Method for lifetime tracking of intellectual property

• US 7,900,260 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hirst, Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Pearson, David J
• Application Number:
  US10/729,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20050125352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,643 Days
• Field of Search: 380/231
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment

Abstract

A method of storing and tracking digitally-encoded material includes associating a unique identifier with the digitally-encoded material, associating one or more built-in functions with the digitally-encoded material so that the unique identifier and the built-in functions are coupled to the digitally-encoded material. The built-in functions can govern transforms and rendering of the digitally-encoded material. The tracking is performed by associating a history of the digitally-encoded material with the digitally-encoded material. The history can be associated with the digitally-encoded material or kept in a database that communicates with the digitally-encoded material via the identifier. The built-in functions enable the digitally-encoded material to be stored in RAM in an encrypted form. A method for tracking can include encrypting a combination including the digitally-encoded material and the unique identifier and appending built-in function source code and the encrypted combination to form an executable entity executable independent of any particular operating system.

Claims

1. A method of storing digitally-encoded material, the method comprising:

employing a processor to execute computer executable instructions stored in memory to perform the following acts;

combining a unique identifier with the digitally-encoded material and encrypting the combination of the unique identifier and the digitally-encoded material, wherein the unique identifier persists throughout the lifetime of the digitally-encoded material, regardless of any changes made to any portion of the digitally-encoded material, and wherein the unique identifier further persists in copies and other derived digitally-encoded material that includes some but not all of the original digitally-encoded material as well as a portion of new digitally-encoded material not included in the copy, such that copies and derived digitally-encoded material include both the unique identifier of the digitally-encoded material and a new unique identifier for the copy or derived digitally-encoded material;

associating one or more built-in functions with the encrypted digitally-encoded material such that the unique identifier and the built-in functions are coupled to the digitally-encoded material, the built-in functions governing transforms and rendering of the digitally-encoded material, wherein the digitally-encoded material can be transformed and rendered only by the built-in functions, wherein at least one of the built-in functions is configured to automatically notify a selected entity when a specified built-in function has been executed or when execution has been attempted, at least one of the built-in functions is configured to display the available built-in functions associated with the encrypted digitally-encoded material, and at least one of the built-in functions is configured to make visible one or more user-specified portions of the digitally-encoded material;

storing a list of processors that are permitted to execute the built-in functions;

receiving information regarding a first processor attempting to execute one or more of the built-in functions;

verifying if the first processor attempting to execute the built-in functions is on the list of processors; and

permitting the first processor to execute the one or more built-in functions if the processor is on the list else preventing the first processor from executing the one or more built-in functions.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating a history of the digitally-encoded material with the digitally-encoded material.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating a history of the digitally-encoded material, the history being located in a database.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the built-in functions include one or more of Copy, Paste or Print.

5. The method of claim 1 further including an encrypt function and a decrypt function with the built-in functions that enables the digitally-encoded material to be stored in RAM in an encrypted form.

6. A method for tracking digitally-encoded material, the method comprising:

employing a processor to execute computer executable instructions stored in memory to perform the following acts;

appending a unique identifier to the digitally-encoded material, wherein the unique identifier persists throughout the lifetime of the digitally-encoded material, regardless of any changes made to any portion of the digitally-encoded material, and wherein the unique identifier further persists in copies and other derived digitally-encoded material that includes some but not all of the original digitally-encoded material as well as a portion of new digitally-encoded material not included in the copy, such that copies and derived digitally-encoded material include both the unique identifier of the digitally-encoded material and a new unique identifier for the copy or derived digitally-encoded material;

encrypting a combination including the digitally-encoded material and the unique identifier; and

appending built-in function source code to the encrypted combination to form an executable entity capable of being executed independent of a particular operating system, wherein the digitally-encoded material can be transformed and rendered only by the built-in functions, wherein at least one of the built-in functions is configured to automatically notify a selected entity when a specified built-in function has been executed or when execution has been attempted, at least one of the built-in functions is configured to display the available built-in functions associated with the encrypted digitally-encoded material, and at least one of the built-in functions is configured to make visible one or more user-specified portions of the digitally-encoded material;

receiving information regarding a disparate processor accessing the built-in function source code for execution;

allowing the disparate processor to execute a function associated with the built-in function source code if the disparate processor is included in a list of processors permitted to execute the function;

barring the disparate processor from executing the function associated with the built-in function source code if the disparate processor is not included in the list of processor permitted to execute the function.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the built-in functions include one or more of Copy, Paste or Print.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the built-in functions include rendering functions and transform functions.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the rendering functions include one or more of close, find shape, full screen, go to, guides, help, open, order, pan, properties, reveal, rotate/flip, search, select, size and position, spell check, or zoom.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the transform functions include one or more of copy, DRM Agent, export, insert, log, new, paste, print, replace, or save as.

11. The method of claim 10, including the copy function in the transform functions wherein upon executing the copy function a second unique identifier is generated and appended to a generated copy of the digitally encoded material such that the copy comprises the unique identifier and the second unique identifier.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein executing the copy function updates document history of the digitally encoded material and the generated copy and informs at least an author of the digitally encoded material of the generated copy.

