Digital rights management in a mobile communications environment

• US 7,415,439 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2006
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Sipponen, Juha-Pekka, Ylitalo, Tapio, Kontio, Markku
• Primary Examiner(s): Worjloh; Jalatee
• Application Number:
  US11/449,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20070112676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 705 50- 79, 726/8, 726/9, 726 26- 33, 709/201, 709/217, 709/231, 709/232
• US Class Current: 705/53
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1073 Conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0838 Key agreement, i.e. key establishment technique in which a shared key is derived by parties as a function of information contributed by, or associated with, each of these network architectures or network communication protocols for key exchange in a packet data network H04L63/061
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption

Abstract

The invention provides a method, system, and computer program product to control the access, copying, and/or transfer of a digital asset by mobile, wireless devices using a digital voucher. The digital voucher references a primary content that contains all of the expression for that particular asset and a secondary content that contains information that can be distilled out as a preview. The information in the primary content can be limited to a specified duration or a specific number of viewings. The author, owner, or possessor of the digital asset specifies the terms and conditions for distribution of the digital asset. The digital voucher authorizes the mobile, wireless device to access a specified primary or secondary content that may be located elsewhere in the network. The mobile, wireless device can download a copy of portions or all of the content depending on the terms specified in the voucher.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a plurality of content servers in a network, including a first content server storing a copy of a digital asset containing content encrypted with a content key;

a plurality of voucher servers in the network coupled to said plurality of content servers, including a first voucher server in a first domain of the network, the first voucher server having registered said content by encrypting said content with said content key and having included with said encrypted content, a network address for said first voucher server, which it has returned to said content servers, and generating a voucher including said content key enabling access to said content in response to a request;

a plurality of payment servers in the network, including a first payment server in a first domain of the network coupled to said first voucher server and a second payment server in a second domain of the network coupled to said first voucher server, either said first or said second payment server sending a request for said voucher using said network address to said first voucher server in response to a payment from a requestor in said first or said second domains, respectively, and forwarding the voucher to the requestor;

a first wireless device having a first device ID, sending a request to the network while in said first domain for said content and receiving from said first content server the digital asset including a content ID, said encrypted content, said network address for said first voucher server, and information on obtaining rights to the content, which is expressed in a voucher generated by said first voucher server in the network;

a second wireless device having a second device ID;

said first wireless device performing super-distribution of the content to said second wireless device via messaging by sending said encrypted content and said network address for said first voucher server;

said second wireless device sending while in said second domain to said second payment server an authorization for payment for access to said content, said network address for said first voucher server, and a request for said voucher;

said second payment server using said network address for said first voucher server, requesting said voucher from said first voucher server and forwarding the voucher including said content key to said second wireless device.

2. A method, comprising:

registering content with a first voucher server of a plurality of voucher servers, in a first domain of a network by encrypting said content with a content key and including with said encrypted content, a network address for said first voucher server;

storing a copy of a digital asset containing said content encrypted with said content key and said network address for said first voucher server, in a plurality of content servers, including a first content server, in a network;

generating a voucher including said content key enabling access to said content in response to a request to said first voucher server;

sending a request to the network for said content from a first wireless device while in said first domain, and receiving in said first wireless device from said first content server the digital asset including a content ID, said encrypted content, and said network address for said first voucher server,

requesting said voucher with a first payment server of a plurality of payment servers, in a first domain of the network by sending a request to said first voucher server for said voucher using said network address of said first voucher server in response to a payment from said first wireless device and forwarding the voucher to said first wireless device;

performing super-distribution of the content from said first wireless device to a second wireless device via messaging by sending said encrypted content and said network address for said first voucher server;

sending to a second payment server of the plurality of payment servers, in a second domain of the network an authorization for payment for access to said content, said network address for said first voucher server, and a request for said voucher, from said second wireless device while in said second domain;

requesting said voucher from said first voucher servers-by said second payment server using said network address for said first voucher server, and forwarding the voucher including said content key to said second wireless device.

3. A program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium;

code in the computer readable medium for registering content with a first voucher server of a plurality of voucher servers, in a first domain of a network by encrypting said content with a content key and including with said encrypted content, a network address for said first voucher server;

code in the computer readable medium for storing a copy of a digital asset containing said content encrypted with said content key and said network address for said first voucher server, in a plurality of content servers, including a first content server, in a network;

code in the computer readable medium for generating a voucher including said content key enabling access to said content in response to a request to said first voucher server;

code in the computer readable medium for sending a request to the network for said content from a first wireless device while in said first domain, and receiving in said first wireless device from said first content server the digital asset including a content ID, said encrypted content, and said network address for said first voucher server,

code in the computer readable medium for requesting said voucher with a first payment server of a plurality of payment servers, in a first domain of the network by sending a request to said first voucher server for said voucher using said network address of said first voucher server in response to a payment from said first wireless device and forwarding the voucher to said first wireless device;

code in the computer readable medium for performing super-distribution of the content from said first wireless device to a second wireless device via messaging by sending said encrypted content and said network address for said first voucher server;

code in the computer readable medium for sending to a second payment server of the plurality of payment servers, in a second domain of the network an authorization for payment for access to said content, said network address for said first voucher server, and a request for said voucher, from said second wireless device while in said second domain;

code in the computer readable medium for requesting said voucher from said first voucher server by said second payment server using said network address for said first voucher server, and forwarding the voucher including said content key to said second wireless device.