System and method for securing digital content

• US 7,496,540 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2003
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetCracker Technology Corporation (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Convergys Cmg Utah
• Inventors: Birch, Robert Dennis, Irwin, Scott Andrew, Weagraff, Stephen DeWayne, Lupo, Joseph Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Fischer; Andrew J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MURDOUGH, JOSHUA A
• Application Number:
  US10/643,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20050044016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,016 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/59
• 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: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3672 initialising or reloading thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3678 e-cash details, e.g. blinded, divisible or detecting double spending
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A system is disclosed for a digital rights management system which enforces license rights by incorporating a decryption key in a license rights package that further includes an account number associated with a primary consumer. The digital rights management system also includes a mechanism for renewing/updating the license by charging the account number associated with a primary consumer. This way, the consumer may transfer the license rights package along with the digital content to any personal devices he likes but he is discouraged from freely disseminating the license package as uses by other consumers will be debited against his package or, if renewed/extended, charged against his account.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium for accessing digital content, the computer readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon to configure a media device to perform the steps comprising:

a. downloading a digital content package to said media device via a network;

b. creating a license rights package including an account number and debitable parameters for accessing said digital content package, wherein said account number is associated with a consumer;

c. executing a purchase of said license rights package;

d. downloading said license rights package to a license storage on said media device;

e. disconnecting the media device from the network;

f. accessing the license storage on said media device;

g. in response to an access request by a user, wherein the user and the consumer are different individuals, determining that said debitable parameters of said license rights package contain insufficient value;

h. prohibiting access to said digital content package;

i. prompting said user to purchase a renewed license rights package, wherein said renewed license rights package comprises at least a portion of said license rights package;

j. receiving a request at the media device from said user to purchase said renewed license rights package;

k. creating said renewed license rights package at the media device, the step of creating said renewed license rights package further comprising using metadata included with said license rights package to;

i. calculate a cost for said renewed license rights package;

ii. add available debitable parameters associated with said renewed license rights package; and

iii . store a charge associated with said account number contained in said license rights package for said renewed license rights package;

l. authorizing at the media device said renewed license rights package for use by said user prior to transmitting said charge to said host system; and

m. selectively transmitting said charge to said host system at a time when said media device is connected to said host system.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein said charge associated with said renewed license rights package is stored under an account number associated with the user.