Method and system for managing rights for digital music
First Claim
1. A method for managing rights for digital music, comprising:
- registering groups of digital audio devices from among a plurality of digital audio devices with one another, each digital audio device able to store digital songs, to play the digital songs stored therein, and to copy the digital songs stored therein to another digital audio device;
labeling the digital songs stored within the digital audio devices, from a plurality of labels including an ownership label and a non-ownership label, wherein a non-ownership label of a digital song comprises conditions under which playing of the digital song is not allowed, comprising;
(d.1) determining that a first designated digital song bearing an ownership label in a first source digital audio device may be copied to a first target digital audio device that is registered with the first source digital audio device;
prescribing the label of the first designated digital song for the first target digital audio device to be an ownership label, in response to said (d.1);
(d.2) determining that a second designated digital sung bearing a non-ownership label in a second source digital audio device may be copied to a second target digital audio device that is registered with the second source digital audio device;
(d.3) determining that a third designated digital song bearing an ownership label in a third source digital audio device may be copied to a third target digital audio device that is not registered with the third source digital audio device;
(d.4) determining that a fourth designated digital song bearing a non-ownership label in a fourth source digital audio device may be copied to a fourth target digital audio device that is not registered with the fourth source digital audio device; and
prescribing the label of the second, third and fourth designated digital song for the respective second, third and fourth target digital audio device to be a non-ownership label, in response to said (d.2), (d.3) and (d.4), respectively;
receiving a request to play a designated song in a digital audio device;
identifying the label of the designated song in the digital audio device as being a non-ownership label; and
denying the request to play the designated song in response to said identifying, in accordance with the conditions of the non-ownership label.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method is described for managing rights for digital music, including registering music players, from among a plurality of music players, with digital archives that store songs, from among a plurality of digital archives, wherein songs can be copied from digital archives to music players, and from music players to digital archives, permitting a music player to copy a song from a digital archive for which it is registered, permitting a digital archive to copy a song from a music player that is registered with the digital archive, restricting a music player from copying a song from a digital archive for which it is not registered, and restricting a digital archive from copying a song from a music player that is not registered with the digital archive. A system and a computer-readable storage medium are also described.
204 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for managing rights for digital music, comprising:
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registering groups of digital audio devices from among a plurality of digital audio devices with one another, each digital audio device able to store digital songs, to play the digital songs stored therein, and to copy the digital songs stored therein to another digital audio device; labeling the digital songs stored within the digital audio devices, from a plurality of labels including an ownership label and a non-ownership label, wherein a non-ownership label of a digital song comprises conditions under which playing of the digital song is not allowed, comprising; (d.1) determining that a first designated digital song bearing an ownership label in a first source digital audio device may be copied to a first target digital audio device that is registered with the first source digital audio device; prescribing the label of the first designated digital song for the first target digital audio device to be an ownership label, in response to said (d.1); (d.2) determining that a second designated digital sung bearing a non-ownership label in a second source digital audio device may be copied to a second target digital audio device that is registered with the second source digital audio device; (d.3) determining that a third designated digital song bearing an ownership label in a third source digital audio device may be copied to a third target digital audio device that is not registered with the third source digital audio device; (d.4) determining that a fourth designated digital song bearing a non-ownership label in a fourth source digital audio device may be copied to a fourth target digital audio device that is not registered with the fourth source digital audio device; and prescribing the label of the second, third and fourth designated digital song for the respective second, third and fourth target digital audio device to be a non-ownership label, in response to said (d.2), (d.3) and (d.4), respectively; receiving a request to play a designated song in a digital audio device; identifying the label of the designated song in the digital audio device as being a non-ownership label; and denying the request to play the designated song in response to said identifying, in accordance with the conditions of the non-ownership label. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code for causing a device to perform a method comprising:
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registering groups of digital audio devices from among a plurality of digital audio devices with one another, each digital audio device able to store digital songs, to play the digital songs stored therein, and to copy the digital songs stored therein to another digital audio device; and labeling the digital songs stored within the digital audio devices, from a plurality of labels including an ownership label and a non-ownership label, wherein a non-ownership label of a digital song comprises conditions under which playing of the digital song is not allowed, comprising; (d.1) determining that a first designated digital song bearing an ownership label in a first source digital audio device may be copied to a first target digital audio device that is registered with the first source digital audio device; and prescribing the label of the first designated digital song for the first target digital audio device to be an ownership label, in response to said (d.1); (d.2) determining that a second designated digital song bearing a non-ownership label in a second source digital audio device may be copied to a second target digital audio device that is registered with the second source digital audio device; (d.3) determining that a third designated digital song bearing an ownership label in a third source digital audio device may be copied to a third target digital audio device that is not registered with the third source digital audio device; (d.4) determining that a fourth designated digital song bearing a non-ownership label in a fourth source digital audio device may be copied to a fourth target digital audio device that is not registered with the fourth source digital audio device; and prescribing the label of the second, third and fourth designated digital song for the respective second, third and fourth target digital audio device to be a non-ownership label, in response to said (d.2), (d.3) and (d.4), respectively; receiving a request to play a designated song in a digital audio device; identifying the label of the designated song in the digital audio device as being a non-ownership label; and denying the request to play the designated song in response to said identifying, in accordance with the conditions of the non-ownership label.
