Method, system, and device for license-centric content consumption

• US 8,660,961 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Inventors: Raley, Michael Charles, Chen, Eddie J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nigh, James D
• Application Number:
  US10/990,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20060107046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,386 Days
• Field of Search: 705 50- 51, 705/59, 713/150, 713/168
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• 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 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/18 Licensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/358 Digital rights management

Abstract

A method, system, and device for license-centric content use or distribution, including a pre-existing digital rights management (DRM) system having a unique interface to a repository of data thereof to govern use of content; a shared license repository configured to access the data to govern the use of the content and to communicate with the unique interface of the pre-existing DRM system; and a user interface configured to interact with the pre-existing DRM system, and configured to allow the user to send a license associated with the content from the shared license repository to the pre-existing DRM system or to another shared license repository.

Claims

1. A computer system for content use, said computer system including one or more processors and one or more memory devices, said computer system comprising:

a shared license computer device comprising;

a first set of at least one of said one or more processors and at least one of said one or more memory devices having instructions recorded thereon for managing licenses on behalf of a user wherein the user is associated with the shared license computer device,

a license management user interface component configured to accept license lifecycle management commands from a user,

a first API, and

a second API;

a first DRM computer system comprising;

a second set of at least one of said one or more processors and at least one of said one or more memory devices having instructions recorded thereon for receiving a first instance of content, restricting use of the first instance of content in accordance with a first license defining a permitted use, and transmitting a first indication of the permitted use based on the first license to the first API, the second set of at least one of said one or more processors and memory devices being a different set than the first set of at least one of said one or more processors and memory devices;

a second DRM computer system comprising;

a third set of at least one of said one or more processors and at least one of said one or more memory devices having instructions recorded thereon for receiving a second indication of the permitted use, which is based on the first indication of permitted use, from the second API and restricting use of a second instance of the content in accordance with the second indication of the permitted use to thereby authorize a player of the second DRM computer system to provide use of the second instance of the content to the user, wherein the second instance of the content is not derived from the first instance of content and wherein the second DRM computer system utilizes an enforcement mechanism that is different than an enforcement mechanism of the first DRM computer system, the third set of at least one of said one or more processors and memory devices being a different set than the second set of at least one of said one or more processors and memory devices and the first set of at least one of said one or more processors and memory devices.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein memory devices in said first set of at least one of said one or more processors and at least one of said one or more memory devices include instructions for authenticating the user before granting access to the shared computer device.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first set of at least one of said one or more processors and at least one of said one or more memory devices comprises a Web server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first set of at least one of said one or more processors and least one of said one or more memory devices comprises a network server.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of different first DRM computer systems, wherein the shared license computer device is configured to communicate with the different first DRM computer systems.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of different second DRM computer systems, wherein the shared license computer device is configured to communicate with the different second DRM computer systems.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the content use includes content consumption.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the license management user interface component is standardized or proprietary.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the shared license computer device comprises a license extraction interface configured to create the first indication based on the first license.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the license-lifecycle management commands are commands for manipulating a license associated with the content instead of a specific instance of the content.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein, based upon the the second indication of the permitted use, the second instance of the content is available to the user on the second DRM computer system, and the second instance of the content is usable on a content consumption environment of the second DRM computer system.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the license management user interface component is configured to allow the user to access plural licenses of the user.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the shared license computer device is configured to manage a plurality of DRM computer systems of the user in an aggregated view, including determining licenses owned by the user and determining where the licenses are stored.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the shared license computer device is configured to allow the user to add a new license.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the new license is added to a DRM computer system of the user which is associated with the shared license computer device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the shared license computer device adds the new license in a format compatible with the DRM computer system of the user.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the license management user interface component is configured for allowing the user to browse the shared license computer device.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the shared license computer device is configured to be pre-loaded with one or more indications of permitted uses.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the shared license computer device is configured to store one or more indications of permitted uses associated with one or more pre-existing DRM computer systems, whereby if the corresponding pre-existing DRM computer systems, licenses, content, format or media are lost, damaged, or obsolete, the shared license computer device is configured to use the stored indications of permitted use to re-authorize content adapted to a current content consumption device, format, media, or DRM computer system.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the shared license computer device is configured to be used in conjunction with an escrow service device that allows the user to exercise a principle of first sale.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the shared license computer device is configured to submit a license of the user to the escrow service device and revoke the submitted license.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the escrow service device issues a new license to another party, in response to receiving money or other consideration including another license from the another party, corresponding to the submitted license to thereby complete a sale or exchange transaction associated with the submitted license.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the escrow service device allows users to trade licenses on demand.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the escrow service device processes a plurality of licenses associated with corresponding content, allows users to borrow licenses as the corresponding content is used, and allows users to return licenses when the users are no longer using the corresponding content.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the shared license computer device is configured to build content usage rules based on a DRM computer system of the user.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the content usage rules are not based on a license physically stored in the DRM computer system of the user and are based on information about the shared license computer device of the DRM computer system and the content usage rules at a time that extraction of corresponding content occurs.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the content usage rules are associated with a content consumption software or device, and which govern use of the corresponding content.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the content usage rules change with an update or new version of the content consumption software or device.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the shared license computer device has information relating to what the content usage rules are at a given time, and records the content usage rules in a DRM expression associated with the shared license computer device, whereby the user can document content usage rules being enforced during periods of time of usage of the corresponding content.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein the shared license computer device is configured to analyze one or more DRM computer systems of the user, and securely record licenses associated with the one or more DRM computer systems of the user.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the shared license computer device is configured to securely record the licenses associated with the one or more DRM computer systems of the user in at least one of paper form, signed digital document, and offsite storage, including a server.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the shared license computer device is configured to use the secure recording to acquire or reissue a lost license or create a new license based on a new DRM computer system of the user.

33. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions for authenticating includes a license wallet including a biometric characteristic or secure digital certificate associated with the user.

34. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions for authenticating includes biometric authentication of the user.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the biometric authentication of the user includes thumb print verification of the user.

36. The system of claim 1, wherein the shared license computer device is configured to provide a DRM computer system of the user with a credential associated with the user to authenticate the user.

37. The system of claim 1, wherein the shared license computer device is configured to centrally authenticate one or more licenses issued to the user for one or more corresponding DRM computer systems of the user.

38. The system of claim 1, wherein the shared license computer device is configured as a license interpreter.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the shared license computer device is configured to receive queries regarding content usage from one or more DRM computer systems of the user, and search for corresponding permitted uses and permit or deny the content usage based on search results.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the shared license computer device is configured to handle license interpretation and management for the DRM computer system of the user.

41. The system of claim 1, wherein the user can be a human or a machine.

42. The system of claim 1, wherein the license management user interface component is configured to allow a user to extract or construct an indication of a permitted use from the first DRM computer system.

43. The system of claim 1, wherein the shared license computer device and the first DRM computer system are configured to support a license in a standardized or in a proprietary format.

44. The system of claim 1, wherein authentication information and content usage rules are included in a single license.

45. A computer-implemented method for content use, the method being implemented by one or more computing devices, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first DRM computer system and through a first API of a shared license computer device associated with a user, a first indication of a permitted use based on a first license, wherein the first DRM computer system is configured to receive a first instance of the content and restrict use of the first instance of the content based on the first license, wherein the first DRM computer system is external to the one or more computing devices;

sending, through a second API of the shared license computer device, a second indication of the permitted use to a second DRM computer system in response to selection by the user of a license-lifecycle management command displayed through a license management user interface component of the shared license computer device, wherein the second DRM computer system is configured to restrict use of a second instance of the content based on the permitted use and wherein the second instance of the content is not derived from the first instance of the content, wherein the second DRM computer system is external to the one or more computing devices and different from the first DRM computer system;

receiving the second indication of the permitted use by the second DRM computer system; and

associating the second indication of the permitted use with the second instance of the content available to the second DRM computer system wherein the second DRM computer system restricting is configured to restrict access to the second instance of the content based on the second indication of the permitted use.