13. A computer-readable storage device comprising:

a document configured to enable tracking, and the following processor executable components;

a unique identifier, wherein the unique identifier persists throughout the lifetime of the document, regardless of any changes made to any portion of the document, and wherein the unique identifier further persists in copies and other derived digitally-encoded material that includes some but not all of the original digitally-encoded material as well as a portion of new digitally-encoded material not included in the copy, such that copies and derived digitally-encoded material include both the unique identifier of the digitally-encoded material and a new unique identifier for the copy or derived digitally-encoded material;

digitally-encoded material associated with the unique identifier;

one or more built-in functions coupled to the digitally-encoded material, the built-in functions govern transforms and render the digitally-encoded material independent of a particular operating system, and wherein the digitally-encoded material can be transformed and rendered only by the built-in functions, wherein at least one of the built-in functions is configured to automatically notify a selected entity when a specified built-in function has been executed or when execution has been attempted, at least one of the built-in functions is configured to display the available built-in functions associated with the encrypted digitally-encoded material, and at least one of the built-in functions is configured to make visible one or more user-specified portions of the digitally-encoded material; and

a list of processors associated with each of the built-in functions such that whenever a processor attempts to execute one or more of the built-in functions, it is verified if the processor is comprised within the list of processors before permitting the processor to carry out the one or more built-in functions, the processor is prevented from executing the one or more functions if it is not included in the list of processors associated with each of the one or more built-in functions.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the document can be stored in encrypted form into RAM.

15. The device of claim 13 wherein the built-in functions include rendering functions and transform functions.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the rendering functions include one or more of close, find shape, full screen, go to, guides, help, open, order, pan, properties, reveal, rotate/flip, search, select, size and position, spell check, or zoom.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein the transform functions include one or more of copy, DRM Agent, export, insert, log, new, paste, print, replace, or save as.

18. A computer readable storage device having computer-executable instructions to perform acts for storing digitally-encoded material, the acts comprising:

associating a unique identifier with the digitally-encoded material, wherein the unique identifier persists throughout the lifetime of the digitally-encoded material, regardless of any changes made to any portion of the digitally-encoded material, and wherein the unique identifier further persists in copies and other derived digitally-encoded material that includes some but not all of the original digitally-encoded material as well as a portion of new digitally-encoded material not included in the copy, such that copies and derived digitally-encoded material include both the unique identifier of the digitally-encoded material and a new unique identifier for the copy or derived digitally-encoded material;

associating a plurality of built-in functions with the digitally-encoded material such that the unique identifier and the built-in functions are coupled to the digitally-encoded material;

associating a list of processors with each of the built-in functions such that only processors in the list associated with a particular built-in function are permitted to execute the built-in function;

receiving information regarding at least a processor attempting to render or transform the digitally encoded material via one or more of the built-in functions;

verifying if the processor is included in the list associated with each of the one or more built-in functions; and

rendering or transforming the digitally-encoded material based on the built-in functions, if the processor is included in the list, wherein the digitally-encoded material can be transformed and rendered only by the built-in functions, wherein at least one of the built-in functions is configured to automatically notify a selected entity when a specified built-in function has been executed or when execution has been attempted, at least one of the built-in functions is configured to display the available built-in functions associated with the encrypted digitally-encoded material, and at least one of the built-in functions is configured to make visible one or more user-specified portions of the digitally-encoded material.

19. The computer readable device of claim 18 wherein the acts further comprise:

associating a history of the digitally-encoded material with the digitally-encoded material wherein the history is located in a database.

20. The computer readable device of claim 18 wherein the built-in functions include one or more of copy, paste, print, encrypt, or decrypt and the associating the built-in functions with the digitally-encoded material enables the digitally-encoded material to be stored in RAM in an encrypted form.

21. A computer readable device having computer-executable instructions to perform a method for tracking digitally-encoded material, the method comprising:

appending a unique identifier to the digitally-encoded material, wherein the unique identifier persists throughout the lifetime of the digitally-encoded material, regardless of any changes made to any portion of the digitally-encoded material, and wherein the unique identifier further persists in copies and other derived digitally-encoded material that includes some but not all of the original digitally-encoded material as well as a portion of new digitally-encoded material not included in the copy, such that copies and derived digitally-encoded material include both the unique identifier of the digitally-encoded material and a new unique identifier for the copy or derived digitally-encoded material;

encrypting a combination including the digitally-encoded material and the unique identifier;

forming an executable entity capable of being executed independent of a particular operating system by appending built-in function source code to the encrypted combination, wherein the digitally-encoded material can be transformed and rendered only by the built-in functions, wherein at least one of the built-in functions is configured to automatically notify a selected entity when a specified built-in function has been executed or when execution has been attempted, at least one of the built-in functions is configured to display the available built-in functions associated with the encrypted digitally-encoded material, and at least one of the built-in functions is configured to make visible one or more user-specified portions of the digitally-encoded material;

storing a list of processors that are permitted to execute the built-in functions;

receiving information regarding a first processor attempting to execute one or more of the built-in functions;

verifying if the first processor attempting to execute the built-in functions is on the list of processors;

permitting the first processor to execute the one or more built-in functions if the processor is on the list else preventing the first processor from executing the one or more built-in functions.

22. The computer readable device of claim 21 wherein the method further comprise:

tracking the digitally-encoded material by maintaining an auditable document history log.

23. The computer readable device of claim 22 wherein the auditable document history log is maintained in one of a file associated with the digitally-encoded material and a database independent of the digitally-encoded material.