System and method for managing copyrighted electronic media

• US 7,647,642 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2004
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: The Trustees of Dartmounth College (Dartmouth College)
• Inventors: Erickson, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smithers; Matthew B
• Assistant Examiner(s): CALLAHAN, PAUL E
• Application Number:
  US10/925,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20050039000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,966 Days
• Field of Search: 705/57, 705/51, 705/59, 713/155, 713/164, 713/153, 713/176, 726/27, 726/31, 726/32, 380/201, 380/285
• US Class Current: 726/27
• 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: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/008 Public Key, Asymmetric Key, Asymmetric Encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/103 applying security measure for protecting copy right protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment, e.g. protection the software providers copyright G06F21/10; data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; secrecy systems or subscription systems H04N7/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data

Abstract

Copyrighted electronic media are packaged in a secure electronic format, and registered on associated registration server, which serves to provide on-line licensing and copyright management for that media. Users are connected to the server, e.g., through a computer network or the Internet, to enable data transfers and to transact licenses to utilize the media. Packaged electronic media are typically created by an author or derivative user of the work. Once the packaged media is registered on the server, the media is made available for limited use and possible license through an authorization server. This limited use is specified within the minimum permissions data set assigned to each packaged media. Without a license, users are typically permitted to view the packaged media—through a system which unpackages the media—but cannot save or otherwise transfer the media without obtaining auxiliary permissions to do so from the authorization server. The electronic media is authenticated through digital signatures and optional encryption.

Claims

1. A method for managing copyrighted electronic media, comprising:

formatting the media into a secure electronic container, the container including a digital representation of the media and a minimum permissions data set specifying the minimum authorized use of the media;

registering the electronic media on a server and assigning a registration identifier to the container, the server being connected for on-line data transfers with at least one computer;

providing licensing terms to the computer in response to a request to license the media; and

augmenting the permissions data set with auxiliary permissions when the computer indicates acceptance of the terms, the auxiliary permissions providing authorization to utilize the media beyond what is authorized in the minimum permissions data set.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising determining whether the computer'"'"'s use of the media is authorized by the permissions data set.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising enabling limited use of the media at the computer, the limited use corresponding to the minimum permissions data set.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising verifying that a user of the computer is an authorized user, the step of verifying occurring before the computer requests a license.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the step of verifying includes the step of searching for the user'"'"'s public key with a certification stamp from a certification authority.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of formatting the media further comprises the step of including sourceworks extensions within the container, the sourceworks extensions providing a bibliographic record of the media.

7. A method for protecting electronic media, comprising:

packaging the electronic media within a secure electronic container by (i) attaching a data identifier to the media, and (ii) attaching data specifying minimum permissions required to use the media;

registering the container on a server connected for data transfer with at least one data processor; and

transferring auxiliary permissions to the data processor upon acceptance of licensing terms associated with the media.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the step of packaging the media includes the step of encrypting the media.

9. A method according to claim 7, further comprising the transferring the container to the data processor via one of point-to-point email, CD-ROM, ftp, gopher, smtp, and http.

10. A method according to claim 7, further comprising communicating with the data processor in accord with TCP/IP protocol.

11. A method according to claim 7, further comprising affixing an encrypted digital signature to the media, the signature corresponding to a registration of the media to provide authentication to the media.