Digital rights management

• US 7,472,280 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2002
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Proxense, LLC
• Original Assignee: Proxense, LLC
• Inventors: Giobbi, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moazzami; Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABEDIN, SHANTO
• Application Number:
  US10/153,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20020144116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,413 Days
• Field of Search: 713/185, 713/193, 713/169, 713/168, 713/151, 713/155, 713/182, 705/51, 705/59, 380/277, 380/45, 380/247, 380/202, 380/223, 726/9, 726/26
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1014 to tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/80 in storage media based on magnetic or optical technology, e.g. disks with sectors preventing unauthorised reproduction or copying of disc-type recordable media G11B20/00
• 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 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0485 Networking architectures for enhanced packet encryption processing, e.g. offloading of IPsec packet processing or efficient security association look-up
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• 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 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/418 External card to be used in combination with the client device, e.g. for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63345 by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06

Abstract

A method of managing digital rights comprises the following steps. First, a physical electronic key containing a first activation code is provided to a requesting user. Second, locked digital content is provided to the requesting user. The digital content is encoded with a second activation code associated with the first activation code. Third, the locked digital content is received in a playing device that reads the first activation code and determines whether the first activation code is associated with the second activation code. Fourth, the playing device is enabled to unlock and play the digital content if the first activation code is associated with the second activation code. A digital right management system for implementing the foregoing method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A digital rights management system, comprising:

a physical electronic key arranged to wirelessly transmit a first activation code, the first activation code being provided by, fixedly stored on and unique to the physical electronic key;

a web site receiving a request for digital content and the first activation code from a user'"'"'s computer;

a content provider receiving the request for digital content and the first activation code from the website, generating a second activation code based on the first activation code, encoding the requested digital content with the second activation code, and outputting the digital content encoded with the second activation code; and

a playing device including a transceiver for wirelessly receiving the first activation code from the physical electronic key, and for receiving the digital content encoded with the second activation code, wherein the playing device verifies that the second activation code was generated based on the first activation code from the physical electronic key, and plays the digital content responsive to verifying an association between the first activation code and the second activation code.

2. The digital rights management system of claim 1, wherein the playing device is further arranged to receive the digital content from a global computer network.

3. The digital rights management system of claim 1, wherein the physical electronic key is arranged to wirelessly transmit the first activation code based on at least one of wireless fidelity technology, radio frequency technology, and infrared technology.

4. The digital rights management system of claim 1, wherein the playing device comprises at least one of a personal computer, an MP3 player, a DVD player, a CD player, a cellular phone, and a portable computing device.

5. The digital rights management system of claim 1, wherein the physical electronic key includes a software decryption key, and wherein the digital content is secured with a software encryption key associated with the software decryption key.

6. The digital rights management system of claim 1, further comprising:

a database remote from the playing device and arranged to store the second activation code.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the playing device further stops playing the digital content responsive to the physical key moving out of range of the playing device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the playing device compares the first activation code to the second activation code responsive to the user pressing a play button on the playing device.

9. A method for digital rights management, comprising:

receiving by a wireless detector, a first activation code wirelessly transmitted from a physical electronic key, the first activation code unique to and fixedly stored on the physical electronic key;

transmitting the first activation code together with a request for digital content to a content provider, wherein the content provider generates a second activation code based on the first activation code responsive to receiving the first activation code and the request for digital content, and encrypts the requested digital content with the second activation code;

receiving the digital content encrypted with the second activation code from the content provider;

responsive to receiving a request to play the encrypted digital content, wirelessly receiving the first activation code from the physical electronic key;

reading the second activation code from the encrypted digital content;

comparing the first activation code and the second activation code to verify that the second activation code was generated based on the first activation code from the physical electronic key; and

decrypting and playing the digital content dependent on responsive to verifying that the first activation code is associated with the second activation code.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the digital content encrypted with the second activation code comprises at least one of:

downloading the digital content from a global computer network;

receiving the digital content as stored on a physical store-bought medium; and

receiving the digital content as broadcast.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

recording the digital content prior to the decrypting and playing the digital content.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the content provider embeds a device code in the recorded digital content, the device code being the second activation code.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the content provider applies timing information with the digital content that limits use of the digital content to a prescribed time period.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the content provider applies device information to the digital content that limits use of the digital content to an authorized device.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the content provider prevented from providing additional versions of the digital content in response to providing the digital content.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the content provider provides the digital content for a predetermined number of times.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the content provider validates at least one of the physical electronic key and the first activation code prior to providing the digital content.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the digital content is stored on a physical medium.