46. The method as recited in claim 45, further comprising authenticating the user before granting access to the shared license computer device.

47. The method as recited in claim 45, wherein the shared computer device comprises a Web server.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the shared license computer device comprises a network server.

49. The method of claim 45, wherein a plurality of different first DRM computer systems are provided, and the method includes further comprises the shared license computer device communicating with the different first DRM computer systems.

50. The method of claim 45, wherein a plurality of different second DRM computer system are provided, and the method further comprises the shared license computer device communicating with the second DRM computer systems.

51. The method of claim 45, wherein the content use or distribution includes content consumption.

52. The method of claim 45, wherein the shared license computer device comprises plural computer devices.

53. The method of claim 45, further comprising the shared license computer device extracting the second indication of permitted use from the first indication of permitted use.

54. The method of claim 45, wherein the first DRM computer system is not configured with support for the shared license computer device.

55. The method of claim 45, further comprising managing the content by managing a license associated with the content instead of a specific instance of the content.

56. The method of claim 45, further comprising the shared license computer device evaluating a plurality of DRM computer systems of the user in an aggregated view, including determining licenses owned by the user, and determining where the licenses are stored.

57. The method of claim 45, further comprising the shared license computer device allowing the user to add a new license.

58. The method of claim 57, further comprising adding the new license to a DRM computer system of the user, and associating the added license with the shared license computer device.

59. The method of claim 58, further comprising the shared license computer device adding the new license in a format compatible with the DRM computer system of the user.

60. The method of claim 45, further comprising allowing the user to browse the shared license computer device.

61. The method of claim 45, further comprising providing the shared license computer device pre-loaded with one or more licenses.

62. The method of claim 45, further comprising the shared license computer device storing one or more licenses associated with one or more pre-existing DRM computer systems, whereby if the corresponding pre-existing DRM computer system, licenses, content, format or media are lost, damaged, or obsolete, the method further comprises the shared license computer device using the stored licenses to re-authorize content adapted to a current content consumption device, format, media, or DRM computer system.

63. The method of claim 45, further comprising using the shared license computing device in conjunction with an escrow service device, and the escrow service device allowing the user to exercise a principle of first sale.

64. The method of claim 63, further comprising the shared license computing device submitting a license of the user to the escrow service device, and the shared license computer device revoking the submitted license.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein another party submits money or other consideration, including another license to the escrow service device, and the method further comprises the escrow service device issuing a new license corresponding to the submitted license to the party to complete a sale or exchange transaction associated with the submitted license.

66. The method of claim 63, further comprising the escrow service device allowing users to trade licenses on demand.

67. The method of claim 66, further comprising the escrow service device allowing, users to borrow licenses as the corresponding content is used, and return licenses when the users are no longer using the corresponding content.

68. The method of claim 45, further comprising the shared license computing device building content usage rules based on a DRM computer system of the user.

69. The method of claim 68, wherein the content usage rules are not based on a license physically stored in the DRM computer system of the user, but instead are based on information relating to the shared license computing device of the DRM computer system and the content usage rules at a time that extraction of corresponding content occurs.

70. The method of claim 69, further comprising associating the content usage rules with a content consumption software or device, and the content usage rules governing use of the corresponding content.

71. The method of claim 70, further comprising changing the content usage rules with an update or new version of the content consumption software or device.

72. The method of claim 71, further comprising via the shared license computer device, providing information relating to what the content usage rules are at a given time, and the shared license computer device recording the content usage rules in a DRM expression associated with the shared license computing device, whereby the user can document content usage rules being enforced during periods of time of usage of the corresponding content.

73. The method of claim 45, further comprising the shared license computer device analyzing one or more DRM computer system of the user, and the shared license computer device securely recording licenses associated with the DRM computer system of the user.

74. The method of claim 73, further comprising the shared license computer device recording the licenses associated with the DRM computer system in at least one of paper form, as a signed digital document, and offsite storage, including a server.

