Systems and methods for managing and protecting electronic content and applications
First Claim
1. A method for managing the use of protected electronic content by a rights management application executing on a computing device, the method comprising:
- receiving, by the rights management application from a rendering application, a request to use the protected electronic content;
identifying one or more first rules securely associated with the protected electronic content specifying at least one first condition for use of the protected electronic content, the one or more first rules being specified by a first entity, the at least one first condition comprising a condition that the rendering application be configured to verify that the protected electronic content has been approved by a third-party entity prior to rendering the protected electronic content;
determining that the at least one first condition has been satisfied;
identifying one or more second rules associated with the rendering application specifying at least one second condition for use of the protected electronic content by the rendering application, the one or more second rules being specified by a second entity and being received by the rights management application separate from the one or more first rules, the at least one second condition comprising a condition that the rendering application possess a first credential issued by a first credentialing authority;
determining that the at least one second condition has been satisfied;
sending, by the rights management application to the rendering application, the protected electronic content; and
rendering the protected electronic content by the rendering application.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed for managing and protecting electronic content and applications. Applications, content, and/or users can be given credentials by one or more credentialing authorities upon satisfaction of a set of requirements. Rights management software/hardware is used to attach and detect these credentials, and to enforce rules that indicate how content and applications may be used if certain credentials are present or absent. In one embodiment an application may condition access to a piece of electronic content upon the content'"'"'s possession of a credential from a first entity, while the content may condition access upon the application'"'"'s possession of a credential from a second entity and/or the user'"'"'s possession of a credential from a third entity. Use of credentials in this manner enables a wide variety of relatively complex and flexible control arrangements to be put in place and enforced with relatively simple rights management technology.
79 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for managing the use of protected electronic content by a rights management application executing on a computing device, the method comprising:
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receiving, by the rights management application from a rendering application, a request to use the protected electronic content; identifying one or more first rules securely associated with the protected electronic content specifying at least one first condition for use of the protected electronic content, the one or more first rules being specified by a first entity, the at least one first condition comprising a condition that the rendering application be configured to verify that the protected electronic content has been approved by a third-party entity prior to rendering the protected electronic content; determining that the at least one first condition has been satisfied; identifying one or more second rules associated with the rendering application specifying at least one second condition for use of the protected electronic content by the rendering application, the one or more second rules being specified by a second entity and being received by the rights management application separate from the one or more first rules, the at least one second condition comprising a condition that the rendering application possess a first credential issued by a first credentialing authority; determining that the at least one second condition has been satisfied; sending, by the rights management application to the rendering application, the protected electronic content; and rendering the protected electronic content by the rendering application. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executing by a processor of a computing system, are configured to cause the processor to:
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receive, by a rights management application from a rendering application, a request to use the protected electronic content; identify one or more first rules securely associated with the protected electronic content specifying at least one first condition for use of the protected electronic content, the one or more first rules being specified by a first entity, the at least one first condition comprising a condition that the rendering application be configured to verify that the protected electronic content has been approved by a third-party entity prior to rendering the protected electronic content; determine that the at least one first condition has been satisfied; identify one or more second rules associated with the rendering application specifying at least one second condition for use of the protected electronic content by the rendering application, the one or more second rules being specified by a second entity and being received by the rights management application separate from the one or more first rules, the at least one second condition comprising a condition that the rendering application possesses a first credential issued by a first credentialing authority; determine that the at least one second condition has been satisfied; send, by the rights management application to the rendering application, the protected electronic content; and render the protected electronic content by the rendering application. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification