Apparatus for transferring licensed digital content between users

• US 8,839,005 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sandisk Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Elazar, Gidon, Harkabi, Dan, Weingarten, Nehemiah
• Primary Examiner(s): Shiferaw, Eleni
• Assistant Examiner(s): GIDDINS, NELSON S
• Application Number:
  US11/531,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20080065911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,925 Days
• Field of Search: 713/194
• US Class Current: 713/194
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1084 via third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Techniques are described for reselling digital data content, such as books, other types of documents, music, video, software and games. Such data are stored in a small portable digital rights management (DRM) device, such as a non-volatile memory card or flash drive, along with a license that defines the extent of the use permitted of the data. The content and license data are processed by a microprocessor that is included in the memory card or flash drive, including modification of the license in response to the data content being resold and transferred to another memory card or flash drive. The process is a digital version of selling a book, CD, DVD or the like in a second-hand market.

Claims

1. A digital rights management (DRM) storage device, comprising:

a non-volatile memory configured to store content and license data, the license data including content use data and content transfer data, the content transfer data disallowing transfer of the content to a second DRM device, via a host digital appliance, without prior consent by a third party licensing authority, and

a memory controller,

wherein the memory controller is configured to;

access the content and the content use data stored in the memory in order to provide rendition of the content to the host digital appliance in accordance with the content use data;

in response to a request via the host digital appliance for a license from the third party licensing authority, the request indicative of commanding that the DRM storage device send the content from the DRM storage device to the second DRM device, receive the license from the third party licensing authority in a license communication;

in response to receiving the license, determine, based on the content transfer data and the received license, whether to transfer the content to the second DRM device;

in response to determining to transfer the content, transmit the content through an interface for transfer to the second DRM device via the host digital appliance;

receive a modify license command in a license modification communication from the third party licensing authority, wherein the memory controller is configured to receive the license communication and the license modification communication as two separate communications;

in response to receiving the modify license command from the third party licensing authority, modify the license data based on the modify license command received via the host digital appliance in order to thereafter prevent the DRM storage device from any further use of the content; and

in response to determining to not transfer the content, prohibit transmission of the content via the host digital appliance.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory is partitioned into at least open and hidden portions in a manner that the content and license data are storable in the hidden portion of the memory,

wherein the memory controller provides access to the open portion of the memory but not the hidden portion, and

wherein the memory controller has access to the hidden portion of the memory.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory is further configured to store the content and the license data in an encrypted form in a portion of the memory to which the memory controller provides access.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the modify license command is indicative of terminating a license for use of the content.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a connector having a set of electrical contacts adapted to mate with receptacles of one or more digital appliances.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises wireless communication adapted to operate with one or more digital appliances.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to be removably inserted into one or more digital appliances.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the interface comprises one of a USB interface or a SD interface.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory controller is further configured to:

receive a request from the host digital appliance for access to the content; and

determine whether to grant the request based on the content use data.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the memory controller is configured to:

modify a form of the content in order to generate a limited rendition of a part, but less than all, of the content;

provide the limited rendition of the part of the content through the interface in response to determining to grant the request.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the memory controller is configured to modify the form of the content by generating a bit map image.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the content includes a plurality of pages;

wherein the memory controller is configured to modify the form of the plurality of pages into multiple bit map page images; and

wherein the memory controller is configured to send the multiple bit map images through the interface one bit map page at a time.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory controller is further configured to delete at least a part of the content in response to the modify license command received through the interface.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to receive the content from the host digital appliance.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the content transfer data includes a period of time in which transfer of the content is permitted.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the content use data is indicative of not being restricted to a particular digital appliance.

17. A server configured to facilitate transfer of licensed content from a first digital rights management (DRM) device to a second DRM device, the server comprising:

one or more interfaces for communicating with the first DRM device and the second DRM device;

a tangible memory;

a hardware controller in communication with the one or more interfaces and the tangible memory, the hardware controller configured to;

receive a request originated from a first digital appliance, the request indicative of commanding that the first DRM device send the licensed content from the first DRM device to the second DRM device, the first digital appliance operatively coupled to the first DRM device, configured to conduct negotiations directly with a second digital appliance coupled to the second DRM device without communication with the server, and configured to receive payment from the second digital appliance;

in response to receiving the request;

send a license to the first DRM device in a license communication, the license to transfer the licensed content from the first DRM device to the second DRM device;

send a modify license command to the first DRM device in a license modification communication, the modify license command indicative to the first DRM device to terminate rights of the first DRM device to the licensed content so that the first DRM device is prevented from any further use of the licensed content,

wherein hardware controller is adapted to send the license communication and the license modification communication as two separate communications.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein the hardware controller is further configured to receive a notice of a negotiated agreement between the first DRM device and the second DRM device to transfer rights to the licensed content.

19. The server of claim 17, wherein the hardware controller is further configured to receive payment;

and

wherein in response to receipt of payment and in response to receipt of the request, the hardware controller is configured to send the license in the license communication to the first DRM device and configured to send the modify license command in the license modification communication to the first DRM device.

20. The server of claim 19, wherein the hardware controller is configured to receive payment from the first digital appliance.

21. The server of claim 19, wherein the hardware controller is configured to receive payment from the second digital appliance.

22. The server of claim 17, wherein the license is indicative of the first DRM device to transfer the licensed content directly to the second DRM device.

23. The server of claim 17, wherein the license is indicative of the first DRM device to transfer the licensed content via the server to the second DRM device.