Dynamic enabling of functionality in electronic document readers

• US 8,151,114 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2010
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Chaudhury, Krish, Pravetz, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): REVAK, CHRISTOPHER A
• Application Number:
  US12/715,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20100161500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/176
• 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: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for digital rights management. In one aspect, a method is provided. The method includes receiving an electronic document, where the electronic document includes one or more content items, a set of usage rights defining one or more features to be enabled when the document is read by an electronic document reader, and a stored representation. The method further includes generating a representation of invariant content items of the electronic document, comparing the generated representation with the stored representation, and enabling features corresponding to the set of usage rights in the electronic document only if the generated representation and the stored representation are identical, where the features are features performed by the electronic document reader on the electronic document.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a representation of invariant content items of an electronic document and an associated set of usage rights at an authentication server, wherein the invariant content items are different from the set of usage rights and invariance is independent from the set of usage rights;

determining whether a payment associated with the electronic document has been received; and

if the payment has been received, authorizing the representation and associated set of usage rights.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation is a digest.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage rights include features in the electronic document that are enabled when the electronic document is displayed by an electronic document reader.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the usage rights include one or more of digitally signing the electronic document, entering data into predefined fields of the electronic document, annotating the electronic document, saving field values, or saving the electronic document.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein authorizing the representation includes signing the representation and associated set of usage rights with a private electronic key and the method further comprises providing a public electronic key corresponding to the private electronic key and that can be used to verify that the use of the features for the electronic document has been authorized to the electronic document reader.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of the electronic document is a selective digest of less than all of the electronic document.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the selective digest does not include a digest of portions of the electronic document that the set of usage rights indicate as being modifiable by a user of an electronic document reader configured to display the electronic document.

8. A computer program product, encoded on a machine-readable storage device, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving a representation of invariant content items of an electronic document and an associated set of usage rights at an authentication server, wherein the invariant content items are different from the set of usage rights and invariance is independent from the set of usage rights;

determining whether a payment associated with the electronic document has been received; and

if the payment has been received, authorizing the representation and associated set of usage rights.

9. The program product of claim 8, wherein the representation is a digest.

10. The program product of claim 8, wherein the usage rights include features in the electronic document that are enabled when the electronic document is displayed by an electronic document reader.

11. The program product of claim 10, wherein the usage rights include one or more of digitally signing the electronic document, entering data into predefined fields of the electronic document, annotating the electronic document, saving field values, or saving the electronic document.

12. The program product of claim 10, wherein authorizing the representation includes signing the representation and associated set of usage rights with a private electronic key and the method further comprises providing a public electronic key corresponding to the private electronic key and that can be used to verify that the use of the features for the electronic document has been authorized to the electronic document reader.

13. The program product of claim 8, wherein the representation of the electronic document is a selective digest of less than all of the electronic document.

14. The program product of claim 13, wherein the selective digest does not include a digest of portions of the electronic document that the set of usage rights indicate as being modifiable by a user of an electronic document reader configured to display the electronic document.

15. An authentication system comprising:

a data storage system including a program product; and

a programmable processor coupled to receive data from and transmit data to the data storage system, the processor being operable to execute the program product and perform operations comprising;

receiving a representation of invariant content items of an electronic document and an associated set of usage rights at an authentication server, wherein the invariant content items are different from the set of usage rights and invariance is independent from the set of usage rights;

determining whether a payment associated with the electronic document has been received; and

if the payment has been received, authorizing the representation and associated set of usage rights.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the representation is a digest.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the usage rights include features in the electronic document that are enabled when the electronic document is displayed by an electronic document reader.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein authorizing the representation includes signing the representation and associated set of usage rights with a private electronic key and the method further comprises providing a public electronic key corresponding to the private electronic key and that can be used to verify that the use of the features for the electronic document has been authorized to the electronic document reader.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the representation of the electronic document is a selective digest of less than all of the electronic document.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the selective digest does not include a digest of portions of the electronic document that the set of usage rights indicate as being modifiable by a user of an electronic document reader configured to display the electronic document.