Controlling interaction between protected media

• US 8,360,886 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2012
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• 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:
  US13/342,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20120102578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 392 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, server system, and computer program storage product are disclosed. At least a first unique identifier from a first remote processing system is received. The first unique identifier is associated with a first remote software package that is on the first remote processing system. The first unique identifier and a second unique identifier are compared. The second unique identifier is associated with a second remote software package that is on a second remote processing system. The first unique identifier indicates that the first remote software package is one of a parent and a child copy of a software package executable. The second unique identifier indicates that the second remote software package is one of a parent and a child copy of the software package executable. An operation of at least one of the first remote software package and the second remote software package is authorized based upon the comparing.

Claims

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

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

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

authorizing an operation of at least one of the first remote software package and the second remote software package based upon the comparing.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at least the second unique identifier from the second remote processing system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first unique identifier and the second unique identifier identifies a location from which the first remote software package and the second remote software package, respectively, was downloaded from.

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

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

determining that the first unique identifier is derived from the second unique identifier,

wherein the authorizing comprises preventing, in response to determining that the first unique identifier is derived from the second unique identifier, the first remote processing system from interacting with the second remote processing system.

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

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

determining that the second unique identifier is derived from the first unique identifier,

wherein the authorizing comprises preventing, in response to the determining that the second unique identifier is derived from the first unique identifier, the second remote processing system from interacting with the first remote processing system.

6. The method of claim 1:

wherein the comparing comprises determining that the first unique identifier is derived from the second unique identifier, and

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

7. The method of claim 1:

wherein the comparing comprises determining that the first unique identifier is derived from the second unique identifier, and

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

8. The method of claim 1:

wherein the comparing comprises determining that the first unique identifier is not derived from the second unique identifier, and

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

9. The method of claim 1:

wherein the comparing comprises determining that the first unique identifier is not derived from to the second unique identifier, and

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

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

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a data item from the first remote processing system, the data item comprising the first unique identifier,

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

12. A server system comprising:

a memory;

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory; and

a device manager configured to manage interaction between a plurality of remote processing systems comprising protected media, wherein the device manager comprises;

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

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

an interaction authorizer configured to authorize an operation of at least one of the first remote software package and the second remote software package based upon the comparing.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the comparator is further configured to compare by:

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

determining that the first unique identifier is derived from the second unique identifier,

wherein the authorizing comprises preventing, in response to determining that the first unique identifier is derived from the second unique identifier, the first remote processing system from interacting with the second remote processing system.

14. The server of claim 12, wherein the comparator is further configured to compare by:

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

determining that the second unique identifier is derived from the first unique identifier,

wherein the authorizing comprises preventing, in response to the determining that the second unique identifier is derived from the first unique identifier, the second remote processing system from interacting with the first remote processing system.

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

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

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

authorizing an operation of at least one of the first remote software package and the second remote software package based upon the comparing.

16. The computer program storage product of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first unique identifier and the second unique identifier identifies a location from which the first remote software package and the second remote software package, respectively, was downloaded from.

17. The computer program storage product of claim 15, wherein the comparing further comprises

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

and

determining that the first unique identifier is derived from the second unique identifier,

wherein the authorizing comprises preventing, in response to determining that the first unique identifier is derived from the second unique identifier, the first remote processing system from interacting with the second remote processing system.

18. The computer program storage product of claim 15, wherein the comparing comprises:

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

determining that the second unique identifier is derived from the first unique identifier,

wherein the authorizing comprises preventing, in response to the determining that the second unique identifier is derived from the first unique identifier, the second remote processing system from interacting with the first remote processing system.

19. The computer program storage product of claim 15:

wherein the comparing comprises determining that the first unique identifier is derived from the second unique identifier, and

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

20. The computer program storage product of claim 15:

wherein the comparing comprises determining that the first unique identifier is derived from the second unique identifier, and

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

21. The computer program storage product of claim 15:

wherein the comparing comprises determining that the first unique identifier is not derived from the second unique identifier, and

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

22. The computer program storage product of claim 15:

wherein the comparing comprises determining that the first unique identifier is not derived from to the second unique identifier, and

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

23. The computer program storage product of claim 15, wherein the software package executable comprises a game.

24. The computer program storage product of claim 15, further comprising instructions for:

receiving a data item from the first remote processing system, the data item comprising the first unique identifier,

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