Multiple watermarks for digital rights management (DRM) and content tracking

• US 7,802,306 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qurio Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Qurio Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Evans, Gregory Morgan, Adams, Cheryl
• Primary Examiner(s): Arani; Taghi T
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERZOG, MADHURI R
• Application Number:
  US11/565,013
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 713175-177, 713155-156, 726 26- 33, 709/217
• US Class Current: 726/26
• 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: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00144 involving a user identifier, e.g. a unique customer ID
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00181 using a content identifier, e.g. an international standard recording code [ISRC] or a digital object identifier [DOI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00731 involving a digital rights management system for enforcing a usage restriction
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00862 wherein the remote server can grant the permission to use a content
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00905 multiple watermarks used in combination
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32304 Embedding different sets of additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3235 Checking or certification of the authentication information, e.g. by comparison with data stored independently
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3239 using a plurality of different authentication information

Abstract

A system and method for providing Digital Rights Management (DRM) using multiple watermarks are disclosed. In one embodiment, upon purchase of a digital asset, a copy of the digital asset that is watermarked with a content specific watermark and a user, or purchaser, specific watermark and a digital certificate including content specific watermark information and user specific watermark information corresponding to the watermarks in the copy of the digital asset are generated. The copy of the digital asset and the digital certificate are provided to the user. Thereafter, access to the copy of the digital asset is controlled based on a comparison of the watermarks in the copy of the digital asset and the watermark information in the digital certificate.

Claims

1. A method for controlling access to a copy of a digital asset watermarked with a content specific watermark and a user specific watermark comprising:

comparing the content specific watermark in the copy of the digital asset to content specific watermark information in a digital certificate;

comparing the user specific watermark in the copy of the digital asset to user specific watermark information in the digital certificate;

controlling access to the copy of the digital asset based on comparing the content specific watermark to the content specific watermark information in the digital certificate and comparing the user specific watermark to the user specific watermark information in the digital certificate, wherein first portions of the copy of the digital asset are watermarked with the content specific watermark and the user specific watermark and second portions of the copy of the digital asset are watermarked with the content specific watermark but not the user specific watermark;

providing full access to the copy of the digital asset if the content specific watermark matches the content specific watermark information in the digital certificate and the user specific watermark matches the user specific watermark information in the digital certificate; and

providing access to the second portions of the copy of the digital asset but not the first portions of the copy of the digital asset if the content specific watermark matches the content specific watermark information in the digital certificate but the user specific watermark does not match the user specific watermark information in the digital certificate.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising prohibiting access to the copy of the digital asset if no digital certificate is identified having content specific watermark information matching the content specific watermark in the copy of the digital asset.

5. The method of claim 1 controlling access to the copy of the digital asset further comprises:

providing access to the first portions and the second portions of the copy of the digital asset if the content specific watermark matches the content specific watermark information in the digital certificate and the user specific watermark matches the user specific watermark information in the digital certificate.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the copy of the digital asset and the digital certificate locally at a user device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising obtaining the digital certificate from a remote database.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital certificate is stored in a remote database associated with a server, and:

comparing the content specific watermark in the copy of the digital asset to the content specific watermark information in the digital certificate comprises providing the content specific watermark to the server and comparing the content specific watermark to the content specific watermark information at the server; and

comparing the user specific watermark to the user specific watermark information comprises providing the user specific watermark to the server and comparing the user specific watermark to the user specific watermark information at the server.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

purchasing the copy of the digital asset during a purchase transaction with a server, wherein in response the server generates the copy of the digital asset having the content specific watermark and the user specific watermark and generates the digital certificate including the content specific watermark information corresponding to the content specific watermark and the user specific watermark information corresponding to the user specific watermark; and

receiving the copy of the digital asset and the digital certificate from the server.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein a user purchases the copy of the digital asset having the content specific watermark and a unique watermark, and the method further comprises:

registering the copy of the digital asset with a server, wherein in response the server identifies the unique watermark as the user specific watermark and generates the digital certificate including the content specific watermark information corresponding to the content specific watermark and the user specific watermark information corresponding to the user specific watermark; and

receiving the digital certificate from the server.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising decrypting the copy of the digital asset based on a decryption key in the digital certificate, wherein the decryption key is common to each of a plurality of copies of the digital asset including the copy of the digital asset.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein access to the copy of the digital asset is controlled at a first user device associated with a first user to which the digital certificate is issued, and the method further comprises obtaining the copy of the digital asset from a second user such that the user specific watermark identifies the second user.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising watermarking the copy of the digital asset with a receiver watermark identifying at least one of a group consisting of:

