrypted data;

decrypting the second encrypted data in response to receiving the authorisation data; and

utilising the decrypted second data using the second local application.

20. A data processing method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising:

receiving from the remote licensing server instructions or process steps for obtaining access to the second encrypted data.

21. A data processing method as claimed in claim 20 in which the instructions or process steps comprise providing payment or payment details to a third party e-commerce service provider in exchange for access to the second encrypted data to allow payment credits to be made to a third party.

22. A data processing method as claimed in claim 21 further comprising:

effecting payment to the third party each time the second encrypted data has been accessed.

23. A data processing method as claimed in claim 22 further comprising:

determining the current licensing state of the data entity and contacting the remote licensing server if the current licensing state of the data entity corresponds to an unlicensed state.

24. A data processing method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising:

setting conditions subject to which the second encrypted data can be accessed.

25. A data processing method as claimed in claim 24 in which setting conditions comprises at least one of:

allowing access to the second encrypted data for a predeterminable period of time and metering the usage of and/or access to second encrypted data.

26. A data processing method as claimed in claim 25 further comprising:

requesting payment or payment details upon expiry of the predeterminable period of time in response to an attempt to access the second encrypted data after expiry of the predetermined period of time.

27. A data processing method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

invoking the data entity;

determining that the invocation is not permitted in accordance with a prevailing licensing state;

contacting, in response to said determining, a remote licensing server; and

performing a licensing operation in relation to the data entity in accordance with a response from the remote licensing server.

28. A data processing method as claimed in claim 27 in which the licensing operation comprising at least one of:

changing licensing conditions associated with a current licensing state; and

revoking at least one current licensing condition associated with a current licensing state.

29. A data processing method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

granting licensing conditions to allow access to unpublished material in preparation for said unpublished material being published.

30. A data processing system comprising:

means for receiving a data entity;

means for processing the data entity using a first local application;

means for decrypting first encrypted data;

means for accessing a remote licensing server; and

means for receiving authorisation data from the remote licensing server to allow the first application or a second local application to decrypt second encrypted data responsive to the decryption of the first encrypted data;

means for decrypting the second encrypted data in response to receiving the authorisation data; and

means for utilising and/or outputting the decrypted second data.

31. A data processing system as claimed in claim 30 further comprising means for receiving from the remote licensing server instructions or process steps for obtaining access to the second encrypted data.

32. A data processing system as claimed in claim 31 in which the instructions or process steps comprise providing payment or payment details to a third party e-commerce service provider server in exchange for access to the second encrypted data to allow payment credits to be made to a third party.

33. A data processing system as claimed in claim 32 further comprising means to effect payment to the third party each time the second encrypted data has been accessed.

34. A data processing system as claimed in claim 33, further comprising means for determining the current licensing state of the data entity;

and means for contacting the remote licensing server if the current licensing state of the data entity corresponds to an unlicensed state.

35. A data processing system as claimed in claim 30 further comprising means for setting conditions subject to which the second encrypted data can be accessed.

36. A data processing system as claimed in claim 35 in which the means for setting conditions comprises means for allowing access to the second encrypted data for a predeterminable period of time.

37. A data processing system as claimed in claim 36 further comprising:

means for requesting payment or payment details upon expiry of the predeterminable period of time in response to an attempt to access the second encrypted data after expiry of the predetermined period of time.

38. A publishing method for producing a data entity, comprising:

receiving second data to be encrypted together with an encryption key, encrypting the second data to produce second encrypted data;

creating first data comprising at least a list of trusted applications that are authorised to process the data entity and/or the second data and means for accessing a remote licensing server, encrypting the first data to produce first encrypted data; and

creating the data entity comprising the first encrypted data and the second encrypted data.

39. A publishing method as claimed in claim 38 in which encrypting comprises selecting one of a plurality of encryption algorithms to encrypt at least one of the first and second data.

40. A publishing method as claimed in claim 38, further comprising collating a plurality of data to be included in the data entity.

41. A publishing method as claimed in claim 40 in which the plurality of data comprises at least one of a unique identifier, a part number, a title, a publisher identifier, an artist identifier, an author, a digital content cover, pdf cover, a publication date, a skin outer, a skin HTML and data selected according to a predeterminable MIME-type.

42. A publishing method as claimed in claim 40 in which the plurality of data comprises at least one of a licensing process identifier which identifies the remote licensing server or process via which a user can gain access to the second encrypted data and a list of second local applications that are trusted to read or output the decrypted second data.

43. A publishing method as claimed in claim 40, comprising the step of compressing the collated data to produce the data entity.

44. A publishing method as claimed in claim 38, further comprising:

creating licensing data comprising at least one of identification data to allow an identified party access to the second encrypted data, a price identifier which sets a price associated with manipulating the second encrypted data, a currency identifier which specifies a currency in which the price is stated, a licensing terms identifier which specifies terms of the license associated with reading or outputting the decrypted second data and an initial user interface.

