Content distribution system and method

• US 7,529,712 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yangaroo Inc
• Original Assignee: Yangaroo Inc
• Inventors: Heaven, John, Hunt, Cliff, Hoch, Wojtek
• Primary Examiner(s): Worjloh, Jalatee
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHERR, CRISTINA O
• Application Number:
  US10/431,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20040015445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,189 Days
• Field of Search: 705 51- 60, 705/26, 705/27, 380/30, 380/279, 380/277, 380/44, 713/193
• US Class Current: 705/51
• 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: 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 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method and system for the secure distribution of content to authorized persons. A content provider uploads encrypted content to the system and specifies the institutions or individuals to which the content is to be provided and release conditions under which it is to be made available. Encrypted content is made available to a recipient together with a decryption code, if the identity of the recipient can be confirmed through a validation procedure and if the release conditions are met. The release conditions may include a time and date at which the release is to occur. The encrypted content have an associated sample which may be streamed to the recipient so as to permit the recipient to assess whether to download the full encrypted content or not. In one embodiment, the validation procedure includes biometric validation of the identity of the recipient.

Claims

1. A method of distributing content to a plurality of recipients over a distributed computer network, each recipient having a recipient terminal connected to the network, comprising the steps of:

(a) storing, in server, a user profile for each recipient, each user profile comprising login information and a unique identifier;

(b) receiving and storing, at the server, a content file, a release condition, a release state, and a distribution list associated with said content file, the receiving step being performed from a provider terminal connected to the network, wherein the distribution list contains unique identifiers of specific authorized recipients of the content file;

(c) receiving a request for access from one of the recipient terminals, the request containing login information;

(d) in response to the request for access;

a. comparing the received login information to the stored login information to verify that the request came from one of the recipients,

b. based on the comparing step, retrieving the stored unique identifier from the user profile,

c. verifying that the distribution list includes said one of said recipients by comparing the retrieved unique identifier to the distribution list; and

(e) providing access to the content file at said one of the recipient terminals based on the release condition and the release state.