Method and system for implementing digital rights management

• US 7,278,165 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Molaro, Donald Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh; Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moorthy; Aravind K
• Application Number:
  US10/391,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20040187014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 726/27, 726/28, 726/31, 380/201, 380/203, 380/229, 380/230, 380/242
• US Class Current: 726/27
• 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: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed

Abstract

In one embodiment, a content license is created that defines parameters for accessing a piece of digital content. A first logical expression in the content license defines a plurality of playback devices that are authorized to access the piece of digital content. A second logical expression in the content license defines at least one time interval when the plurality of playback devices are authorized to access the piece of digital content. The content license is used to access the piece of digital content.

Claims

1. A method for implementing digital rights management comprising:

creating a content license defining the parameters for accessing a piece of digital content and comprising;

a logical expression defining a plurality of playback devices, each of the plurality of playback devices with a unique identification, and wherein said logical expression includes said unique identification of each of the plurality of playback devices that a recipient of the piece of digital content is authorized to use when accessing the piece of digital content in said content license and defining a time interval wherein the plurality of playback devices are authorized to access the piece of digital content; and

utilizing said content license to access the piece of digital content.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said logical expression comprises a plurality of mathematical expressions and comprising:

using said plurality of mathematical expressions to define the parameters for accessing the piece of digital content.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said logical expression comprises a Boolean expression.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said logical expression comprises a mathematical operator and a Boolean operator.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said logical expression is created using a set theory expression.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

using a digital certificate that is compliant with the X.509 standard to verify the identity of the recipient of the piece of digital content.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

verifying each of the plurality of playback devices separately using a plurality of digital certificates.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the plurality of digital certificates are compliant with the X.509 standard and comprising:

verifying each of the plurality of playback devices separately using the plurality of digital certificates.

9. A method for implementing digital rights management comprising:

creating a content license defining the parameters for accessing a piece of digital content and comprising;

identifying at least one playback device with a unique identification;

a logical expression defining a plurality of time intervals wherein a recipient of the piece of digital content is authorized to access the piece of digital content and capable of defining a plurality of playback devices authorized to access said piece of digital content during said plurality of time intervals, wherein the logical expression includes the unique identification of at least one playback device in said content license; and

utilizing said content license to access the piece of digital content.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said logical expression comprises a plurality of mathematical expressions and comprising:

using said plurality of mathematical expressions to define the parameters for accessing the piece of digital content.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said logical expression comprises a Boolean expression.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said logical expression comprises a mathematical operator and a Boolean operator.

13. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said logical expression is created using a set theory expression.

14. The method as recited in claim 9 further comprising:

verifying the at least one playback device using a digital certificate that is compliant with the X.509 standard.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein said plurality of playback devices are authorized to access the piece of digital content during the plurality of time intervals and comprising:

verifying each of the plurality of playback devices separately using a plurality of digital certificates that are compliant with the X.509 standard.

16. A computer system comprising:

a bus;

a memory unit coupled with said bus; and

a processor coupled with said bus, said processor for executing a method for implementing digital rights management comprising;

a) creating a content license defining the parameters for accessing a piece of digital content wherein a logical expression defines a plurality of playback devices, wherein each of the plurality of playback devices is identified with a unique identification that a recipient of the piece of digital content is authorized to use when accessing the piece of digital content and defines a time interval wherein the plurality of playback devices are authorized to access the piece of digital content; and

b) delivering said content license to one the plurality of playback devices.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein said logical expression comprises a plurality of time intervals wherein the plurality of playback devices are authorized to access the piece of digital content.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein said logical expression comprises a plurality of mathematical expressions.

19. The computer system of claim 16, wherein said logical expression comprises a plurality of Boolean expressions.

20. The computer system of claim 16, wherein said logical expression is created using a set theory expression.

21. The computer system of claim 16, wherein said logical expression comprises a mathematical operator and a Boolean operator.

22. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the identity of the recipient is verified using a digital certificate is compliant with the X.509 standard.

23. The computer system of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of playback devices separately verified using a plurality of digital certificates.

24. The computer system of claim 23, wherein the plurality of digital certificates are compliant with the X.509 standard.

25. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the unique identification of each of the plurality of playback devices authorized to access the piece of digital content is included in said content license.