45. A publishing method as claimed in claim 38, further comprising outputting the data entity to a merchant or customer.

46. A publishing system for producing a data entity, comprising:

means for receiving second data to be encrypted together with an encryption key, encrypting the second data to produce second encrypted data;

means for creating first data comprising at least a list of trusted applications that are authorised to process the data entity and/or the second data and means for accessing a remote licensing server, encrypting the first data to produce first encrypted data; and

means for creating the data entity comprising at least the first encrypted data and the second encrypted data entity.

47. A publishing system as claimed in claim 46 in which the means for encrypting comprises means for selecting one of a plurality of encryption algorithms to encrypt at least one of the first and second data.

48. A publishing system as claimed in claim 46 further comprising means for collating a plurality of data to be included in the data entity.

49. A publishing system as claimed in claim 48 in which the plurality of data comprising at least one of a unique identifier, a part number, a title, a publisher identifier, an artist identifier, an author, a digital content cover, pdf cover, a publication date, a skin outer, a skin HTML and data selected according to a predeterminable MIME-type.

50. A publishing system as claimed in claim 48 in which the plurality of data comprises at least one of a licensing process identifier which identifiers the remote licensing server or process via which a user can gain access to the second encrypted data;

a list of second local applications that are trusted to read or output the decrypted second data.

51. A publishing system as claimed in claim 48 comprising means for compressing the collated data to produce the data entity.

52. A publishing system as claimed in claim 46 further comprising:

means for creating licensing data comprises at least one of identification data to allow an identified party to access the second encrypted data, a price identifier which sets a price associated with manipulating the second encrypted data, a currency identifier which specifies a currency in which the price is stated, a licensing terms identifier which specifies terms of the license associated with reading or outputting the decrypted second data and an initial user interface.

53. A publishing system as claimed in claim 46 further comprising outputting the data entity to a merchant or customer.

54. A licensing method for granting authority to access data contained within an encrypted portion of a data entity, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a client machine upon which an attempt has been made to access second encrypted data of the data entity;

transmitting data to the client machine relating to a licensing process in which conditions applicable to manipulation of at least one of the data entity, first encrypted data and the second encrypted data are established; and

sending to the client the authorisation data via which controlled access can be gained to the data entity.

55. A licensing method as claimed in claim 54 in which the authorisation data is arranged to grant access to digital content contained with the second encrypted data.

56. A licensing server for granting authority to access data contained within an encrypted portion of a data entity comprising:

means for receiving a request from a client machine upon which an attempt has been made to access second encrypted data of the data entity;

means for transmitting data to the client machine relating to a licensing process in which conditions applicable to manipulation of at least one of the data entity, first encrypted data and second encrypted data are established; and

means for sending to the client authorisation data via which controlled access can be gained to the data entity.

57. A licensing server as claimed in claim 56 in which the authorisation data is arranged to grant access to digital content contained with the second encrypted data.

58. A licensing method for granting authority to access data contained within an encrypted portion of a data entity containing a reference to a licensing server, comprising:

receiving, at the licensing server, a request from a client machine upon which an attempt has been made to access second encrypted data of the data entity;

transmitting data to the client machine relating to a licensing process in which conditions applicable to manipulation of at least one of the data entity, first encrypted data and the second encrypted data are established; and

sending to the client authorisation data via which controlled access can be gained to the data entity.

59. A licensing method as claimed in claim 58 in which the authorisation data is arranged to grant access to digital content contained with the second encrypted data.

60. A licensing server for granting authority to access data contained within an encrypted portion of a data entity comprising a reference to the licensing server, comprising:

means for receiving a request from a client machine upon which an attempt has been made to access second encrypted data of the data entity;

means for transmitting data to the client machine relating to a licensing process in which conditions applicable to manipulation of at least one of the data entity, first encrypted data and second encrypted data are established; and

means for sending to the client authorisation data via which controlled access can be gained to the data entity.

61. A licensing server as claimed in claim 60 in which the authorisation data is arranged to grant access to digital content contained with the second encrypted data.

62. A computer program product comprising:

a data entity comprising first encrypted data decodable by a first local application located at a first client machine, second encrypted data usable by a second local application, located at the first client machine, only after the first encrypted data has been decoded;

the second encrypted data representing an encrypted version of digital content comprising instructions;

the digital content being capable of being rendered by an associated application which comprises means for giving effect to the instructions.

63. A computer program product comprising:

first encrypted data decodable by a first local application located at a first client machine, second encrypted data usable by a second local application, located at the first client machine, only after the first encrypted data has been decoded;

the second encrypted data representing an encrypted version of digital content comprising instructions;

the digital content being capable of being rendered by an associated application which comprises means for giving effect to the instructions for rendering said instructions ineffective.

64. A data processing system comprising:

digital content comprising instructions that are capable of being rendered by an associated application which comprises means for giving effect to the instructions;

means for receiving a data entity comprising first encrypted data decodable only by a first local application located at a first client machine;

second encrypted data usable by a second local application, located at the first client machine, only after the first encrypted data has been decoded;

the second encrypted data representing an encrypted version of the digital content;

the second application being capable of rendering the digital content and lacking the means for giving effect to the instructions.