Digital rights management using a triangulating geographic locating device
First Claim
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1. A method for determining whether a second receiving device is authorized for access to copyright-protected digital content from a first receiving device to which the content has been distributed, the method comprising:
- receiving electronic copyright protected content at a first receiving device authorized for electronically redistributing the protected content within a subscriber domain of receiving devices defined relative to the first receiving device, subject to content usage rules that specify a defined maximum separation distance relative to the first receiving device for additional devices in the subscriber domain;
receiving a request from a second receiving device, requesting that access to the protected content received by the first receiving device be provided to the second receiving device;
determining respective geographic locations of the first receiving device and of the second receiving device in response to the request, by communicating with a first GPS device proximal to the first receiving device and with a second GPS device proximal to the second receiving device;
computing a separation distance between the first receiving device and the second receiving device, using the geographic locations of the first receiving device and of the second receiving device determined by communicating with the first and second GPS devices;
providing the second receiving device with access to the protected content if the computed separation distance does not exceed the defined maximum separation distance specified by the content usage rules; and
preventing the second receiving device from accessing the protected content, if the computed separation distance exceeds the defined maximum separation distance.
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Abstract
A method and system for controlling distribution of content within a personal domain that makes use of a determination of the relative proximity to a source device or the geographic locations of the receiving devices. The location information may be determined using a Global Positioning System (GPS) or wireless triangulation systems. Usage rights for devices in the network are determined using the location or proximity determination.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for determining whether a second receiving device is authorized for access to copyright-protected digital content from a first receiving device to which the content has been distributed, the method comprising:
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receiving electronic copyright protected content at a first receiving device authorized for electronically redistributing the protected content within a subscriber domain of receiving devices defined relative to the first receiving device, subject to content usage rules that specify a defined maximum separation distance relative to the first receiving device for additional devices in the subscriber domain; receiving a request from a second receiving device, requesting that access to the protected content received by the first receiving device be provided to the second receiving device; determining respective geographic locations of the first receiving device and of the second receiving device in response to the request, by communicating with a first GPS device proximal to the first receiving device and with a second GPS device proximal to the second receiving device; computing a separation distance between the first receiving device and the second receiving device, using the geographic locations of the first receiving device and of the second receiving device determined by communicating with the first and second GPS devices; providing the second receiving device with access to the protected content if the computed separation distance does not exceed the defined maximum separation distance specified by the content usage rules; and preventing the second receiving device from accessing the protected content, if the computed separation distance exceeds the defined maximum separation distance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for controlling access to copyright-protected digital content, comprising a first receiving device configured to receive copyright-protected digital content and content usage rules for the digital content from a remote source, the first receiving device further configured for:
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receiving copyright protected content subject from the remote source; electronically redistributing the protected content within a subscriber domain of receiving devices defined by proximity to the first receiving device, subject to content usage rules that specify a maximum separation distance relative to the first receiving device for authorized devices in the subscriber domain; receiving a request from a second receiving device, requesting that access to the protected content received by the first receiving device be provided to the second receiving device; determining respective geographic locations of the first receiving device and of the second receiving device in response to the request, by communicating with a first GPS device proximal to the first receiving device and with a second GPS device proximal to the second receiving device; computing a separation distance between the first receiving device and the second receiving device, using the geographic locations of the first receiving device and of the second receiving device determined by communicating with the first and second GPS devices; providing the second receiving device with access to the protected content if the computed separation distance does not exceed the defined maximum separation distance specified by the content usage rules; and preventing the second receiving device from accessing the protected content, if the computed separation distance exceeds the defined maximum separation distance. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification