Substitution groups/inheritance for extensibility in authorization policy

• US 20040098347A1
• Filed: 11/18/2002
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: LaMacchia, Brian A., DeTreville, John, Atkinson, Bob
• Granted Patent: US 7,792,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• 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]

Abstract

A computer-implemented mechanism for granting rights is described. A license may be used to identify one or more principals, resources, rights and conditions. The license also identifies a license format scheme and a license format modification scheme. An access control module or other entity may interpret the license in accordance with the license format scheme and license format modification scheme.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of generating a license that grants rights, the method comprising:

generating a plurality of license elements that are formatted in accordance with a license scheme;

generating at least one license element that is not formatted in accordance with the license scheme; and

identifying a modification scheme that describes the relationship between the at least one license element and the license scheme.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the modification scheme identifies a new license element that replaces a license element included in the license scheme.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein a type of the new license element is an extension of a type of the license element.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the modification scheme identifies a new class that replaces a class included in the license scheme.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the license is created with an object-oriented programming language.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the license elements pertains to a right associated with a digital work resource.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the right includes the right to download the digital work.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the license elements pertains to a right associated with a service.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the license scheme comprises an XML schema.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the modification scheme comprises an XML schema

11. A computer-implemented method of processing a license that grants rights, the method comprising:

receiving a license that includes a plurality of license elements formatted in accordance with a license scheme and at least one license element that is not formatted in accordance with the license scheme;

interpreting the plurality of license elements in accordance with the license scheme; and

interpreting the at least one license element in accordance with the license scheme and a modification scheme.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the modification scheme identifies a new license element that replaces a license element included in the license scheme.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the modification scheme identifies a new class that replaces a class included in the license scheme.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the license is created with an object-oriented programming language.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the license elements pertains to a right associated with a digital work resource.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the right includes the right to download the digital work.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the license elements pertains to a right associated with a service.

18. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer device to perform the steps, said instructions comprising:

receiving a license that includes a plurality of license elements formatted in accordance with a license scheme and at least one license element that is not formatted in accordance with the license scheme;

interpreting the plurality of license elements in accordance with the license scheme; and

interpreting at least-one license element in accordance with the license scheme and a modification scheme.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the modification scheme identifies a new license element that replaces a license element included in the license scheme.

20. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a license data structure, said license data structure comprising:

a first field identifying a first license format document;

a second field identifying a second license format document that includes modifications to the first license format document;

a third field including a first license element formatted in accordance with the first license format document; and

a fourth field including a second license element formatted in accordance with the second format document.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the second license element comprises one of a principal element, a right element, a resource element and a condition element.