System and method for redistributing and licensing access to protected information among a plurality of devices

• US 7,831,516 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SL Patent Holdings LLC (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SL Patent Holdings LLC (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schull, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca; Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US11/567,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20070179893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: 705/59, 705/50, 705/51, 705/57
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/02 Viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2213/025 Sightline detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration

Abstract

A method and apparatus of encouraging distribution, registration, and purchase of free copyable software and other digital information which is accessed on a User'"'"'s System via a Programmer'"'"'s Program. Software tools which can be incorporated into a Programmer'"'"'s Program allow the User to access Advanced Features of the Programmer'"'"'s Program only in the presence of a valid Password which is unique to a particular Target ID generated on an ID-Target such as the User'"'"'s System. Advanced features will thus re-lock if the Password is copied to another ID-target. If a valid Password is not present, the User is invited to obtain one, and provided with the means of doing so, and of installing that Password in a place accessible to the User'"'"'s System on subsequent occasions. The present invention also provides Programmers with means to invoke business operations as well as computational operations with their programs, and thus to automatically obtain payment from Users who elect to obtain passwords.

Claims

1. A method of licensing access to an item of protected information over a first communications network to a first computing device and a second computing device, wherein each computing device receives license data specific to such computing device before having the capability to access the protected information, the method comprising:

receiving, by a licensing server, first identifier data generated by the first computing device based at least in part on a characteristic of the first computing device;

generating, by the licensing server, first license data using the first identifier data but not using any other information unique to the first computing device, and storing the first license data to a storage device accessible to the first computing device;

distributing the item of protected information from the first computing device to the second computing device;

receiving, by the licensing server, second identifier data generated by the second computing device and based at least in part on a characteristic of the second computing device which is different from the characteristic of the first computing device on which the first identifier data is based; and

generating, by the licensing server, second license data using the second identifier data but not using any other information unique to the second computing device, and storing the second license data in a storage device accessible to the second computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein distributing the item of protected information comprises utilizing a physical transport medium to distribute the item of protected information.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising at least one of the first identifier data or the second identifier data not including any information unique to the physical transport medium.

4. The method of claim 2, comprising at least one of the first identifier data or the second identifier data including information unique to the physical transport medium.

5. The method of claim 2, comprising the licensing server generating at least one of first license data or second license data without using any information unique to the physical transport medium.

6. The method of claim 2, comprising the licensing server generating at least one of first license data or second license data using information unique to the physical transport medium.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein distributing the item of protected information comprises utilizing a second communications network to distribute the item of protected information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first communications network is distinct from the second communications network.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first communications network is the same as the second communications network.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising determining access to the item of protected information at the first computing device based on the first license data.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising determining access to the item of protected information at the second computing device based on the second license data.

12. A method of licensing access to an item of protected information over a communications network to two or more computing devices, wherein the item of protected information is stored on a physical transport medium, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first computing device, an item of protected information by way of the physical transport medium;

generating, by the first computing device, identifier data associated with the first computing device based only on a characteristic of the physical transport medium, and transmitting the identifier data to a licensing server;

receiving, by the first computing device, license data generated by a licensing server using the identifier data, the license data stored in a storage device accessible to the first computing device; and

transferring the physical transport medium to a second computing device, the item of protected information being accessible by the second computing device.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising storing the license data on the physical transport medium.

14. The method of claim 12, comprising storing the license data on the first computing device, wherein the first computing device is communicatively coupled to the second computing device.

15. The method of claim 12, comprising storing the license data on a third computing device that is communicatively coupled to the first computing device and the second computing device.

16. A method of licensing access to an item of protected information over a communications network to a first computing device, wherein the item of protected information is distributed from the first computing device to a second computing device over a communications path distinct from the communications network and each computing device must receive license data before accessing the protected information, the method comprising:

receiving, by a licensing server, identifier data generated by the first computing device and based on a characteristic of the first computing device;

generating, by the licensing server, license data using the identifier data, and storing the license data in a storage device accessible to the first computing device; and

providing access to the license data to the second computing device, wherein the second computing device contains a copy of the item of protected information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second computing device accesses the license data from the communications path to the first device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the second computing device accesses the license data from a portable transport medium.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating, by the second computing device, a second identifier data based at least in part on a characteristic of the second computing device, and transmitting the second identifier data to the first computing device; and

providing, by the first computing device, access to the license data to the second computing device upon generating a second license data using the second identifier data.

20. A method of licensing access to an item of protected information over a first communications network to a first computing device, wherein the first computing device must receive license data specific to such computing device before accessing the protected information, the method comprising:

generating, by the first computing device, first identifier data based at least in part on a characteristic of the first computing device, and transmitting the first identifier data to a licensing server;

retrieving, by the first computing device, first license data generated by the licensing server using the first identifier data but not using any other information unique to the first computing device, the first license data stored in a storage device accessible to the first computing device;

distributing the item of protected information from the first computing device to a second computing device;

receiving, by the first computing device, second identifier data based at least in part on a characteristic of the second computing device which is different from the characteristic of the first computing device on which the first identifier data is based; and

generating, by the first computing device, second license data using the second identifier data but not using any other information unique to the second computing device, and storing the second license data in a storage device accessible to the second computing device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first communications network comprises the Internet.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said distributing comprises distributing the item of protected information over a wired or wireless transport medium to the second computing device.