Controlling database copyrights

• US 8,554,684 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2011
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Piracy Protection LLC (LF Capital Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intarsia Software LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Saito, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustin, Evens J
• Application Number:
  US13/179,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20110282792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 705/53, 705/59, 463/29, 235/492
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• 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 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/30 Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/44 Secrecy systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4406 Restricting access, e.g. according to user identity mechanisms actuated y cards, PIN or the like in apparatus for dispensing G07F7/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4426 involving separate means, e.g. a server, a magnetic card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4433 to an apparatus, part of an apparatus or an apparatus function
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/444 to a particular document or image or part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4486 using digital data encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3246 of data relating to permitted access or usage, e.g. level of access or usage parameters for digital rights management [DRM] related to still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3281 Encryption; Ciphering
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 705/904 Usage protection of distributed files
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 705/908 : Software or content usage protection

Abstract

Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a utilization permit key may be pre-defined to permit at least one of displaying, editing, storing, copying, and/or transferring of digital data.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a utilization permit key at a computing device;

decrypting encrypted data to produce decrypted data, wherein the decrypting is performed by the computing device using the utilization permit key;

determining, based at least in part on the utilization permit key, a set of permitted operations;

receiving a request for a specified operation;

in response to determining that the set of permitted operations does not include the specified operation, preventing the specified operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the set of permitted operations does not include the specified operation is based on a number of times that the specified operation has previously been performed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein decrypting the encrypted data to produce decrypted data includes:

determining a number of times that the utilization permit key has previously been used; and

determining that the number of times that the utilization permit key has previously been used is less than a key usage limit.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the key usage limit is one usage.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining that the set of permitted operations does not include the specified operation includes determining that permitting the specified operation would result in the specified operation being performed more times than a specified limit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of permitted operations includes a plurality of permitted types of operations.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of permitted operations comprises one or more operations selected from the set consisting of displaying, storing, copying, editing, and transferring.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of permitted operations consists of one type of operation, wherein the one type of operation is selected from the set consisting of displaying, storing, copying, editing, and transferring.

9. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium having program instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:

receiving a utilization permit key;

decrypting encrypted data to produce decrypted data, wherein the decrypting is performed using the utilization permit key;

determining, based at least in part on the utilization permit key, a set of permitted operations;

receiving a request for a specified operation;

in response to determining that the set of permitted operations does not include the specified operation, preventing the specified operation.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein determining that the set of permitted operations does not include the specified operation is based on a number of times that the specified operation has previously been performed.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein decrypting the encrypted data to produce decrypted data includes:

determining a number of times that the utilization permit key has previously been used; and

determining that the number of times that the utilization permit key has previously been used is less than a key usage limit.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

adjusting the utilization permit key to indicate additional usage to decrypt data.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the set of permitted operations includes a plurality of permitted operations.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the set of permitted operations consists of one operation, wherein the one operation is selected from the set consisting of displaying, storing, copying, editing, and transferring.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

memory, coupled to the processor, having stored thereon program instructions executable to cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising;

receiving a utilization permit key;

decrypting encrypted data to produce decrypted data, wherein the decrypting is performed by using the utilization permit key;

determining, based at least in part on the utilization permit key, a set of permitted operations;

receiving a request for a specified operation;

in response to determining that the set of permitted operations does not include the specified operation, preventing the specified operation.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein determining that the set of permitted operations does not include the specified operation is based on a number of times that the specified operation has previously been performed.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein decrypting the encrypted data to produce decrypted data includes:

determining a number of times that the utilization permit key has previously been used; and

determining that the number of times that the utilization permit key has previously been used is less than a key usage limit.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, the operations further comprising:

adjusting the utilization permit key to indicate additional usage.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the set of permitted operations includes a plurality of permitted operations.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the set of permitted operations consists of one operation, wherein the one operation is selected from the set consisting of displaying, storing, copying, editing, and transferring.