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7. A system for managing rights for digital music, comprising:
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a plurality of digital audio devices, each digital audio device able to store digital songs, to play the digital songs stored therein, and to copy the digital songs stored therein to another digital audio device, wherein groups of the digital audio devices are registered with one another, wherein each digital song stored in each digital audio device has a label that is an ownership label or a non-ownership label, and wherein a non-ownership label of a digital song comprises conditions under which playing of the digital song is not allowed, each digital audio device comprising; a rights processor for receiving a request to play a designated song; identifying the label of the designated song as being a non-ownership label; and denying the request to play the designated song in response to said identifying, in accordance with the conditions of the non-ownership label; and a rights manager for labeling a digital song copied to another digital audio device, by (d.1) determining that a first designated digital song bearing an ownership label may be copied to a first target digital audio device that is registered with the digital audio device, prescribing the label of the first designated digital song for the first target digital audio device to be an ownership label, in response to (d.1), (d.2) determining that a second designated digital song bearing a non-ownership label may be copied to a second target digital audio device that is registered with the digital audio device, (d.3) determining that a third designated digital song bearing an ownership label may be copied to a third target digital audio device that is not registered with the digital audio device, (d.4) determining that a fourth designated digital song bearing a non-ownership label may be copied to a fourth target digital audio device that is not registered with the digital audio device, and prescribing the label of the second, third and fourth designated digital song for the respective second, third and fourth target digital audio device to be a non-ownership label, in response to (d.2), (d.3) and (d.4), respectively. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for managing rights for digital music, comprising:
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registering groups of digital audio devices, from among a plurality of digital audio devices, with one another, each digital audio device able to store digital songs and to copy the digital songs to another digital audio device, and the digital audio devices comprising acquisition devices and players; labeling the digital songs stored within the digital audio devices, from a plurality of labels including an ownership label and a non-ownership label, wherein a non-ownership label of a digital song comprises conditions under which playing of the digital song is not allowed, comprising; (d.1) determining that a first designated digital song bearing an ownership label in a first source digital audio device that is an acquisition device may be copied to a first target digital audio device that is registered with the first source digital audio device; (d.2) determining that a second designated digital song bearing an ownership label in a second source digital audio device that is a player may be copied to a second target digital audio device that is an acquisition device and that is registered with the second source digital audio device; prescribing the label of the first and second designated digital song for the respective first and second target digital audio device to be an ownership label, in response to said (d.1) and (d.2), respectively; (d.3) determining that a third designated digital song bearing an ownership label in a third source digital audio device that is a player may be copied to a third target digital audio device that is a player and that is registered with the third source digital audio device; (d.4) determining that a fourth designated digital song bearing a non-ownership label in a fourth source digital audio device may be copied to a fourth target digital audio device that is registered with the fourth source digital audio device; (d.5) determining that a fifth designated digital song bearing an ownership label in a fifth source digital audio device may be copied to a fifth target digital audio device that is not registered with the fifth source digital audio device; (d.6) determining that a sixth designated digital song bearing a non-ownership label in a sixth source digital audio device may be copied to a sixth target digital audio device that is not registered with the sixth source digital audio device; and prescribing the label of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth designated digital song for the respective third, fourth, firth and sixth target digital audio device to be a non-ownership label, in response to said (d.3), (d.4), (d.5) and (d.6), respectively; receiving a request to play a designated song in a player; identifying the label of the designated song in the player as being a non-ownership label; and denying the request to play the designated song in response to said identifying, in accordance with the conditions of the non-ownership label. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code for causing a device to perform a method comprising:
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registering groups of digital audio devices, from among a plurality of digital audio devices, with one another, each digital audio device able to store digital songs and to copy the digital songs to another digital audio device, and the digital audio devices comprising acquisition devices and players; labeling the digital songs stored within the digital audio devices, from a plurality of labels including an ownership label and a non-ownership label, wherein a non-ownership label of a digital song comprises conditions under which playing of the digital song is not allowed, comprising; (d.1) determining that a first designated digital song bearing an ownership label in a first source digital audio device that is an acquisition device may be copied to a first target digital audio device that is registered with the first source digital audio device; (d.2) determining that a second designated digital song bearing an ownership label in a second source digital audio device that is a player may be copied to a second target digital audio device that is an acquisition device and that is registered with the second source digital audio device; prescribing the label of the first and second designated digital song for the respective first and second target digital audio device to be an ownership label, in response to said (d.1), and (d.2), respectively; (d.3) determining that a third designated digital song bearing an ownership label in a third source digital audio device that is a player may be copied to a third target digital audio device that is a player and that is registered with the third source digital audio device; (d.4) determining that a fourth designated digital song bearing a non-ownership label in a fourth source digital audio device may be copied to a fourth target digital audio device that is registered with the fourth source digital audio device; (d.5) determining that a fifth designated digital song bearing an ownership label in a fifth source digital audio device may be copied to a fifth target digital audio device that is not registered with the fifth source digital audio device; (d.6) determining that a sixth designated digital song bearing a non-ownership label in a sixth source digital audio device may be copied to a sixth target digital audio device that is not registered with the sixth source digital audio device; and prescribing the label of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth designated digital song for the respective third, fourth, fifth and sixth target digital audio device to be a non-ownership label, in response to said (d.3), (d.4), (d.5) and (d.6), respectively; receiving a request to play a designated song in a player; identifying the label of the designated song in the player as being a non-ownership label; and denying the request to play the designated song in response to said identifying, in accordance with the conditions of the non-ownership label.
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17. A system for managing rights for digital music, comprising:
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a plurality of digital audio devices, each digital audio device able to store digital songs and to copy the digital songs stored therein to another digital audio device, wherein groups of the digital audio devices are registered with one another, the digital audio devices comprising acquisition devices and players, wherein each digital song stored in each digital audio device has a label that is an ownership label or a non-ownership label, and wherein a non-ownership label of a digital song comprises conditions under which playing of the digital song is not allowed, each player comprising a rights processor for receiving a request to play a designated song; identifying the label of the designated song as being a non-ownership label; and denying the request to play the designated song in response to said identifying, in accordance with the conditions of the non-ownership label; and each digital audio device comprising a rights manager for labeling the digital songs stored within the digital audio devices, by (d.1) determining that a first designated digital song bearing an ownership label may be copied to a first target digital audio device that is registered with the digital audio device, when the digital audio device is an acquisition device, (d.2) determining that a second designated digital song bearing an ownership label may be copied to a second target digital audio device that is an acquisition device and that is registered with the digital audio device, when the digital audio device is a player, prescribing the label of the first and second designated digital song for the respective first and second target digital audio device to be an ownership label, in response to (d.1) and (d.2), respectively, (d.3) determining that a third designated digital song bearing an ownership label may be copied to a third target digital audio device that is a player and that is registered with the digital audio device, when the digital audio device is a player, (d.4) determining that a fourth designated digital song bearing a non-ownership label may be copied to a fourth target digital audio device that is registered with the digital audio device, (d.5) determining that a fifth designated digital song bearing an ownership label may be copied to a fifth target digital audio device that is not registered with the digital audio device, (d.6) determining that a sixth designated digital song bearing a non-ownership label may be copied to a sixth target digital audio device that is not registered with the digital audio device, and prescribing the label of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth designated digital song for the respective third, fourth, fifth and sixth target digital audio device to be a non-ownership label, in response to (d.3), (d.4), (d.5) and (d.6), respectively. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification