System and method for digital rights management of digital media

• US 8,429,752 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2007
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Upload Technologies S.A.
• Original Assignee: Upload Technologies S.A.
• Inventors: Nimon, Robert E., Espenlaub, David E., Nimon, Kimmy F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLDER, BRADLEY W
• Application Number:
  US11/626,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20070250911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,282 Days
• Field of Search: 726/26, 726/27, 380/200, 380/201
• US Class Current: 726/26
• 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 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/16 Obfuscation or hiding, e.g. involving white box
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/30 Compression, e.g. Merkle-Damgard construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8193 dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool
• 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 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A system and accompanying method for Digital Rights Management (DRM) are disclosed that permit arbitrary forms of digital media to be vended in a networked environment. Special purpose renderers are distributed with each particular instance of digital media. Each renderer may include a tailored set of controls allowing the owner of the digital media to restrict the use thereof.

Claims

1. A method for controlling digital media, the method comprising:

providing a first instance of encumbered digital media, the encumbered digital media being encumbered by at least one technique selected from the group consisting of obfuscation and compression;

providing a first special purpose renderer that is specific to the first instance of encumbered digital media, the first special purpose renderer for unencumbering and rendering the first instance of encumbered digital media;

dynamically operating on the first instance of encumbered digital media with the first special purpose renderer in order to create a new and unique encumbered instance of the first instance of encumbered digital media, which is a second instance of encumbered digital media;

dynamically providing a second special purpose renderer that is specific to the second instance of encumbered digital media, the second special purpose renderer for unencumbering and rendering the second instance of encumbered digital media and the second renderer being a product of the first renderer operating on the first instance of encumbered digital media, wherein the second instance of encumbered digital media and the second renderer are dynamically generated as part of the same operation;

a set of digital rights management controls integrated into the first special purpose renderer, the set of digital rights management controls enforcing pre-designed policies controlling access to the first encumbered digital media; and

the first special purpose renderer is inoperable to render the second instance of encumbered digital media and the second special purpose renderer is inoperable to render the first instance of encumbered digital media.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of digital rights management controls enforce policies relating to an action selected from the group consisting of recording, playing, copying, and transmitting.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the operating on the first instance of encumbered digital media is consistent with the set of digital rights management controls.

4. A method for controlling digital media, the method comprising:

selecting a title at a server for consumption via a computer network;

providing a first instance of encumbered digital media, the encumbered digital media being encumbered by at least one technique selected from the group consisting of obfuscation and compression, the first instance of encumbered digital media corresponding to the selected title;

providing a first special purpose renderer that is specific to the first instance of encumbered digital media, the first special purpose renderer for unencumbering and rendering the first instance of encumbered digital media;

dynamically operating on the first instance of encumbered digital media with the first special purpose renderer in order to create a new and unique encumbered instance of the first instance of encumbered digital media, which is a second instance of encumbered digital media;

dynamically providing a second special purpose renderer that is specific to the second instance of encumbered digital media, the second special purpose renderer for unencumbering and rendering the second instance of encumbered digital media and the second renderer being a product of the first renderer operating on the first instance of encumbered digital media, wherein the second instance of encumbered digital media and the second renderer are dynamically generated as part of the same operation;

a set of digital rights management controls integrated into the first special purpose renderer, the set of digital rights management controls enforcing pre-designed policies controlling access to the first encumbered digital media; and

the first special purpose renderer is inoperable to render the second instance of encumbered digital media and the second special purpose renderer is inoperable to render the first instance of encumbered digital media.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising vending the second instance of encumbered digital media and the second renderer from the server to a consumer via the computer network.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the set of digital rights management controls enforce policies relating to an action selected from the group consisting of recording, playing, copying, and transmitting.

7. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the operating on the first instance of encumbered digital media is consistent with the set of digital rights management controls.

8. A system for controlling digital media, the system comprising:

means for providing a first instance of encumbered digital media, the encumbered digital media being encumbered by at least one technique selected from the group consisting of obfuscation and compression;

means for providing a first special purpose renderer that is specific to the first instance of encumbered digital media, the first special purpose renderer for unencumbering and rendering the first instance of encumbered digital media;

means for dynamically operating on the first instance of encumbered digital media with the first special purpose renderer in order to create a new and unique encumbered instance of the first instance of encumbered digital media, which is a second instance of encumbered digital media;

means for dynamically providing a second special purpose renderer that is specific to the second instance of encumbered digital media, the second special purpose renderer for unencumbering and rendering the second instance of encumbered digital media and the second renderer being a product of the first renderer operating on the first instance of encumbered digital media, wherein the second instance of encumbered digital media and the second renderer are dynamically generated as part of the same operation;

a set of digital rights management controls integrated into the first special purpose renderer, the set of digital rights management controls enforcing pre-designed policies controlling access to the first encumbered digital media; and

the first special purpose renderer is inoperable to render the second instance of encumbered digital media and the second special purpose renderer is inoperable to render the first instance of encumbered digital media.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the set of digital rights management controls enforce policies relating to an action selected from the group consisting of recording, playing, copying, and transmitting.

10. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the operating on the first instance of encumbered digital media is consistent with the set of digital rights management controls.

11. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the means for providing a first instance of encumbered digital media and means for providing a first special purpose renderer are at least partially integrated.

12. The system as recited in claim 8, where the means for dynamically operating on the first instance of encumbered digital media and the means for dynamically providing a second special purpose renderer are at least partially integrated.

13. The system as recited in claim 8, further comprising a title selected at a server for consumption via a computer network, the first instance of encumbered digital media corresponding to the selected title.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, further comprising means for vending the second instance of encumbered digital media and the second renderer from the server to a consumer via the computer network.