Rendering rights delegation system and method
First Claim
1. A method of distributing content wherein the content is comprised of a plurality of portions of the content, the method comprising:
- storing the content and a first digital license on a first device of a user, wherein the content and the first digital license are provided by a content provider system, said first digital license being adapted to govern the use of the content by the first device and having a first expiration time period, wherein being adapted to govern the use of the content includes permitting the first device to determine whether the first device may provide a decryption key for use by a secondary device;
storing a first digital certificate on the first device, said first digital certificate originating from the content provider system and including a first set of data corresponding to the identity of the content provider system;
storing a second digital certificate on the secondary device, said second digital certificate originating from the content provider system and including a second set of data corresponding to the identity of the content provider system;
transmitting a first digital request and the second digital certificate from the secondary device to the first device, said first digital request corresponding to a first request for use of the content;
comparing the first set of data with the second set of data;
transmitting a second digital license from the first device to the secondary device after receipt by the first device of the first digital request and if the first and second sets of data correspond to the same content provider system, said second digital license governing the use of the content by the secondary device and having a second expiration time period that is less than the first expiration time period;
providing a first portion of the plurality of portions of the content from the first device to the secondary device, said first portion of the content being encrypted;
decrypting the first portion of the content at the secondary device using the decryption key during at least a portion of the second expiration time period,transmitting a second digital request from the secondary device to the first device, said second digital request corresponding to a second request for use of the content, wherein the transmitting of the second digital request occurs after the step of transmitting the second digital license;
transmitting a third digital license from the first device to the secondary device after receipt by the first device of the second digital request, said third digital license being adapted to govern the use of the content by the secondary device and having a third expiration time period that is less than the first expiration time period;
providing a second portion of the plurality of portions of the content from the first device to the secondary device, said second portion of the content being encrypted; and
decrypting the second portion of the content at the secondary device during at least a portion of the third expiration time period,wherein the first device and the secondary device are located on a premises and wherein the content provider system is located other than on the premises.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for controlling the distribution of digital content are provided. A license holder acquires protected content and an original digital license to the protected content from a content provider system. The license holder in turn delegates all or part of the grants in that original license to other qualified devices or clients. The content remains in its original, protected or encrypted form while it is delivered from the license holder to the client along with a digital sublicense that the client receives from the original license holder, whereupon the content can then be rendered. The original digital license defines or governs the conditions under which such delegation occurs, and includes terms under which such delegation is permitted to continue in order to enforce the intent of the content provider.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of distributing content wherein the content is comprised of a plurality of portions of the content, the method comprising:
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storing the content and a first digital license on a first device of a user, wherein the content and the first digital license are provided by a content provider system, said first digital license being adapted to govern the use of the content by the first device and having a first expiration time period, wherein being adapted to govern the use of the content includes permitting the first device to determine whether the first device may provide a decryption key for use by a secondary device; storing a first digital certificate on the first device, said first digital certificate originating from the content provider system and including a first set of data corresponding to the identity of the content provider system; storing a second digital certificate on the secondary device, said second digital certificate originating from the content provider system and including a second set of data corresponding to the identity of the content provider system; transmitting a first digital request and the second digital certificate from the secondary device to the first device, said first digital request corresponding to a first request for use of the content; comparing the first set of data with the second set of data; transmitting a second digital license from the first device to the secondary device after receipt by the first device of the first digital request and if the first and second sets of data correspond to the same content provider system, said second digital license governing the use of the content by the secondary device and having a second expiration time period that is less than the first expiration time period; providing a first portion of the plurality of portions of the content from the first device to the secondary device, said first portion of the content being encrypted; decrypting the first portion of the content at the secondary device using the decryption key during at least a portion of the second expiration time period, transmitting a second digital request from the secondary device to the first device, said second digital request corresponding to a second request for use of the content, wherein the transmitting of the second digital request occurs after the step of transmitting the second digital license; transmitting a third digital license from the first device to the secondary device after receipt by the first device of the second digital request, said third digital license being adapted to govern the use of the content by the secondary device and having a third expiration time period that is less than the first expiration time period; providing a second portion of the plurality of portions of the content from the first device to the secondary device, said second portion of the content being encrypted; and decrypting the second portion of the content at the secondary device during at least a portion of the third expiration time period, wherein the first device and the secondary device are located on a premises and wherein the content provider system is located other than on the premises. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. The method of claim I further comprising:
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transmitting a plurality of additional digital requests from a plurality of additional secondary devices to the first device, each of said plurality of additional digital requests corresponding to an additional request for use of the content; transmitting a plurality of additional digital licenses from the first device to the plurality of additional secondary devices after receipt by the first device of the plurality of additional digital requests, the plurality of additional digital licenses governing the use of the content by the plurality of additional secondary devices and having a plurality of additional expiration time periods each of which is less than the first expiration time period; providing a plurality of additional portions of the content from the first device to the plurality of additional secondary devices, the plurality of additional portions of the content being encrypted; decrypting the plurality of additional portions of the content wherein each one of the plurality of additional secondary devices decrypts one of the plurality of additional portions of the content during one of the plurality of additional expiration time periods; and simultaneously rendering the plurality of additional portions of the content. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method of distributing a plurality of items of content provided by a content provider system, the method comprising:
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storing the plurality of items of content and a first digital license on a first device, said first digital license being adapted to govern the use of the plurality of items of content by the first device, said first digital license having a first expiration time period and having a maximum permitted license count; transmitting a plurality of secondary digital licenses from the first device to a plurality of secondary devices, said plurality of secondary digital licenses governing the use of the plurality of items of content by the plurality of secondary devices and having a plurality of second expiration time periods, each of which is less than the first expiration time period; calculating an active license count at the first device, said active license count corresponding to a first sum of the number of the plurality of secondary digital licenses that have been transmitted from the first device reduced by a second sum of the number of the plurality of secondary digital licenses having second expiration time periods that have expired; transmitting a digital request from another secondary device to the first device, said digital request corresponding to a request for use of one of the plurality of items of content; transmitting another secondary digital license from the first device to the other secondary device if the active license count does not exceed the maximum permitted license count, said other secondary digital license governing the use of the one of the plurality of items of content by the other secondary device and having another expiration time period that is less than the first expiration time period. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A system for distributing content originating from a content provider system, wherein the content is comprised of a plurality of portions of the content, the system comprising:
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a first device of a user, wherein the first device has a first device processing unit capable of executing first device software routines; first device programming logic executed by the first device processing unit, a secondary device having a secondary device processing unit capable of executing secondary device software routines, said secondary device being adapted for communication with the first device; and secondary device programming logic executed by the secondary device processing unit, wherein the first device and the secondary device are located on a premises and wherein the content provider system is located other than on the premises, wherein the first device programming logic comprises; means for storing the content and a first digital license on the first device, wherein the content and the first digital license are provided by the content provider system, said first digital license being adapted to govern the use of the content by the first device and having a first expiration time period, wherein being adapted to govern the use of the content includes permitting the first device to determine whether the first device may provide a decryption key for use by the secondary device; and means for storing a first digital certificate on the first device, said first digital certificate originating from the content provider system and including a first set of data corresponding to the identity of the content provider system; wherein the secondary device programming logic comprises; means for storing a second digital certificate on the secondary device, said second digital certificate originating from the content provider system and including a second set of data corresponding to the identity of the content provider system; and means for transmitting a first digital request and the second digital certificate from the secondary device to the first device, said first digital request corresponding to a first request for use of the content; wherein the first device programming logic further comprises; means for comparing the first set of data with the second set of data; means for transmitting a second digital license from the first device to the secondary device after receipt by the first device of the first digital request and if the first and second sets of data correspond to the same content provider system, said second digital license governing the use of the content by the secondary device and having a second expiration time period that is less than the first expiration time period; and means for providing a first portion of the plurality of portions of the content from the first device to the secondary device, said first portion of the content being encrypted; wherein the secondary device programming logic further comprises; means for decrypting the first portion of the content at the secondary device using the decryption key during at least a portion of the second expiration time period; and means for transmitting a second digital request from the secondary device to the first device, said second digital request corresponding to a second request for use of the content, wherein the transmitting of the second digital request occurs after the transmitting of the second digital license; wherein the first device programming logic further comprises; means for transmitting a third digital license from the first device to the secondary device after receipt by the first device of the second digital request, said third digital license being adapted to govern the use of the content by the secondary device and having a third expiration time period that is less than the first expiration time period; and means for providing a second portion of the plurality of portions of the content from the first device to the secondary device, said second portion of the content being encrypted; and wherein the secondary device programming logic further comprises; means for decrypting the second portion of the content at the secondary device during at least a portion of the third expiration time period. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification