Systems and methods for controlling media distribution

• US 9,203,612 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2014
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atlanta DTH, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atlanta DTH, Inc.
• Inventors: Day, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffman, Brandon
• Application Number:
  US14/293,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20150349952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/045 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply hybrid encryption, i.e. combination of symmetric and asymmetric encryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements using a plurality of keys or algorithms H04L9/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0825 using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

Media file distribution is be controlled by encrypting the media file by an application executed on a mobile device of the media file owner. The media file is encrypted using a media file encryption key. The media file encryption key is then separately encrypted using a public key of each intended recipient, and the encrypted media file encryption key is appended to the encrypted media file. Accordingly, only intended recipients will have the complementary private key to allow decryption of the encrypted media file encryption key, which once decrypted can be used to decrypt the encrypted media file itself.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by an application executed on a first mobile device, a selection of a media file, wherein the media file is a picture or video, wherein the first mobile device is associated with an owner of the media file;

receiving, by the application, an intended recipient of the selected media file;

encrypting, by the application, the media file using a media file encryption key to produce an encrypted media file;

encrypting, by the application, the media file encryption key using a public key of the intended recipient;

attaching the encrypted media file encryption key to the encrypted media file; and

transmitting, by the application, the encrypted media file and attached encrypted media file encryption key to the intended recipient;

receiving, by a second application on a second mobile device associated with the intended recipient, the encrypted media file;

decrypting, by the second application, the encrypted media file key using a private key of the intended recipient to produce the media file encryption key;

determining, by the second application, whether the received encrypted media file includes distribution restrictions indicating whether the encrypted media file can be redistributed by the recipient,

wherein when the distribution restrictions indicate that the encrypted media file can be redistributed, the method further comprises

receiving, by the second application, a further intended recipient of the decrypted media file;

encrypting, by the second application, the media file encryption key using a public key of the further intended recipient;

attaching the media file encryption key encrypted using the public key of the further intended recipient to the encrypted media file; and

transmitting, by second application, the encrypted media file with the attached media file encryption key encrypted using the public key of the further intended recipient to the further intended recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

decrypting, by the second application, the encrypted media file using the media file encryption key; and

reproducing, by the second application, the decrypted media file on a screen of the second mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the decrypted media file is reproduced with a watermark on the screen of the second mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the watermark includes an identification of the owner of the media file and the intended recipient.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, by the application executed on the first mobile device, the distribution restrictions for the selected media file; and

adding, by the application executed on the first mobile device, the distribution restrictions to the encrypted media file.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the application, an identification of the intended recipient;

transmitting, by the application to a server, the identification of the intended recipient; and

receiving, by the application from the server, the public key of the intended recipient.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

storing, by the application, the identification of the intended recipient and the public key of the intended recipient;

receiving, by the application, a recipient group for the intended recipient; and

displaying, by the application, the intended recipient in the recipient group on a screen of the first mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission of the encrypted media file is by electronic mail or instant messaging.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission of the encrypted media file is by posting the encrypted media file on a website.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein when the application executed on the first mobile device receives a selection of a plurality of intended recipients of the selected media file, the application separately encrypts the media file key using a public key of each of the selected plurality of intended recipients and attaches each of the separately encrypted media file keys to the encrypted media file prior to transmitting the encrypted media file.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the distribution restrictions indicate a number of possible redistributions of the encrypted media file and a current number of distributions of the encrypted media file.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second application increments the current number of distributions and includes the number of possible distributions and the incremented current number of distributions in the further encrypted file.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving, by an application executed on a first mobile device, a selection of a media file, wherein the media file is a picture or video, wherein the first mobile device is associated with an owner of the media file;

receiving, by the application, an intended recipient of the selected media file;

encrypting, by the application, the media file using a media file encryption key to produce an encrypted media file;

encrypting, by the application, the media file encryption key using a public key of the intended recipient;

attaching the encrypted media file encryption key to the encrypted media file;

transmitting, by the application, the encrypted media file and attached encrypted media file encryption key to the intended recipient;

receiving, by a second application on a second mobile device associated with the intended recipient, the encrypted media file;

decrypting, by the second application, the encrypted media file key using a private key of the intended recipient to produce the media file encryption key;

decrypting, by the second application, the encrypted media file using the media file encryption key; and

reproducing, by the second application, the decrypted media file on a screen of the second mobile device;

receiving, by the application executed on the first mobile device, distribution restrictions for the selected media file; and

adding, by the application executed on the first mobile device, the distribution restrictions to the encrypted media file,

wherein the distribution restrictions indicate whether the encrypted media file can be redistributed by the recipient,

wherein when the distribution restrictions indicate that the encrypted media file can be redistributed, the method further comprises

receiving, by the second application, a further intended recipient of the decrypted media file;

encrypting, by the second application, the media file encryption key using a public key of the further intended recipient;

attaching the media file encryption key encrypted using the public key of the further intended recipient to the encrypted media file; and

transmitting, by second application, the encrypted media file with the attached media file encryption key encrypted using the public key of the further intended recipient to the further intended recipient.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the distribution restrictions indicate a number of possible redistributions of the encrypted media file and a current number of distributions of the encrypted media file.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second application increments the current number of distributions and includes the number of possible distributions and the incremented current number of distributions in the further encrypted file.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a second application executed on a second mobile device from a first application executed on a first mobile device, an encrypted media file, wherein

the first mobile device is associated with an owner of the media file,

the second mobile device is associated with an intended recipient of the encrypted media file,

the media file is encrypted using a media file encryption key,

the media file encryption key is encrypted using a public key of intended recipient, and

the encrypted media file encryption key is attached to the received encrypted media file;

decrypting, by the second application, the encrypted media file key using a private key of the intended recipient to produce the media file encryption key;

determining, by the second application, whether the received encrypted media file includes distribution restrictions indicating whether the encrypted media file can be redistributed by the recipient,

wherein when the distribution restrictions indicate that the encrypted media file can be redistributed, the method further comprises

receiving, by the second application, a further intended recipient of the decrypted media file;

encrypting, by the second application, the media file encryption key using a public key of the further intended recipient;

attaching the media file encryption key encrypted using the public key of the further intended recipient to the encrypted media file; and

transmitting, by second application, the encrypted media file with the attached media file encryption key encrypted using the public key of the further intended recipient to the further intended recipient.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the distribution restrictions indicate a number of possible redistributions of the encrypted media file and a current number of distributions of the encrypted media file.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second application increments the current number of distributions and includes the number of possible distributions and the incremented current number of distributions in the further encrypted file.