Digital media distribution method and system

• US 7,466,823 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2001
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Destiny Software Productions Incorporated (Destiny Media Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Destiny Software Productions Incorporated (Destiny Media Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Vestergaard, Steve, Kolic, Edward, Tsui, Che-Wai (William)
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; KimYen
• Assistant Examiner(s): To; Baotran N
• Application Number:
  US09/980,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20020146122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,843 Days
• Field of Search: 713/193, 713/190, 713/194, 713/165, 713/167, 713/189, 713/176, 709/206, 705 51- 52, 705/59, 705/55, 380/21, 380277-285, 380/227, 380/202, 380/231
• US Class Current: 380/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/041 using an encryption or decryption engine integrated in transmitted data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols

Abstract

A method and system for secure distribution of digital media files including text, video, audio and combinations of these is described. A particular embodiment involves the distribution of audio tiles (particularly music) which are presently being widely distributed over the internet without compensating the various rights holders. In some embodiments, audio content (except for an optional preview section) is encrypted in a single executable file, allowing it to be freely distributed. When consumers want to access the encrypted portion of the file, a decryption key is obtained from a remote server, but because the file includes an integral decryption engine, a decrypted copy of the file never appears on the client side. Thus, there is no unprotected copy that the consumer can illegally distribute. The disclosure also describes other advantageous techniques, such as bonding the decryption key to the consumer'"'"'s computer, so it cannot be used by others.

Claims

1. A method of distributing electronic media, the method comprising:

receiving a file at a user computing device, the file comprising an integral decryption engine and encrypted media content;

requesting a decryption key from a remote server;

receiving the decryption key from the remote server at the user computing device over a communication network, the decryption key itself encrypted at the remote server with a user key, the user key bonded to the user computing device by being based at least in part on one or more characteristics of the user computing device such that the user computing device can use the user key to decrypt the decryption key; and

responding to receipt of said decryption key from said remote server at the user computing device by;

using the user key to decrypt the decryption key at the user computing device;

decrypting said media content at the user computing device using said integral decryption engine and the decryption key

wherein receiving the file at the user computing device comprises receiving the file from a remote computer over the communication network that includes the remote server from which the decryption key is received but through a communication path that does not include the remote server from which the decryption key is received.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising, after decrypting the media content, viewing said media content by executing viewer software, the viewer software also integral with said file.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein decrypting the media content and viewing the media content are accomplished without storing a decrypted copy of the media content in memory accessible to a user of the user computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising, after decrypting the media content, viewing said media content by executing external viewer software linked to said file.

5. The method according to claim 1 comprising generating the user key at the user computing device.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein decrypting the media content at the user computing device using the integral decryption engine and the decryption key comprises using the user key to decrypt the decryption key and to thereby obtain a decrypted decryption key.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the file is executable independently of other programs and wherein generating the user key, requesting the decryption key, using the user key to decrypt the decryption key and decrypting the media content are accomplished by executing the file.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the file also comprises integral media player software and wherein executing the file also causes execution of the integral media player software and playback of the media content.

9. The method according to claim 6 wherein using the user key to decrypt the decryption key is performed without storing the decrypted decryption key in memory accessible to a user of the user computing device.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein decrypting the media content and viewing the media content are accomplished without storing a decrypted copy of the media content in memory accessible to a user of the user computing device.

11. The method according to claim 6 comprising previewing a previewable portion of the media content prior to decrypting the media content using the integral decryption engine and the decryption key.

12. The method according to claim 6 wherein receiving the file at the user computing device comprises downloading the file from the remote computer using a peer to peer network, the remote computer different from the remote server from which the decryption key is received.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein receiving the file at the user computing device comprises downloading the file from the remote computer using a peer to peer network, the remote computer different from the remote server from which the decryption key is received.

14. The method according to claim 1 comprising previewing a previewable portion of the media content prior to decrypting the media content using the integral decryption engine and the decryption key.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein decrypting the media content at the user computing device using the integral decryption engine and the decryption key comprises using the user key to decrypt the decryption key and to thereby obtain a decrypted decryption key.

16. The method according to claim 1 comprising:

sending the file from the user computing device to a second user computing device over the communication network over a second communication path that does not include the remote server;

upon receipt of the file at the second user computing device;

sending a request, from the second user computing device to the remote server, for the decryption key;

receiving the decryption key from the remote server at the second user computing device, the decryption key itself encrypted at the remote server with a second user key, the second user key bonded to the second user computing device by being based at least in part on one or more characteristics of the second user computing device such that the second user computing device can use the second user key to decrypt the decryption key; and

responding to receipt of the decryption key from the remote server at the second user computing device by decrypting the media content at the second user computing device using the integral decryption engine and the decryption key.

