Controlling interaction between protected media

• US 8,105,165 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2007
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Karstens, Christopher K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US11/941,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20090131172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 463 40- 42, 709217-219
• US Class Current: 463/40
• 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 2221/2109 Game systems

Abstract

A method, gaming system, and computer program storage product are disclosed. At least one unique identifier is received from a remote processing system. The at least one remote unique identifier is associated with a remote software package that is on the remote processing system. The at least one remote unique identifier and a local unique identifier associated with a local software package on a local processing system are compared. The local software package corresponds to the remote software package. The at least one remote unique identifier indicates that the remote software package is one of a parent copy and a child copy of a software package executable. The local unique identifier indicates that the local software package is one of a parent copy and a child copy of the software package executable. An operation of the local software package is authorized based upon the comparing.

Claims

1. A method, with a gaming system, for managing interaction between one or more other gaming systems comprising protected media, the method comprising:

executing, with a processor of an information processing system, the following;

receiving at least one remote unique identifier from a remote processing system, wherein the at least one remote unique identifier is associated with a remote software package that is stored on the remote processing system;

comparing, in response to the receiving, the at least one remote unique identifier and a local unique identifier associated with a local software package stored on a local processing system, the local software package corresponding to the remote software package, wherein the at least one remote unique identifier indicates that the remote software package is one of a parent copy and a child copy of a software package executable and the local unique identifier indicates that the local software package is one of a parent copy and a child copy of the software package executable; and

authorizing an operation of the local software package based upon the comparing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one remote unique identifier further identifies a location from which the remote software package was downloaded from.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing comprises:

determining, based upon the at least one remote unique identifier, that the remote processing system is using a local copy of the software package executable; and

determining that the local unique identifier is derived from the at least one remote unique identifier,

wherein the authorizing comprises preventing, in response to determining that the local unique identifier is derived from the at least one remote unique identifier, the local processing system from interacting with the remote processing system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing comprises:

determining, based upon the remote unique identifier, that the remote software package is the parent copy of the software package executable; and

determining that the local unique identifier is derived from the at least one unique identifier,

wherein the authorizing comprises preventing, in response to the determining that the local unique identifier is derived from the at least one unique identifier, the local processing system from interacting with the remote processing system.

5. The method of claim 1:

wherein the comparing comprises determining that the at least one remote unique identifier is derived from the local unique identifier, and

wherein the authorizing comprises allowing, in response to the determining, the local processing system to interact with the remote processing system.

6. The method of claim 1:

wherein the comparing comprises determining that the at least one remote unique identifier is derived from the local unique identifier, and

wherein the authorizing comprises denying, in response to the determining, the local processing system to interact with the remote processing system.

7. The method of claim 1:

wherein the comparing comprises determining that the at least one remote unique identifier is not derived from to the local unique identifier, and

wherein the authorizing comprises allowing, in response to the determining, the local processing system to interact with the remote processing system.

8. The method of claim 1:

wherein the comparing comprises determining that the at least one remote unique identifier is not derived from to the local unique identifier, and

wherein the authorizing comprises denying, in response to the determining, the local processing system to interact with the remote processing system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the software package executable comprises a game.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a data item from the remote processing system, the data item comprising the at least one remote unique identifier,

wherein the authorizing comprises controlling access to the data item by the local software package.

11. A gaming system comprising:

a memory;

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory; and

a content manager adapted to manage interaction between a local processing system and one or more other systems comprising protected media, wherein the content manager comprises;

a unique identifier receiver adapted to receive at least one remote unique identifier from a remote processing system, wherein the at least one remote unique identifier is associated with a remote software package that is stored on the remote processing system;

a comparator adapted to compare, in response to the receiving, the at least one remote unique identifier and a local unique identifier associated with a local software package stored on the local processing system, the local software package corresponding to the remote software package, wherein the at least one remote unique identifier indicates that the remote software package is one of a parent copy and a child copy of a software package executable and the local unique identifier indicates that the local software package is one of a parent copy and a child copy of the software package executable; and

an interaction authorizer adapted to authorize an operation of the local software package based upon the comparing.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the comparator is further adapted to compare by:

determining, based upon the at least one remote unique identifier, that the remote processing system is using a local copy of the software package executable; and

determining that the local unique identifier is derived from the at least one remote unique identifier,

wherein the authorizing comprises preventing, in response to determining that the local unique identifier is derived from the at least one remote unique identifier, the local processing system from interacting with the remote processing system.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the comparator is further adapted to compare by:

determining, based upon the remote unique identifier, that the remote software package is the parent copy of the software package executable; and

determining that the local unique identifier is derived from the at least one unique identifier,

wherein the authorizing comprises preventing, in response to the determining that the local unique identifier is derived from the at least one unique identifier, the local processing system from interacting with the remote processing system.

14. A computer program storage product for managing interaction between one or more other gaming systems comprising protected media, the computer program storage product storing a machine executable program comprising instructions for:

receiving at least one remote unique identifier from a remote processing system, wherein the at least one remote unique identifier is associated with a remote software package that is stored on the remote processing system;

comparing, in response to the receiving, the at least one remote unique identifier and a local unique identifier associated with a local software package stored on a local processing system, the local software package corresponding to the remote software package, wherein the at least one remote unique identifier indicates that the remote software package is one of a parent copy and a child copy of a software package executable and the local unique identifier indicates that the local software package is one of a parent copy and a child copy of the software package executable; and

authorizing an operation of the local software package based upon the comparing.

15. The computer program storage product of claim 14, wherein the instructions for comparing further comprise instructions for:

determining, based upon the at least one remote unique identifier, that the remote processing system is using a local copy of the software package executable; and

determining that the local unique identifier is derived from the at least one remote unique identifier,

wherein the authorizing comprises preventing, in response to determining that the local unique identifier is derived from the at least one remote unique identifier, the local processing system from interacting with the remote processing system.

16. The computer program storage product of claim 14, wherein the instructions for comparing further comprising instructions for:

determining, based upon the remote unique identifier, that the remote software package is the parent copy of the software package executable; and

determining that the local unique identifier is derived from the at least one unique identifier,

wherein the authorizing comprises preventing, in response to the determining that the local unique identifier is derived from the at least one unique identifier, the local processing system from interacting with the remote processing system.

17. The computer program storage product of claim 14:

wherein the instructions for comparing comprise instructions for determining that the at least one remote unique identifier is derived from the local unique identifier, and

wherein the instructions for authorizing further comprise instructions for allowing, in response to the determining, the local processing system to interact with the remote processing system.

18. The computer program storage product of claim 14:

wherein the instructions for comparing comprise instructions for determining that the at least one remote unique identifier is derived from the local unique identifier, and

wherein the instructions for authorizing further comprise instructions for denying, in response to the determining, the local processing system to interact with the remote processing system.

19. The computer program storage product of claim 14:

wherein the instructions for comparing comprise instructions for determining that the at least one remote unique identifier is not derived from to the local unique identifier, and

wherein the instructions for authorizing further comprise instructions for allowing, in response to the determining, the local processing system to interact with the remote processing system.

20. The computer program storage product of claim 14:

wherein the instructions for comparing comprise instructions for determining that the at least one remote unique identifier is not derived from to the local unique identifier, and

wherein the instructions for authorizing further comprise instructions for denying, in response to the determining, the local processing system to interact with the remote processing system.

21. A computer program storage product containing a software executable image for a game, the computer program storage product comprising:

an identification storage encoded with a local unique identifier associated with a local software package stored in the memory; and

a content manager adapted to manage interaction between a local processing system and one or more other systems comprising protected media, wherein the content manager comprises;

a unique identifier receiver adapted to receive at least one remote unique identifier from a remote processing system, wherein the at least one remote unique identifier is associated with a remote software package that is stored on the remote processing system;

a comparator adapted to compare, in response to the receiving, the at least one remote unique identifier and the local unique identifier associated with a local software package stored on the local processing system, the local software package corresponding to the remote software package, wherein the at least one remote unique identifier indicates that the remote software package is one of a parent copy and a child copy of a software package executable and the local unique identifier indicates that the local software package is one of a parent copy and a child copy of the software package executable; and

an interaction authorizer adapted to authorize an operation of the local software package based upon the comparing.

22. The computer program storage product of claim 21, wherein the comparator further:

determines that the at least one remote unique identifier is derived from the local unique identifier, and

allows, in response to determining that the at least one remote unique identifier is derived from the local unique identifier, the local processing system to interact with the remote processing system.

23. The computer program storage product of claim 21, wherein the computer program storage product is part of a game cartridge.