Protecting content objects with rights management information

• US 20060140405A1
• Filed: 11/23/2005
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Purkayastha, Debashish, Thommana, John
• Application Number:
  US11/285,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20060140405A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• 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 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

A method for protecting a content object with rights management information begins by creating a content object. Permissions are assigned to the content object, an encryption key is generated, and a content protection utility is cloned. The cloned content protection utility, the encryption key, and the permissions are appended to the content object to create a composite object. The composite object is encrypted with the encryption key to create a protected content object.

Claims

1. A method for protecting a content object with rights management information, comprising the steps of:

creating a content object;

assigning permissions to the content object;

generating an encryption key;

cloning a content protection utility;

appending the cloned content protection utility, the encryption key, and the permissions to the content object to create a composite object; and

encrypting the composite object with the encryption key to create a protected content object.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the permissions includes a permission list.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the permissions includes a pointer to a permissions list located remote from the content object.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

assigning an identifier to the content object; and

wherein the appending step includes appending the identifier to the content object.

5. A method for manipulating a protected content object, comprising the steps of:

extracting a content protection utility from the protected content object;

executing the content protection utility;

authenticating a user to access the protected content object;

decrypting the protected content object to unlock a content object if the user is authenticated; and

manipulating the content object.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the authenticating step is performed by the content protection utility.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the authenticating step includes:

extracting permissions from the protected content object; and

examining the permissions to determine whether the user can access the protected content object.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the permissions includes a permission list.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the permissions includes a pointer to a permissions list located remote from the content object.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein the authenticating step includes:

extracting an identifier from the protected content object; and

looking up the identifier in a permission list to determine permissions for the protected content object, the permissions indicating whether the user can access the protected content object.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the permission list is appended to the protected content object.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the permission list is located on a device remote from the protected content object.

13. The method according to claim 5, wherein if the user is not authenticated, then denying access to the protected content object.

14. The method according to claim 5, wherein the decrypting step is performed by the content protection utility.

15. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of:

extracting an encryption key from the protected content object; and

wherein the decrypting step uses the encryption key to decrypt the protected content object.

16. A system for protecting a content object, comprising:

a permission indicator for the content object, relating to a level of permitted access to the content object;

an encryption key generator, configured to generate an encryption key;

a content protection utility cloning device, configured to clone a content protection utility; and

an appending device, configured to append the permission indicator, the encryption key, and a cloned copy of the content protection utility to the content object, thereby creating a protected content object.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said permission indicator includes a permission list.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein said permission indicator includes a pointer to a permission list located remote from the content object.

19. The system according to claim 16, further comprising:

an identifier generator, configured to generate an identifier for the content object, said appending device appending the identifier to the content object.

20. A content object protected with rights management information, comprising:

a cloned copy of a content protection utility;

a permission indicator, relating to a level of permitted access to the content object; and

an encryption key, which is used to encrypt and decrypt the content object.

21. The content object according to claim 20, wherein said permission indicator includes a permission list.

22. The content object according to claim 20, wherein said permission indicator includes a pointer to a permission list located remote from the content object.

23. The content object according to claim 20, further comprising:

an identifier, said identifier being unique to the content object.

24. A content creation device for protecting a content object, the content object including a permission indicator relating to a level of permitted access to the content object, the content creation device comprising:

an encryption key generator, configured to generate an encryption key;

a content protection utility cloning device, configured to clone a content protection utility; and

an appending device, configured to append the permission indicator, the encryption key, and a cloned copy of the content protection utility to the content object, thereby creating a protected content object.

25. The content creation device according to claim 24, wherein the permission indicator includes a permission list.

26. The content creation device according to claim 24, wherein the permission indicator includes a pointer to a permission list located remote from the content object.

27. The content creation device according to claim 24, further comprising:

an identifier generator, configured to generate an identifier for the content object, said appending device appending the identifier to the content object.

28. The content creation device according to claim 24, wherein the content creation device is a wireless device.