17. The method according to claim 16 comprising, after receiving the file at the second user computing device, generating the second user key at the second user computing device.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein decrypting the media content at the second user computing device using the integral decryption engine and the decryption key comprises using the second user key to decrypt the decryption key and to thereby obtain a decrypted decryption key.

19. The method according to claim 1 wherein the decryption key received at the user computing device is permanent such that decrypting the media content at the user computing device using the integral decryption engine and the decryption key may be performed multiple times at the user computing device using the integral decryption engine and the same decryption key.

20. The method according to claim 1 wherein the user key is based on a digital fingerprint of the user computing device.

21. A method of managing distribution of proprietary electronic media, the method comprising:

receiving a single file at a user computing device, the single file comprising an integral decryption engine, encrypted media content and integral media playback software, the single file executable independently of other programs to;

obtain a decryption key from a remote server over a communication network, the decryption key itself encrypted at the remote server with a user key, the user key bonded to the user computing device by being based at least in part on one or more characteristics of the user computing device such that the user computing device can use the user key to decrypt the decryption key;

use the user key to decrypt the decryption key at the user computing device;

decrypt the media content using the integral decryption engine and the decryption key; and

view the media content using the integral media playback software

wherein receiving the single file comprises downloading said single file from a computer via the communication network;

wherein the communication network from which the single file is downloaded includes the remote server from which the decryption key is obtained; and

wherein downloading the single file from the computer via the communication network comprises downloading the single file from the computer through a communication path that does not include the remote server from which the decryption key is obtained.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said remote server tracks a number of decryption keys relating to the single file that have been issued by the remote server.

23. The method according to claim 21 wherein decrypting the media content and viewing the media content are accomplished without storing a decrypted copy of the media content in memory accessible to a user of the user computing device.

24. The method according to claim 21 wherein the single file is executable to view the media content using the integral media playback software without storing a decrypted copy of the media content in memory accessible to a user of the user computing device.

25. The method according to claim 21 wherein the remote server tracks a number of decryption keys relating to the single file that have been issued by the remote server.

26. The method according to claim 21 comprising previewing a previewable portion of the media content prior to decrypting the media content using the integral decryption engine and the decryption key.

27. The method according to claim 21, wherein execution of the single file causes the user computing device to generate the user key at the user computing device.

28. The method according to claim 27 wherein execution of the single file to decrypt the media content using the integral decryption engine and the decryption key comprises using the user key to decrypt the decryption key and to thereby obtain a decrypted decryption key.

29. The method according to claim 21 comprising:

sending the file from the user computing device to a second user computing device over the communication network over a second communication path that does not include the remote server;

upon receipt of the file at the second user computing device;

sending a request, from the second user computing device to the remote server, for the decryption key;

receiving the decryption key from the remote server at the second user computing device, the decryption key itself encrypted at the remote server with a second user key, the second user key bonded to the second user computing device by being based at least in part on one or more characteristics of the second user computing device such that the second user computing device can use the second user key to decrypt the decryption key; and

responding to receipt of the decryption key from the remote server at the second user computing device by decrypting the media content at the second user computing device using the integral decryption engine and the decryption key.

30. The method according to claim 29 comprising, after receiving the single file at the second user computing device, generating the second user key at the second user computing device.

31. The method according to claim 30 wherein decrypting the media content at the second user computing device using the integral decryption engine and the decryption key comprises using the second user key to decrypt the decryption key and to thereby obtain a decrypted decryption key.

32. The method according to claim 21 wherein the decryption key obtained at the user computing device is permanent such that subsequent executions of the single file decrypt the media content at the user computing device using the integral decryption engine and the same decryption key.

33. The method according to claim 21 wherein the user key is based on a digital fingerprint of the user computing device.

34. A method of distributing electronic media, the method comprising:

receiving a file at a user computing device, the file comprising an integral decryption engine and encrypted media content;

generating a user key at the user computing device, the user key bonded to the user computing device by being based at least in part on one or more characteristics of the user computing device;

requesting a decryption key from a remote server;

receiving the decryption key from the remote server at the user computing device over a communication network, the decryption key itself encrypted at the remote server with the user key such that the user computing device can use the user key to decrypt the decryption key; and

responding to receipt of said decryption key from said remote server at the user computing device by;

using the user key to decrypt the decryption key and to thereby obtain a decrypted decryption key at the user computing device; and

decrypting said media content at the user computing device using said integral decryption engine and the decrypted decryption key;

wherein receiving the file at the user computing device comprises receiving the file from a remote computer over the communication network that includes the remote server from which the decryption key is received but through a communication path that does not include the remote server from which the decryption key is received.