Methods and apparatus for persistent control and protection of content

• US 9,532,005 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intertrust Technologies Corporation (Fidelio Acquisition Co LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intertrust Technologies Corporation (Fidelio Acquisition Co LLC)
• Inventors: Shamoon, Talal G., Hill, Ralph D., Radcliffe, Chris D., Hwa, John P., Sibert, W. Olin, Van Wie, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): DADA, BEEMNET W
• Application Number:
  US14/014,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20140064484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/605 Copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/64 Self-signed certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 using a plurality of keys or algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23476 by partially encrypting, e.g. encrypting the ending portion of a movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23605 Creation or processing of packetized elementary streams [PES]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26613 for generating or managing keys in general key distribution for secret or secure communication involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP] H04L9/083; network support of key management H04L63/06; key management for network security in communication control or processing H04W12/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4343 Extraction or processing of packetized elementary streams [PES]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43853 involving multiplex stream decryption arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44055 by partially decrypting, e.g. decrypting a video stream that has been partially encrypted
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8193 dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 : involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 : involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 : involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/167 : Systems rendering the television signal unintelligible and subsequently intelligible
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 : Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

A novel method and apparatus for protection of streamed media content is disclosed. In one aspect, the apparatus includes control means for governance of content streams or content objects, decryption means for decrypting content streams or content objects under control of the control means, and feedback means for tracking actual use of content streams or content objects. The control means may operate in accordance with rules received as part of the streamed content, or through a side-band channel. The rules may specify allowed uses of the content, including whether or not the content can be copied or transferred, and whether and under what circumstances received content may be “checked out” of one device and used in a second device. The rules may also include or specify budgets, and a requirement that audit information be collected and/or transmitted to an external server. In a different aspect, the apparatus may include a media player designed to call plugins to assist in rendering content. A “trust plugin” is disclosed, along with a method of using the trust plugin so that a media player designed for use with unprotected content may render protected content without the necessity of requiring any changes to the media player. In one aspect, the streamed content may be in a number of different formats, including MPEG-4, MP3, and the RMFF format.

Claims

1. A method of rendering a protected digital bit stream performed by a system comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving the protected digital bit stream;

receiving one or more rules controlling use of the protected digital bit stream;

reading first header information of the protected digital bit stream identifying a first plugin required to process the protected digital bit stream;

reading second header information of the protected digital bit stream, the second header information comprising a secure electronic container;

extracting, using the first plugin, the secure electronic container from the second header information;

extracting, in a protected processing environment, a cryptographic key from the extracted secure electronic container;

applying the one or more rules to selectively determine whether to proceed with a decrypting step;

decrypting at least a portion of the protected digital bit stream to obtain a decrypted digital bit stream using the first plugin and the extracted cryptographic key; and

rendering the decrypted digital bit stream using, at least in part, a second plugin.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more rules specify one or more authorized uses of the protected digital bit stream.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more rules control access to the protected digital bit stream.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the one or more rules comprises determining whether a requested use of the protected digital bit stream corresponds to an authorized use of the protected digital bit stream specified in at least one rule of the one or more rules.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more rules are included in the protected digital bit stream.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more rules are received separately from the protected digital bit stream.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading third header information of the protected digital bit stream, the third header information identifying the second plugin.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the protected digital bit stream and the one or more rules are received as part of a digital bit stream comprising a plurality of multiplexed sub-streams.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a first sub-stream of the plurality of multiplexed sub-streams comprises the protected digital bit stream and a second sub-stream of the plurality of sub-streams comprises the one or more rules.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a system to perform a method comprising:

receiving a protected digital bit stream;

receiving one or more rules controlling use of the protected digital bit stream;

reading first header information of the protected digital bit stream identifying a first plugin required to process the protected digital bit stream;

reading second header information of the protected digital bit stream, the second header information comprising a secure electronic container;

extracting, using the first plugin, the secure electronic container from the second header information;

extracting, in a protected processing environment, a cryptographic key from the extracted secure electronic container;

applying the one or more rules to selectively determine whether to proceed with a decrypting step;

decrypting at least a portion of the protected digital bit stream to obtain a decrypted digital bit stream using the first plugin and the extracted cryptographic key; and

rendering the decrypted digital bit stream using, at least in part, a second plugin.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the one or more rules specify one or more authorized uses of the protected digital bit stream.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the one or more rules control access to the protected digital bit stream.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein applying the one or more rules comprises determining whether a requested use of the protected digital bit stream corresponds to an authorized use of the protected digital bit stream specified in at least one rule.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the one or more rules are included in the protected digital bit stream.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the one or more rules are received separately from the protected digital bit stream.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the protected digital bit stream and the one or more rules are received as part of a digital bit stream comprising a plurality of multiplexed sub-streams.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein a first sub-stream of the plurality of multiplexed sub-streams comprises the protected digital bit stream and a second sub-stream of the plurality of sub-streams comprises the one or more rules.