Multiple methods for transacting, publishing and purchasing copyrighted digital content

• US 7,627,892 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Lin, Yuh-Ren, Hsu, Ho-Chien, Yeh, Wen-Hsi
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIN HON
• Application Number:
  US11/169,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20060143690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• Field of Search: 726/2, 705/21, 705/51, 705/52, 705/57
• US Class Current: 726/2
• 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 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials

Abstract

A method is disclosed for transacting, purchasing and publishing copyrighted digital content that solves problems of the digital copyright that could not protect by methods of the prior art. The present invention allows various sales methods and licensing methods by using a copyrighted digital content description file, and effectively controls the user'"'"'s use of the copyrighted digital content.

Claims

1. A method for transacting, purchasing and publishing copyrighted digital content, comprising:

providing digital content files on a retrieval platform, each digital content file being provided by a digital content provider and having a copyright description file describing copyright information of the digital content file and authorization methods required by the digital content provider;

searching for a specific digital content file from the digital content files on the retrieval platform by a user;

obtaining a payment receipt for the specific digital content file from a transaction platform by the user using one of the authorization methods of the specific digital content file, and sending the obtained payment receipt to a corresponding digital content provider of the specific digital content file;

issuing a new copyright description file for the specific digital content file to the user by the corresponding digital content provider upon receiving the payment receipt, so as to allow the user to use the specific digital content file; and

collecting payment receipts for the digital content files for each digital content provider and sending the payment receipts to the transaction platform for obtaining payments.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

registering each digital content provider at the retrieval platform; and

registering bank account information to the transaction platform for each digital content provider.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each digital content file can be stored, demonstrated or applied using a digital methods, and the digital content file can be software, a game, music, a video image or a digital picture.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user is a person or a digital content provider.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the authorization methods includes an online purchasing method, an online pay-per-use method, a method in which the user pays for using copyrighted digital content a fixed number of times or for a fixed time period online, and a prepaid offline method.

6. A method for transacting, purchasing and publishing a copyrighted digital content with an online purchasing method, comprising:

searching by a user for a desired digital content on a retrieval platform;

selecting by the user to purchase the desired digital content using the online purchasing method as defined in a copyright description file of the desired digital content;

transmitting the copyright description file of the desired digital content and a user-selected licensing method to a transaction platform;

connecting the transaction platform to the user for a payment;

transmitting a digital signature from the transaction platform to the user, the digital signature being a payment receipt of the desired digital content for the user;

verifying the digital signature by a digital content provider of the desired digital content and issuing a new copyright description file for the desired digital content for the user based on information of the user and the user-selected licensing method; and

accessing the desired digital content by the user according to the user-selected licensing method.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, comprising:

registering the digital content provider at a retrieval platform;

registering bank account information to the transaction platform for the digital content provider; and

uploading a digital content file from the desired digital content to the retrieval platform.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the digital content can be stored, demonstrated or applied using a digital methods, and can be software, a game, music, a video image or a digital picture.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the searching further includes providing the desired digital content and supported authorization methods for the retrieval platform.

10. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the user is a person or a digital content provider.

11. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the payment includes a payment via a credit card, an Internet banking service, a micro payment, an ATM service.

12. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the digital signature includes copyright description file, the user selected licensing method and a record of time of a transaction transmitted from the retrieval platform.

13. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the accessing further comprises collecting payment receipts from the transaction platform by the content provider to obtain payments.

14. A method for transacting, purchasing and publishing copyrighted digital content with an online pay-per-use method, comprising:

searching by a user for a desired digital content on a retrieval platform;

selecting by the user to purchase the desired digital content using the online pay-per-use method as defined in a copyright description file of the desired digital content;

transmitting the copyright description file of the desired digital content and a user-selected licensing method to a transaction platform;

connecting the transaction platform to the user for a payment to buy electronic money;

transmitting a digital signature and the electronic money from the transaction platform to the user;

verifying the digital signature and the electronic money by a digital content provider of the desired digital content and issuing a new copyright description file for the desired digital content for the user based on the user'"'"'s information and the user selected licensing method; and

transferring payment by the user using the electronic money to the digital content provider every time the user accesses the digital content.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

registering the digital content provider at the retrieval platform;

registering bank account information to a transaction platform for the digital content provider; and

uploading a digital content file from the desired digital content to the retrieval platform.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the digital content can be stored, demonstrated or applied using digital methods, and can be software, a game, music, a video image or a digital picture.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the searching further comprises providing the desired digital content and authorization methods for the retrieval platform.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the user is a person or a digital content provider.

19. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the electronic money can be bought by a credit card, an Internet banking service, a micro payment, an ATM service.

20. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the electronic money is cash card, points card or a micro payment.

21. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein, after arrived to a predetermine value, the digital content provider collects and sends all user paid electronic money to the transaction platform to obtain payments.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the predetermine value is a fixed number of times or a fixed time period.

23. A method for transacting, purchasing and publishing copyrighted digital content a fixed number of times or for a fixed time period online after the user has finished using the copyrighted digital content, comprising:

searching by a user for a desired digital content on a retrieval platform;

selecting by the user to purchase the desired digital content and to use a fixed number of times or fixed time period online after the user has finished using the copyrighted digital content method as defined in a copyright description file of the desired digital content;

transmitting the copyright description file of the digital content and a licensed digital content selected by the user from the retrieval platform to a digital content provider of the desired digital content;

signing a new copyright description file for the selected licensed digital content transmitted to the user from the digital content provider;

transmitting a signed payment letter of authorization from the user to the digital content provider;

using the desired digital content legally according to the new copyright description file by the user;

presetting a predetermined value by the digital content provider to collect payments to the transaction platform; and

paying by the user to the transaction platform for transactions.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, further comprising:

registering the digital content provider at the retrieval platform;

registering bank account information to a transaction platform for the digital content provider; and

uploading a digital content file from the desired digital content to the retrieval platform.

25. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the digital content can be stored, demonstrated or applied using digital methods, and can be software, a game, music, a video image or a digital picture.

26. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the searching further comprises providing the desired digital content and authorization methods for the retrieval platform.

27. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the user is a person or a digital content provider.

28. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the new copyright description file includes ticket information.

29. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the payment letter of authorization includes a digital content description file, payment information and a record of the time of the signing.

30. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the digital content provider in accordance with the ticket information records the number of times the digital content is accessed or used and the time at which it is accessed or used by the user.

31. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the predetermined value is a fixed number of times or a fixed time period.

32. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the paying can via be a credit card, an Internet banking service, a micro payment, or an ATM service.

33. A method for transacting, purchasing and publishing a copyrighted digital content using a prepaid offline method, comprising:

searching by a user for a desired digital content on a retrieval platform;

selecting by the user to purchase the digital content using the prepaid offline method as defined in a copyright description file of the desired digital content;

transmitting the copyright description file of the digital content and a licensed digital content selected by the user from the retrieval platform to a transaction platform;

transmitting a digital signature from the transaction platform to the user, wherein the digital signature is a payment receipt for the user after the user makes a payment to the transaction platform;

the digital content provider signing a new copyright description file for the user after verifying the digital signature'"'"'s validity and packeting the desired digital content;

downloading the packeted content of the desired digital content to the user and de-packeting the packeted content by the user;

accessing and using the digital content by a browser program or a hardware device which can control and management the user accessing and using the licensed digital content legally; and

collecting all users′

payment receipts by the at least one digital content provider and send to the transaction platform to get charges.

34. The method as claimed in claim 33, further comprising:

registering the digital content provider at the retrieval platform;

registering bank account information to a transaction platform for the digital content provider; and

uploading a digital content file from the desired digital content to the retrieval platform.

35. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the digital content can be stored, demonstrated or applied using digital methods, and can be software, a game, music, a video image or a digital picture.

36. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the user is a person or a digital content provider.

37. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the transmitting a copyright description file step further comprises selecting any type of payment from the user to the transaction platform.

38. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the method of payment is via a credit card, an Internet banking service, a micro payment, or an ATM service.

39. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the digital signature includes a copyright description file, the user selected licensing method and a record of the time of the transaction transmitted from the retrieval platform.

40. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the packet content encrypts the digital content using a session key from the digital content provider with a symmetric key encryption algorithm.

41. The method as claimed in claim 40, wherein the session key is encrypted using the user'"'"'s public key and put in the new copyright description file.

42. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the de-packeting uses the encrypted session key obtained from the new digital content description files, decrypts the session key using the user'"'"'s private key, and then decrypts the packet content using the session key.

43. A method for ransoming purchased copyrighted digital content, comprising:

requesting for ransoming of a purchased copyrighted digital content from a user to a digital content provider of the copyrighted digital content;

revoking a copyright description file of the purchased copyrighted digital content by the user, so as to stops the user from accessing or using the copyrighted digital content;

signing a digital signature by the digital content provider for the user as a refund voucher;

requiring a transaction platform payment to the user in accordance with the refund voucher; and

selecting a payment method by the digital content providers through the transaction platform.

44. The method as claimed in claim 43, wherein the user is a person or a digital content provider.

45. The method as claimed in claim 43, wherein the digital signature includes a copyright description file and a record of the time of the signing.

46. The method as claimed in claim 43, wherein the method of payment is a credit card or an Internet banking service.

47. A method for transacting, purchasing and publishing copyrighted digital content with online copyright transference, comprising:

prepaying an amount of money or using a gift certificate from a transaction platform;

requesting a copyright transfer and providing information of a new user by current copyright user to a digital content provider of the copyrighted digital content;

revoking a copyright description file for the current copyright user'"'"'s to stop the current copyright user from using the copyrighted digital content file;

re-signing a new copyright description file by the digital content provider to the new copyright user, so as to allow the new copyright user to access and use the copyrighted digital content; and

sending payment receipts by the digital content provider to the transaction platform in accordance with the prepayment of the small amount of money, the gift certificate or the electronic payment to obtain payments.

48. The method as claimed in claim 47, wherein the method of payment is a credit card, or an Internet banking service.