Multiple content protection systems in a file

• US 8,904,191 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2009
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Burns, Quintin Swayne, Simmons, John Carl, Fierstein, Scott J., Hughes, Robert Kilroy Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reza, Mohammad W
• Application Number:
  US12/485,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20100185854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,994 Days
• Field of Search: 713/193
• US Class Current: 713/193
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1408 by using cryptography for digital transmission H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1052 Security improvement

Abstract

Supporting a plurality of content protection systems in a single container file. The protection systems share an encryption method which is accessible from a sample encryption box in the file. Each of the protection systems stores, in a protection system header box, information for decrypting the content in accordance with the corresponding protection system. In some embodiments, separate protection system header boxes in the file correspond to each of the protection systems. By using the common encryption method and sharing encryption expressions across the protection systems, the multiple content protection systems are supported in the file without creating additional copies of the content. In some embodiments, aspects of the disclosure extend the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) base media file format to support multiple digital rights management (DRM) systems in the single container file.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a file containing encrypted content and one or more encryption expressions, said encrypted content being encrypted by the one or more encryption expressions;

using the one or more encryption expressions to apply a plurality of protection systems to the encrypted content to create a DRM-protected file from the received file, each of the plurality of protection systems defining a corresponding protection system header box, each protection system header box containing license information that enables decryption of the encrypted content, each protection system header box being included in the received file; and

transmitting the DRM-protected file to one or more computing devices for decryption of the encrypted content, wherein the one or more computing devices search the protection system header boxes to find the protection system header box that corresponds to a protection system supported by the one or more computing devices, the decryption determining the license information contained in the found protection system header box that corresponds to the protection systems supported by the one or more computing devices, the determined license information enabling retrieval of a decryption key to decrypt the encrypted content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the plurality of protection systems to the encrypted content comprises adding metadata for each of the plurality of protection systems to the received file, said metadata defining one or more of the following:

a decryption key, a rights object, and license information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the file comprises receiving a file containing key mapping information, said encrypted content being encrypted using said key mapping information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising embedding the license information into the protection system header box.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising embedding in the protection system header box a reference to the license information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the plurality of protection systems to the content comprises applying the plurality of protection systems to said encrypted content without creating another copy of the encrypted content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the file further contains a sample encryption box that identifies an encryption method common to the plurality of protection systems.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more computing devices obtain a license from a license server, the license enabling decryption of the encrypted content.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the sample encryption box includes a key identifier that identifies an encryption key, the sample encryption box being shared across the protection system header boxes.

10. A system for extending a media file format to support multiple protection systems in a single container file, said system comprising:

a memory area for storing at least a file containing encrypted content; and

a processor programmed to;

receive the file containing the encrypted content and one or more encryption expressions, said encrypted content being encrypted by the one or more encryption expressions;

use the one or more encryption expressions to apply a plurality of protection systems to the encrypted content to create a DRM-protected file from the received file, each of the plurality of protection systems defining a corresponding protection system header box, each protection system header box containing license information that enables decryption of the encrypted content, each protection system header box being included in the received file; and

transmit the DRM-protected file to one or more computing devices for decryption of the encrypted content, wherein the one or more computing devices search the protection system header boxes to find the protection system header box that corresponds to a protection system supported by the one or more computing devices, the decryption determining the license information contained in the found protection system header box that corresponds to the protection system supported by the one or more computing devices, the determined license information enabling retrieval of a decryption key to decrypt the encrypted content.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein applying the plurality of protection systems to the encrypted content comprises adding metadata for each of the plurality of protection systems to the received file, said metadata defining one or more of the following:

a decryption key, a rights object, and license information.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the received file contains key mapping information, said encrypted content being encrypted using said key mapping information.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further programmed to embed the license information in the protection system header box.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further programmed to embed in the protection system header box a reference to the license information.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the file further contains a sample encryption box that identifies an encryption method common to the plurality of protection systems.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the sample encryption box includes a key identifier that identifies an encryption key, the sample encryption box being shared across the protection system header boxes.

17. One or more computer devices storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by at least one processor causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a file containing encrypted content and one or more encryption expressions, said encrypted content being encrypted by the one or more encryption expressions;

using the one or more encryption expressions to apply a plurality of protection systems to the encrypted content to create a DRM-protected file from the received file, each of the plurality of protection systems defining a corresponding protection system header box, each protection system header box containing license information that enables decryption of the encrypted content, each protection system header box being included in the received file; and

transmitting the DRM-protected file to one or more other computing devices for decryption of the encrypted content, wherein the one or more other computing devices search the protection system header boxes to find the protection system header box that corresponds to a protection system supported by the one or more other computing devices, the decryption determining the license information contained in the found protection system header box that corresponds to the protection system supported by the one or more other computing devices, the determined license information enabling retrieval of a decryption key to decrypt the encrypted content.

18. The computer devices of claim 17, storing further computer-executable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to further perform operations comprising:

embedding the license information into the protection system header boxes.

19. The computer devices of claim 17, wherein applying the plurality of protection systems to the content comprises applying the plurality of protection systems to said encrypted content without creating another copy of the encrypted content.

20. The computer devices of claim 17, wherein the one or more other computing devices obtain a license from a license server, the license enabling decryption of the encrypted content.