System for controlling the distribution and use of rendered digital works through watermarking

• US 20010008557A1
• Filed: 02/07/2001
• Published: 07/19/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Inventors: Stefik, Mark J., Petrie, Glen W., Briggs, Nicholas H., Okamoto, Steve A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,031,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0064 for copy protection or copy management, e.g. CGMS, copy only once, one-time copy
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• 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 2201/3236 Details of authentication information generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs

Abstract

A trusted rendering system for use in a system for controlling the distribution and use of digital works. A trusted rendering system facilitates the protection of rendered digital works which have been rendered on a system which controls the distribution and use of digital works through the use of dynamically generated watermark information that is embedded in the rendered output. The watermark data typically provides information relating to the owner of the digital work, the rights associated with the rendered copy of the digital work and when and where the digital work was rendered. This information will typically aid in deterring or preventing unauthorized copying of the rendered work to be made. The system for controlling distribution and use of digital works provides for attaching persistent usage rights to a digital work. Digital works are transferred between repositories which are used to request and grant access to digital works. Such repositories are also coupled to credit servers which provide for payment of any fees incurred as a result of accessing a digital work.

Claims

1. A system for controlling the distribution and use of digital works comprising:

means for creating usage rights, each instance of a usage right representing a specific instance of how a digital work may be used or distributed;

means for attaching a created set of usage rights to a digital work including a rendering right, said rendering right for permitting said digital work to be rendered, said rendering right further specifying watermark information to be embedded into a rendering of said digital work,

a communication medium for coupling repositories to enable exchange of repository transaction messages,

a general repository for storing and securely exchanging digital works with attached usage rights;

a rendering system comprising a rendering repository for receiving a digital work to be rendered from said general repository and a rendering device for rendering digital works, said rendering repository further comprising;

means for gathering watermark information specified in a print right associated with said digital work to be rendered; and

means for encoding said watermark information for embedding in said rendered digital work.

2. The system as recited in

claim 1

wherein said rendering right is further for indicating a security level and watermarking capabilities which a rendering system must have in order to render said digital work.

3. The system as recited in

claim 1

wherein said rendering right is a print right, said rendering system is a printing system and said rendering repository is a printer repository.

4. The system as recited in

claim 3

further comprising digital work authoring means having means for placing a watermark character on a digital document.

5. The system as recited in

claim 4

wherein said means for encoding said watermark information for embedding in said digital work is further comprised of means for encoding glyph patterns based on said watermark information to create a dynamic watermark font, wherein said glyph patterns correspond to watermark characters.

6. The system as recited in

claim 5

wherein said means for encoding said watermark information for embedding in said digital work is further comprised of means for changing said watermark characters to have said dynamic watermark font.

7. The system as recited in

claim 3

wherein said printer repository is in the same enclosure as said print device.

8. The system as recited in

claim 3

wherein said printer repository is in a different enclosure from said print device.

9. The system as recited in

claim 1

wherein said printer repository is further comprised of means for causing a printing fee to be paid when said document is printed.

10. The system as recited in

claim 5

further comprising a watermark extraction means for extracting the watermark information from said digital work.

11. The system as recited in

claim 10

wherein said watermark extraction means is further comprised of:

a scanner device for creating a bit mapped representation of a printed medium;

means for locating said watermark in said bit mapped representation of a printed medium; and

means for decoding embedded data contained in said watermark.

12. The system as recited in

claim 11

wherein said means for decoding embedded data contained in said watermark of said watermark extraction means is comprised of means for decoding glyph patterns.

13. In a system for controlling the distribution and use of digital works, a method for providing a watermark on a rendered digital work comprising the steps of:

a) a digital work creator assigning a rendering right to said digital work and storing in a distribution repository, said rendering right specifying watermark information indicating information identifying a rendering event;

b) a user obtaining an encrypted version of said digital work from said distribution repository and storing in a user repository;

c) said user requesting that said digital work be rendered;

d) said user repository determining if said digital work has the appropriate rendering right;

e) if said digital work has the appropriate rendering right, said user repository communicating with a rendering repository to establish a trusted session;

f) said user repository transferring said digital work to said rendering repository;

g) said rendering repository gathering watermark information specified in said rendering right;

h) said rendering repository encoding data for said watermark information;

i) said rendering repository decrypting said digital work and embedding said watermark information; and

j) said rendering repository transmitting said digital work with embedded watermark information to a rendering device for rendering.

14. The method as recited in

claim 13

wherein said rendering right is a print right and said rendering repository is a printer repository.

15. The method as recited in

claim 13

wherein prior to said step of said digital work creator storing said digital work in a distribution repository, said digital work creator placing watermark characters on said digital work, said watermark characters in an original watermark font.

16. The method as recited in

claim 14

wherein said rendering event is printing of the digital work and said step of said rendering repository gathering watermark information specified in said rendering right is further comprised of the step of said rendering repository obtaining identification certificates for said user repository and said printer repository and extracting identification information.

17. The method as recited in

claim 16

wherein said step of said print repository encoding data for said watermark information is further comprised of the step of defining glyph patterns defining said watermark information as characters in a dynamic watermark font.

18. The method as recited in

claim 17

wherein said step of said printer repository embedding said watermark information is further comprised of the step of said printer repository changing the font of said watermark characters to said dynamic watermark font.

19. In a system for controlling the distribution and use of digital works, a method for providing a watermark on a rendered digital work comprising the steps of:

a) a digital work creator assigning a rendering right to said digital work and storing in a distribution repository, said rendering right specifying criteria for a rendering system that must be satisfied before the digital work can be rendered;

watermark information indicating information identifying a rendering event;

b) a user requesting a rendered version of said digital work be rendered on a user rendering system having a rendering repository;

c) said distribution repository determining if said user rendering system mess the specified criteria in said rendering right;

d) if said rendering system satisfies said specified criteria, said distribution repository encrypting said digital work and sending to said rendering repository;

e) said rendering repository gathering watermark information specified in said rendering right;

f) said rendering repository encoding data for said watermark information;

g) said rendering repository decrypting said digital work and embedding said watermark information; and

h) said rendering repository transmitting said digital work with embedded watermark information to a rendering device for rendering.

20. The method as recited in

claim 19

wherein said criteria for said rendering repository is comprised of a security criteria and a watermarking criteria.

21. The method as recited in

claim 19

wherein said rendering right is further for specifying watermark information indicating information identifying a rendering event.

22. The method as recited in

claim 21

wherein said rendering right is a print right and said rendering repository is a printer repository.