Specifying security for an element by assigning a scaled value representative of the relative security thereof

• US 7,757,077 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Peinado, Marcus, Bell, Jeffrey R. C., Abburi, Rajasekhar
• Primary Examiner(s): Moise; Emmanuel L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gelagay; Shewaye
• Application Number:
  US10/983,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,076 Days
• Field of Search: 713/156
• US Class Current: 713/156
• 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 2221/2107 File encryption

Abstract

To determine whether digital content can be released to an element such as a computer application or module, a scaled value representative of the relative security of the element is associated therewith, and the digital content has a corresponding digital license setting forth a security requirement. The security requirement is obtained from the digital license and the scaled value is obtained from the element, and the scaled value of the element is compared to the security requirement of the digital license to determine whether the scaled value satisfies the security requirement. The digital content is not released to the element if the scaled value does not satisfy the security requirement.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for:

accessing a digital license corresponding to digital content, wherein the digital license includes a minimum value, the minimum value specifies a minimum security requirement for releasing the digital content to an application;

obtaining the minimum value of the security requirement from the digital license;

obtaining from the application a scaled numerical value, wherein the scaled numerical value is representative of the relative security of the application, wherein applications associated with high scaled numerical values more securely handle decrypted digital content while the decrypted digital content is played than applications associated with lower scaled numerical values, wherein the scaled numerical value is attached to the application;

comparing the scaled numerical value of the application to the minimum value of the security requirement of the digital license;

determining that the scaled numerical value satisfies the security requirement; and

releasing the digital content to the application.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the scaled value is in a digital certificate associated with the application, the computer-executable instructions performing obtaining from the digital certificate the scaled value.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the scaled value is assigned by a security value certifying authority, wherein the security value certifying authority issues the digital certificate associating the scaled value with the application, and wherein the digital license includes trusted security value certifying authority information regarding security value certifying authorities to be trusted, the computer-executable instructions performing:

obtaining the trusted security value certifying authority information from the digital license;

obtaining indicia of the security value certifying authority from the digital certificate associated with the application;

comparing the indicia of the security value certifying authority to the trusted security value certifying authority information to determine whether the security value certifying authority satisfies the trusted security value certifying authority information, wherein the digital content is not released to the application if the security value certifying authority does not satisfy the trusted security value certifying authority information.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein the digital certificate includes a hash based on the application, the computer-executable instructions performing verifying the hash against the application to verify the digital certificate.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the scaled value is located in a digital certificate that includes a hash based on the application, the computer-executable instructions performing verifying the hash against the application to verify the digital certificate.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein a plurality of scaled values representative of the relative security of the application are associated therewith, the computer-executable instructions performing:

obtaining from the application the plurality of scaled values;

comparing the plurality of scaled values of the application to the security requirement of the digital license to determine whether the plurality of scaled values satisfies the security requirement, wherein the digital content is not released to the application if the plurality of scaled values do not satisfy the security requirement.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the corresponding digital license sets forth a plurality of security requirements respectively corresponding to the plurality of scaled values, the computer-executable instructions performing:

obtaining the plurality of security requirements from the digital license; and

comparing each scaled value to the respective security requirement to determine whether such scaled value satisfies such security requirement, wherein the digital content is not released to the application if the plurality of scaled values do not satisfy the plurality of security requirements.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the corresponding digital license sets forth a security requirement comprising a function of the plurality of scaled values and a range of acceptable results from the function, the computer-executable instructions performing:

obtaining the security requirement from the digital license;

applying the plurality of scaled values to the security requirement to produce a result; and

comparing the result to the range of acceptable results to determine whether such result satisfies such range, wherein the digital content is not released to the application if the result does not satisfy the range.

9. A system for determining whether digital content can be released to a computer-type operational application, comprising:

a computer system effecting a Digital Right Management (DRM) system;

the DRM system configured to obtain a scaled numerical value representative of the relative security of the application being associated therewith;

the DRM system configured to obtain a digital license corresponding to the digital content;

the DRM system configured to access the digital license, wherein the digital license sets forth a security requirement specifying a minimum value for releasing digital content to an application, wherein applications associated with high scaled numerical values more securely handle decrypted digital content while the decrypted digital content is played than applications associated with lower scaled numerical values, wherein the scaled numerical value is attached to the application; and

wherein the scaled numerical value of the application is compared to the minimum value of the security requirement of the digital license to determine whether the scaled numerical value satisfies the security requirement, and wherein the digital content is not released to the application if the scaled numerical value does not satisfy the minimum value of the security requirement.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the scaled value is in a digital certificate associated with the application, and wherein the scaled value is obtained from the digital certificate.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the scaled value is assigned by a security value certifying authority, and wherein the security value certifying authority issues the digital certificate associating the scaled value with the application, and wherein the digital license includes trusted security value certifying authority information regarding security value certifying authorities to be trusted, and wherein the trusted security value certifying authority information is obtained from the digital license, and wherein indicia of the security value certifying authority is obtained from the digital certificate associated with the application, and wherein the indicia of the security value certifying authority is compared to the trusted security value certifying authority information to determine whether the security value certifying authority satisfies the trusted security value certifying authority information, wherein the digital content is not released to the application if the security value certifying authority does not satisfy the trusted security value certifying authority information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the digital certificate includes a hash based on the application, the hash is verified against the application to verify the digital certificate.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the scaled value is located in a digital certificate that includes a hash based on the application, the hash is verified against the application to verify the digital certificate.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein a plurality of scaled values representative of the relative security of the application are associated therewith, and wherein the application is obtained from the plurality of scaled values, and wherein the plurality of scaled values of the application is compared to the security requirement of the digital license to determine whether the plurality of scaled values satisfies the security requirement, wherein the digital content is not released to the application if the plurality of scaled values do not satisfy the security requirement.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the corresponding digital license sets forth a plurality of security requirements respectively corresponding to the plurality of scaled values, and wherein the plurality of security requirements is obtained from the digital license, and wherein each scaled value is compared to the respective security requirement to determine whether such scaled value satisfies such security requirement, and wherein the digital content is not released to the application if the plurality of scaled values do not satisfy the plurality of security requirements.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the corresponding digital license sets forth a security requirement comprising a function of the plurality of scaled values and a range of acceptable results from the function, and wherein the security requirement is obtained from the digital license, and wherein the plurality of scaled values is applied to the security requirement to produce a result, and wherein the result is compared to the range of acceptable results to determine whether such result satisfies such range, and wherein the digital content is not released to the application if the result does not satisfy the range.