75. The method of claim 74, further comprising the shared license computer device using the secure recording to acquire or reissue a lost license or create a new license based on a new DRM computer system of the user.

76. The method of claim 45, further comprising providing a DRM computer system of the user with a credential associated with the user to authenticate the user by the shared license computer device.

77. The method of claim 45, further comprising centrally authenticating by the shared license computer device, one or more licenses issued to the user for one or more corresponding DRM computer system of the user.

78. The method of claim 45, wherein the shared license computer device includes a license interpreter.

79. The method of claim 45, further comprising receiving queries regarding content usage from one or more DRM computer systems of the user, searching for corresponding rights and permitting or denying the content usage based on search results.

80. The method of claim 45, further comprising handling license interpretation and management for a DRM computer system of the user by the shared license computer device.

81. The method of claim 45, further comprising extracting a license from the first DRM computer system to create the first indication of a permitted use.

82. The method of claim 45, further comprising supporting a license in a standardized or in a proprietary format by the shared license computer device and the first DRM computer system.

83. The method of claim 45, further comprising including authentication information and content usage rules in a single license.

84. A shared license computer device having at least one computer readable memory with instructions recorded thereon, said shared license computer device being configured to manage a license on behalf of a user wherein the user is associated with the shared license computer device, said instructions, when executed by at least one processor of the shared license computer device causing the at least one processor to:

receive a first indication of a permitted use, based on a first license, from a first DRM computer system which is external to the shared license computer device, said first DRM computer system being configured to receive a first instance of content and restrict use of the first instance of content, and also being configured to transmit the license to the shared license repository computer device;

transmit a second indication of the permitted use, which based on the first indication of permitted use, to a second DRM computer system which is external to the shared license computer device and the first DRM computer system, said second DRM computer system being configured to receive the second indication of the permitted use from the shared license repository computer device and restrict use of a second instance of the content based on the second indication of the permitted used, wherein-the second instance of the content is not derived from the first instance of the content and wherein the second DRM computer system utilizes an enforcement mechanism that is different than an enforcement mechanism of the first DRM computer system; and

accept license-lifecycle management commands from the user.

85. The shared license computer device as recited in claim 84, wherein said instructions, when executed by at least one processor of the shared license computer device further cause the at least one processor to authentic the user before granting access to the shared license computer device.

86. The shared license computer device as recited in claim 84, further comprising a Web service interface.

87. The device of claim 84, wherein there are a plurality of instances of the first DRM computer system, and the shared license computer device is configured to communicate with the instances of the first DRM computer system.

88. The device of claim 84, wherein there are a plurality of different second DRM computer systems, and the shared license computer device is configured to communicate with the different second DRM computer systems.

89. The device of claim 84, wherein the content use includes content consumption.

90. The device of claim 84, wherein the interface for receiving, the interface for transmitting, and the license management user interface component are implemented on one or more hardware devices.

91. The device of claim 84, wherein the license management user interface component is standardized or proprietary.

92. The device of claim 84, further comprising creating the second indication of a permitted use based on the first indication of a permitted use.

93. The device of claim 84, wherein the license-lifecycle management commands enable the user to manage the content by managing the license associated with the content instead of a specific instance of the content.

94. The device of claim 84, wherein, upon authorization based on the first indication of a permitted case, the device makes the second instance of content available to the user, and adapts the second instance of content to a content consumption environment of the second DRM computer system.

95. The device of claim 84, wherein the license-lifecycle management commands allow the user to access an entirety of licenses of the user.

96. The device of claim 84, the license-lifecycle management commands allow evaluating a plurality of DRM computer systems of the user in an aggregated view, including all licenses owned by the user, and where the licenses are stored.

97. The device of claim 84, wherein license management user interface component is configured to allow the user to add a new license.

98. The device of claim 97, wherein the new license is transmitted.

99. The device of claim 98, wherein the new license is in a format compatible with the DRM computer system of the user.

100. The device of claim 84, wherein license-lifecycle management commands allow the user to browse the shared license computer device.

