Method and system for subscription digital rights management

• US 8,468,098 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2012
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Inventors: Lao, Guillermo, Ta, Thanh
• Primary Examiner(s): Reagan, James A
• Application Number:
  US13/412,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20120167228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 705/54
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1015 to users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0071 involving a purchase action
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce
• 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 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system and method for managing use of items having usage rights associated therewith. The system includes an activation device adapted to issue a software package having a public and private key pair, the public key being associated with a user, a license device adapted to issue a license, a usage device adapted to receive the software package, receive the license and allow the user to access the item in accordance with the license, and a subscription managing device adapted to maintain a subscription list including the public key associated with the user. License'"'"'s is issued by the license device upon verifying presence of the public key in the subscription list corresponding to requested content.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method executed by one or more computing devices for creating a digital work that is made available to a subscriber computing device through a subscription, the subscriber computing device being associated with a subscriber of the subscription, the method comprising:

before an instance of the content is available to the subscriber computing device through the subscription, transmitting, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a label associated with at least one usage right;

receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a request for access to the instance of the content;

receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, information related to the environment of a computing device associated with the subscriber; and

transmitting, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the instance of the content after the instance of the content becomes available to the subscriber computing device through the subscription, wherein the instance of the content is in a format appropriate to the environment of a computing device associated with the subscriber,

wherein the digital work is created when the at least one usage right becomes associated with the instance of the content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one usage right corresponds to a permitted utilization of the instance of the content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the permitted utilization is rendering the instance of the content for a specified period of time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the permitted utilization is distribution of the instance of the content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one usage right is enforceable by a computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one usage right corresponds to the subscription.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for access is received before the instance of the content is available to the subscriber computing device through the subscription.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein utilization of the digital work is permitted after the instance of content becomes available to the subscriber computing device through the subscription.

9. An apparatus for creating a digital work that is made available to a subscriber computing device through a subscription, the subscriber computing device being associated with a subscriber of the subscription, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories operatively coupled to at least one of the one or more processors and containing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause at least one of the one or more processors to;

before an instance of the content is available to the subscriber computing device through the subscription, transmit a label associated with at least one usage right;

receive a request for access to the instance of the content;

receive information related to the environment of a computing device associated with the subscriber; and

transmit the instance of the content after the content becomes available to the subscriber computing device through the subscription, wherein the instance of the content is in a format appropriate to the environment of a computing device associated with the subscriber,

wherein the digital work is created when the at least one usage right becomes associated with the instance of the content.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one usage right corresponds to a permitted utilization of the instance of the content.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the permitted utilization is rendering the instance of the content for a specified period of time.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the permitted utilization is distribution of the instance of the content.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one usage right is enforceable by a computing device.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one usage right corresponds to the subscription.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the request for access is received before the instance of the content is available to the subscriber computing device through the subscription.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein utilization of the digital work is permitted after the instance of content becomes available to the subscriber computing device through the subscription.

17. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, create a digital work that is made available to a subscriber computing through a subscription, the subscriber computing device being associated with a subscriber of the subscription, the instructions causing at least one of the one or more computing devices to:

before an instance of the content is available to the subscriber computing device through the subscription, transmit a label associated with at least one usage right;

receive a request for access to the instance of the content;

receive information related to the environment of a computing device associated with the subscriber; and

transmit the instance of the content after the instance of the content becomes available to the subscriber computing device through the subscription, wherein the instance of the content is in a format appropriate to the environment of a computing device associated with the subscriber,

wherein the digital work is created when the at least one usage right becomes associated with the instance of the content.

18. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the at least one usage right corresponds to a permitted utilization of the instance of the content.

19. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the permitted utilization is rendering the instance of the content for a specified period of time.

20. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the permitted utilization is distribution of the instance of the content.

21. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the at least one usage right is enforceable by a computing device.

22. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the at least one usage right corresponds to the subscription.

23. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the request for access is received before the instance of the content is available to the subscriber computing device through the subscription.

24. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein utilization of the digital work is permitted after the instance of content becomes available to the subscriber computing device through the subscription.