the first user device and the first user.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising providing information corresponding to the receiver watermark to the second user device, wherein the second user device operates to insert the information corresponding to the receiver watermark to a digital certificate issued to second user for the copy of the digital asset.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising providing information corresponding to the receiver watermark to a remote server, wherein the remote server operates to add the information corresponding to the receiver watermark to a digital certificate issued to second user for the copy of the digital asset.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising effecting blocking of a digital certificate issued to the second user for the copy of the digital asset if the first user has not been issued a digital certificate for the digital asset.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising effecting destructive watermarking of the copy of the digital asset at the second user device if the first user has not been issued a digital certificate for the digital asset.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein controlling access to the copy of the digital asset comprises controlling access to the copy of the digital asset to provide one of a group consisting of:

a demo version of the digital asset or a preview of the digital asset if the first user has not been issued a digital certificate for the digital asset.

3. The method of clam 1 further comprising providing access to a demo of the copy of the digital asset if no digital certificate is identified having content specific watermark information matching the content specific watermark in the copy of the digital asset.

4. The method of clam 1 further comprising providing access to a preview of the copy of the digital asset if no digital certificate is identified having content specific watermark information matching the content specific watermark in the copy of the digital asset.

19. A method of sharing a digital asset comprising:

conducting a purchase transaction during which a first user and a second user each purchase first and second copies of a digital asset, wherein the first and second copies of the digital asset are watermarked with a content specific watermark;

watermarking the first copy of the digital asset with a first user specific watermark unique to the first user to provide a first watermarked copy of the digital asset that is watermarked with the content specific watermark and the first user specific watermark;

watermarking the second copy of the digital asset with a second user specific watermark unique to the second user to provide a second watermarked copy of the digital asset that is watermarked with the content specific watermark and the second user specific watermark;

generating a first digital certificate including content specific watermark information corresponding to the content specific watermark and first user specific watermark information corresponding to the first user specific watermark;

generating a second digital certificate including the content specific watermark information corresponding to the content specific watermark and second user specific watermark information corresponding to the second user specific watermark; and

providing the first watermarked copy of the digital asset and the first digital certificate to a first user device associated with the first user such that access to the copy of the digital asset at the first user device is controlled based on a comparison of the content specific watermark and the first user specific watermark to the content specific watermark information and the first user specific watermark information in the first digital certificate, wherein first portions of the copy of the digital asset are watermarked with the content specific watermark and the user specific watermark and second portions of the copy of the digital asset are watermarked with the content specific watermark but not the user specific watermark;

providing the first watermarked copy of the digital asset to a second user device associated with the second user;

comparing the content specific watermark in the first watermarked copy of the digital asset to the content specific watermark information in the second digital certificate and comparing the first user specific watermark in the first watermarked copy of the digital asset to the second user specific watermark information in the second digital certificate; and

providing access to the second portions of the copy of the digital asset but not the first portions of the copy of the digital asset if the content specific watermark matches the content specific watermark information in the digital certificate but the user specific watermark does not match the user specific watermark information in the digital certificate.

20. A method comprising:

conducting a registration process during which a user registers a copy of a digital asset previously purchased by the user, the copy of the digital asset having a content specific watermark and a user specific watermark;

generating a digital certificate including content specific watermark information corresponding to the content specific watermark and user specific watermark information corresponding to the user specific watermark, wherein first portions of the copy of the digital asset are watermarked with the content specific watermark and the user specific watermark and second portions of the copy of the digital asset are watermarked with the content specific watermark but not the user specific watermark; and

providing the digital certificate to a user device associated with the user, such that access to the copy of the digital asset at the user device is controlled based on a comparison of the content specific watermark and the user specific watermark to the content specific watermark information and the user specific watermark information in the digital certificate, wherein access is provided to the second portions of the copy of the digital asset but not the first portions of the copy of the digital asset if the content specific watermark matches the content specific watermark information in the digital certificate but the user specific watermark does not match the user specific watermark information in the digital certificate.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the copy of the digital asset is located at the user device, and conducting the registration process comprises:

receiving the unique watermark from the user device;

receiving information identifying the user from the user device; and

associating the unique watermark with the information identifying the user.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the copy of the digital asset is located at the user device, and conducting the registration process comprises:

receiving the unique watermark from the user device;

receiving information identifying the user device; and

associating the unique watermark with the information identifying the user device.