Method and system for subscription digital rights management

• US 20020198846A1
• Filed: 06/06/2002
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Inventors: Lao, Guillermo
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/54
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1015 to users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0071 involving a purchase action
• 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 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system and method for managing use of items having usage rights associated therewith. The system includes an activation device adapted to issue a software package having a public and private key pair, the public key being associated with a user, a license device adapted to issue a license, a usage device adapted to receive the software package, receive the license and allow the user to access the item in accordance with the license, and a subscription managing device adapted to maintain a subscription list including the public key associated with the user. License'"'"'s is issued by the license device upon verifying presence of the public key in the subscription list corresponding to requested content.

Claims

1. A rights management system for managing use of items having usage rights associated therewith, said system comprising:

an activation device adapted to issue a software package that enforces usage rights to control use of said items, said software package including an identification mechanism associated with a user;

a user device adapted to receive said software package, receive a license having usage rights specifying a manner of use and being associated with at least one item, and allow said user to access said at least one item in accordance with said license;

a subscription managing device including a subscription list having said identification mechanism associated with subscribed users;

means for receiving a license request for a requested item on behalf of at least one user; and

a license device adapted to issue said license associated with said at least one item, said license device communicating with said subscription managing device and verifying that said identification mechanism for said at least one user is in said subscription list prior to issuing said license.

2. The rights management system of claim 1, wherein said at least one user is a plurality of users, each of said users having a public key as said identification mechanism.

3. The rights management system of claim 2, wherein said subscription managing device maintains a list of the identity of subscribed users via said public key associated with each of said users.

4. The rights management system of claim 3, wherein said at least one items is a plurality of items of protected content.

5. The rights management system of claim 4, wherein said plurality of items of protected content comprise at least one of a text file, an audio file, a video file, and digital multimedia files.

6. The rights management system of claim 1, wherein said at least one item is a plurality of items of protected content.

7. The rights management system of claim 4, further including a distribution point adapted to pre-package said license from said license device with said at least one item for each user in said subscription list.

8. The rights management system of claim 7, wherein said distribution point is further adapted to count the number of items accessed by said at least one user.

9. The rights management system of claim 8, wherein said subscription managing device is further adapted to remove said at least one user from said subscription list when a predetermined number of items is accessed by said at least one user.

10. The rights management system of claim 8, wherein said distribution point is an on-line storefront application.

11. The rights management system of claim 1, wherein said subscription managing device also includes a mail server directory.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said at least one item is a plurality of items of protected content adapted to be accessed by said at least one user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said at least one user is plural users and further comprising the step of issuing a plurality of licenses granting usage rights to each of said plural users to use said plurality of item of protected content.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of verifying that each of said plural uses are listed in said subscription list prior to issuing each license that grants usage right to use each of said plurality of protected content.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of counting the number of items of protected content used by each of said plural users.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of removing said identification mechanism associated with a user when a predetermined number of items of protected content is used by that user.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein said identification mechanism is a public key.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of verifying that a public key of a user requesting access to a particular item of protected content is listed in said subscription list prior to issuing a license that grants usage rights to that user to use said particular item of protected content.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of pre-packaging said issued license together with said at least one item for each user in the subscription list.

12. A method for managing use of items having usage rights associated therewith, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a software package to at least one user, said software package enforcing usage rights to control use of said items and having an identification mechanism associated with said at least one user;

storing said identification mechanism associated with said at least one user in a subscription list corresponding to said at least one item;

receiving a request from said at least one user to access said at least one item;

verifying that said at least one user requesting access to said at least one item is listed in said subscription list; and

issuing a license that grants usage rights to said at least one user to use said at least one item if said user is in said subscription list.

21. A method of subscribing a user for access to protected item, said method comprising:

issuing a private key and a public key to users;

adding the public key of the users to a subscription list corresponding to items of protected content; and

packaging a license to one of the items of protected content upon receipt of a request for said one of the items for protected content and verification that the public key of a user making the request is a public key that is in the subscription list.