Digital rights management in a distributed network

• US 20050278259A1
• Filed: 06/09/2005
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Gunaseelan, Lakshminarayanan, Padinjareveetil, Abdul Salam Faisal
• Granted Patent: US 7,711,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1084 via third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

The present invention is implemented within a distributed network operating environment (such as a CDN) in which content providers offload given content for delivery from servers (e.g., CDN edge servers) managed by a service provider (such as a CDN operator). It is assumed that the given content is secured using a digital rights management (DRM) scheme. According to the invention, a distributed set of license server processes are provided to manage the issuance of content licenses. Each of the license server processes is operative to generate licenses by which a given end user client obtains given rights for given content, typically the content served from the machine. A distributed set of license server processes operates in a de-centralized manner and without access to third party business logic (e.g., a payment mechanism) or authentication information associated with end users requesting the given content.

Claims

1. In a distributed network in which content providers offload given content for delivery from servers managed by a content delivery network service provider, wherein the given content is secured using a digital rights management scheme, the improvement comprising:

a distributed set of license server processes, each of the license server processes operative to generate licenses by which a given end user client obtains given rights for given content;

wherein the distributed set of license server processes operate in a de-centralized manner and without access to authentication information associated with end users requesting the given content.

2. In the distributed network as described in claim 1 wherein the given content is a media stream.

3. In the distributed network as described in claim 2 wherein the media stream is a live stream, or a stream that is stored in the distributed network and available on-demand.

4. In the distributed network as described in claim 1 wherein the license server process comprises first code to determine validity of a given token associated with an end user license request and second code, responsive to the first code, to generate the license.

5. In the distributed network as described in claim 1 wherein the given rights in the license are established by the license server based on data in a metadata file stored at the license server.

6. In the distributed network as described in claim 1 wherein the given rights in the license are established by the license server dynamically on a per request basis based on data in the given token.

7. In a distributed network in which content providers offload given content for delivery from servers managed by a content delivery network service provider, wherein authorization to access the given content is obtained through business logic and the given content is secured using a rights management scheme, the improvement comprising:

a distributed set of license server processes, each of the license server processes operative to generate licenses by which a given end user client obtains given rights for given content;

wherein the distributed set of license server processes operate in a de-centralized manner and without access to the business logic or any authentication information associated with end users requesting the given content.

8. Apparatus, operative in a distributed network in which content providers offload given content for delivery, wherein authorization to access the given content is obtained through third party business logic and the given content is secured using a rights management scheme, comprising:

a processor;

an operating system;

at least one content server process for serving given content to a requesting end user client machine following authorization by the third party business logic, the given content being secured by the rights management scheme; and

a license server process operative to generate a license by which a given end user client obtains given rights for the given content served by the content server process;

wherein the license server process operates without access to the business logic or any authentication information associated with an end user requesting the given content.