System and method for enforcing usage rights associated with digital content

• US 8,170,955 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2009
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Inventors: Stefik, Mark J., Pirolli, Peter L. T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fischer, Andrew J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCINTYRE, CHARLES AARON
• Application Number:
  US12/650,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 705/59
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/301 for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/031 torque limiting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0113 Mechanical advancing means, e.g. catheter dispensers
• 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 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 : Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 : Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 : Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/146 : using digital cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 : Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1496 : involving discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 : Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 : Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 : applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 : Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 : Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 : wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 : using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 : using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 : using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 : Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 : Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 : received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 : using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 : involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23412 : for generating or manipulating the scene composition of objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 : Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; 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 21/2543 : Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26613 : for generating or managing keys in general key distribution for secret or secure communication involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP] H04L9/083; network support of key management H04L63/06; key management for network security in communication control or processing H04W12/04
• 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 21/6332 : directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 : directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 : Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 : involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/83555 : using a structured language for describing usage rules of the content, e.g. REL
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 : Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 : Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method, system and software for permitting use of digital works having rights associated therewith in a system having repositories configured to enable use of the digital work in accordance with the rights, including associating a transfer right with a digital work, the transfer right specifying that the digital work is transferred from a first repository to a second repository; transferring the digital work from the first repository to the second repository in accordance with the transfer right; and in response to the transferring, step updating transfer right information in respect of the digital work.

Claims

1. A method for enforcing usage rights associated with digital content, the method comprising:

electronically creating usage rights from a grammar, the usage rights specifying a manner of use in which the digital content can be used or distributed and one or more conditions which must be satisfied before the manner of use may be exercised, the manner of use being selected from a plurality of manners of use, wherein one or more symbols from a first set of predetermined symbols are used to define a valid sequence of symbols to indicate the manner of use and one or more symbols from a second set of predetermined symbols are used to define a valid sequence of symbols to indicate the one or more conditions;

associating the usage rights with a digital content;

receiving the digital content and the usage rights at a first non-centralized repository;

storing the digital content and the usage rights on a first storage component at the first non-centralized repository;

transferring, by the first non-centralized repository, the digital content and a next set of rights to a second storage component, wherein the next set of rights identifies an authorization that is required to access the digital content;

generating, by a second repository, a usage transaction for requesting access to the digital content; and

processing, by the first non-centralized repository, the usage transaction to determine if access to the digital content can be granted in accordance with the next set of rights.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the usage rights include status information relating to the state of the usage rights.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of transferring further comprises updating the status information of the usage rights.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of transferring further comprises creating the next set of rights based on the usage rights and the status information of the usage rights, wherein the next set of rights include status information relating to the state of the next set of rights.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the step of processing further comprises changing the status information of the next set of rights.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of processing the usage transaction to determine if access to the digital content can be granted in accordance with the next set of rights further comprises determining if the second storage component has the required authorization.

7. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the status information of the usage rights comprises a history list indicating events relating to the digital content.

8. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the status information of the next set of rights comprises a history list indicating events relating to the digital content.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the usage rights comprise a revenue identifier for identifying a revenue owner of the digital content.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second storage component is a removable storage device.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first non-centralized repository and the second repository are parts of a single device.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the content comprises a contents file and the usage rights comprise a description tree file.

13. A system for enforcing usage rights associated with digital content, the system comprising:

a processor operative to electronically create usage rights from a grammar, the usage rights specifying a manner of use in which the digital content can be used or distributed and one or more conditions which must be satisfied before the manner of use may be exercised, the manner of use being selected from a plurality of manners of use, wherein one or more symbols from a first set of predetermined symbols are used to define a valid sequence of symbols to indicate the manner of use and one or more symbols from a second set of predetermined symbols are used to define a valid sequence of symbols to indicate the one or more conditions;

a processor operative to associate the usage rights with a digital content;

a first non-centralized repository operative to receive the digital content and the usage rights, transfer the digital content and a next set of rights to a second storage component, and process a usage transaction to determine if access to the digital content can be granted in accordance with the next set of rights, wherein the next set of rights identifies an authorization that is required to access the digital content;

a first storage component at the first non-centralized repository operative to store the digital content and the usage rights; and

a second repository operative to generate the usage transaction for requesting access to the digital content.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the usage rights include status information relating to the state of the usage rights.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the first non-centralized repository is further operative to update the status information of the usage rights.

16. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the first non-centralized repository is further operative to create the next set of rights based on the usage rights and the status information of the usage rights, wherein the next set of rights include status information relating to the state of the next set of rights.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the first non-centralized repository is further operative to change the status information of the next set of rights.

18. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the first non-centralized repository is further operative to determine if the second storage component has the required authorization.

19. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the status information of the usage rights comprises a history list indicating events relating to the digital content.

20. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the status information of the next set of rights comprises a history list indicating events relating to the digital content.

21. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the usage rights comprise a revenue identifier for identifying a revenue owner of the digital content.

22. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the second storage component is a removable storage device.

23. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the first non-centralized repository and the second repository are parts of a single device.

24. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the content comprises a contents file and the usage rights comprise a description tree file.