101. The device of claim 84, wherein the license-lifecycle management commands allow the user to visit a website associated with the content service and configured to push a new license to the shared license computer device.

102. The device of claim 84, wherein the shared license computer device is configured to be pre-loaded with one or more licenses.

103. The device of claim 84, wherein the shared license repository computer device stores one or more licenses associated with one or more DRM computer system, whereby if the corresponding DRM computer system, licenses, content, format or media are lost, damaged, or obsolete, the shared license computer device is configured to use the stored licenses to re-acquire corresponding license, or content adapted to a current content consumption device, format, media, or DRM computer system.

104. The device of claim 84, wherein the shared license computer device is configured to be used in conjunction with an escrow service device that allows the user to exercise a principle of first sale.

105. The device of claim 84, wherein the shared license repository computer device is configured for submitting a license of the user to the escrow service, and revoke the submitted license.

106. The device of claim 105, wherein another party submits money or other consideration, including another license to the escrow service, and the escrow service issues a new license corresponding to the submitted license to the party to complete a sale or exchange transaction associated with the submitted license.

107. The device of claim 84, wherein the shared license computer device is configured to build content usage rules based on a DRM computer system of the user.

108. The device of claim 107, wherein the content usage rules are not based on a license physically stored in a DRM computer system of the user, but instead are based on information about the shared license computer device and the content usage rules at a time that extraction of corresponding content occurs.

109. The device of claim 108, wherein the content usage rules are associated with a content consumption software or device, and which govern use of the corresponding content.

110. The device of claim 109, wherein the content usage rules change with an update or new version of the content consumption software or device.

111. The device of claim 110, further comprising providing information relating to what the content usage rules are at a given time, and record the content usage rules in a DRM expression associated with the shared license computer device, whereby the user can document content usage rules being enforced during periods of time of usage of the corresponding content.

112. The device of claim 84, further comprising analyzing one or more DRM computer systems of the user, and then securely recording licenses associated with the one or more DRM computer systems of the user.

113. The device of claim 112, further comprising securely recording the licenses associated with the DRM computer system in at least one of paper form, as a signed digital document, and offsite storage.

114. The device of claim 113, further comprising using the secure recording to acquire or reissue a lost license or create a new license based on a new DRM computer system of the user.

115. The device of claim 85, further comprising authenticating a license wallet including a biometric characteristic or secure digital certificate associated with the user.

116. The device of claim 85, wherein the authenticating includes biometric authentication of the user.

117. The device of claim 116, wherein the biometric authentication of the user includes thumb print verification of the user.

118. The device of claim 84, further comprising receiving queries regarding content usage from one or more DRM computer systems of the user, searching for corresponding rights and permitting or denying the content usage based on search results.

119. The device of claim 118, further comprising handling license interpretation and management for the DRM computer system of the user.

120. The device of claim 84, wherein the license-lifecycle management commands allow a user to extract or construct an indication of permitted use from a DRM computer system.

121. A computer implemented method for content use comprising:

receiving, by a shared license computer device, a first indication of a permitted use, based on a first license, from a first DRM computer system which is external to said shared license computing device, said first DRM computer system being configured to receive a first instance of content and restrict use of the first instance of the content;

transmitting, by the shared license computer device, a second indication of the permitted use, which is based on the first indication of permitted use, to a second DRM computer system which is external to said shared license computing device and the first DRM computer system, said second DRM computer system being configured to receive the second indication of the permitted use from the shared license computer device and restrict use of a second instance of the content based on the second indication of the permitted use, wherein-the second instance of the content is not derived from the first instance of the content and wherein the second DRM computer system utilizes a enforcement mechanism that is different than an enforcement mechanism of the first DRM computer system; and

accepting license-lifecycle management commands from the user.

122. The method of claim 121, wherein the shared license computing device comprises multiple computing devices.

123. The method of claim 121, wherein the shared license computing device comprises a single computing device.