Data management system

• US 20060282674A1
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Piracy Protection LLC (LF Capital Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intarsia Software LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Saito, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 8,595,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0071 using multiple or alternating watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0064 for copy protection or copy management, e.g. CGMS, copy only once, one-time copy
• 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 20/00224 wherein the key is obtained from a remote server
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00478 wherein contents are decrypted and re-encrypted with a different key when being copied from/to a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/608 Watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage
• 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 1/32272 Encryption or ciphering
• 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 2201/323 for tracing or tracking, e.g. forensic tracing of unauthorized copies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3235 Checking or certification of the authentication information, e.g. by comparison with data stored independently

Abstract

To prevent piracy or leakage of data content, a cryptography technique and electronic watermark technique are combined together and used. In a data content supplied to a user, a user data is entered as electronic watermark by a data management center, and the data content with an electronic watermark entered in it is encrypted using a crypt key and is supplied. The encrypted data content is decrypted using a crypt key distributed from the data management center and is used. In case it is to be stored, it is encrypted using another crypt key. In case the data content is copied and transferred to other user, a user data of the other user is entered as electronic watermark, and a scenario to enter the user data of the other user as electronic watermark is registered at the data management center, and the data content with electronic watermark entered in it is encrypted using another crypt key and is supplied. When the validity of the other user is confirmed by the scenario, another crypt key is distributed to the other user. The encrypted data content is decrypted using another crypt key and is used. When it is to be stored, it is encrypted using still another key. In case the data content has been copied and transferred illegitimately, it is possible by verifying the electronic watermark to identify the user who has copied and transferred the data content illegitimately.

Claims

1-4. -4. (canceled)

5. A method comprising:

receiving a first data content from a data management center by a first user, wherein the first data content comprises a first user data entered as a first electronic watermark to said first data content; and

entering a second user data as a second electronic watermark to the first data content by the first user before transferring the first data content from the first user to a second user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first data content comprises encrypted first data content.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising decrypting the encrypted first data content by the first user.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising re-encrypting the first data content by the first user before storing, copying, or transferring the first data content by the first user.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the first user data and the second user data comprise one or more of the following:

a user identification, a user email, a first secret key, a second secret key, a random number specific to the user, or a hash value based on a combination of user information with a user public key, or combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising encrypting the second user data, wherein the encrypted second user data is entered as the second electronic watermark.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the encrypting of the second user data comprises encrypting of the second user data using a public key of the data management center.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the number of times the first data content is further transferred is limited.

13. The method of claim 5, further comprising editing the first data content by the first user to produce edited data content represented by the first data content and a scenario, the scenario comprising an editing process on the first data content.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a first data content from a data management center by a first user, wherein the first data content comprises a first user data entered as a first electronic watermark to said first data content; and

means for entering a second user data as a second electronic watermark to the first data content by the first user before transferring the first data content from the first user to a second user.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first data content comprises encrypted first data content.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising means for decrypting the encrypted first data content by the first user.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising means for re-encrypting the first data content by the first user before storing, copying, or transferring the first data content by the first user.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first user data and the second user data comprise one or more of the following:

a user identification, a user email, a first secret key, a second secret key, a random number specific to the user, or a hash value based on a combination of user information with a user public key, or combinations thereof.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising means for encrypting the second user data, wherein the encrypted second user data is entered as the second electronic watermark.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for encrypting of the second user data comprises means for encrypting of the second user data using a public key of the data management center.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the number of times the first data content is further transferred is limited.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising means for editing the first data content by the first user to produce edited data content represented by the first data content and a scenario, the scenario comprising an editing process on the first data content.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

a computing device, said computing device capable of;

receiving a first data content from a data management center by a first user, wherein the first data content comprises a first user data entered as a first electronic watermark to said first data content; and

entering a second user data as a second electronic watermark to the first data content by the first user before transferring the first data content from the first user to a second user.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first data content comprises encrypted first data content.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said computing device is further capable of decrypting the encrypted first data content by the first user.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said computing device is further capable of re-encrypting the first data content by the first user before storing, copying, or transferring the first data content by the first user.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first user data and the second user data comprise one or more of the following:

a user identification, a user email, a first secret key, a second secret key, a random number specific to the user, or a hash value based on a combination of user information with a user public key, or combinations thereof.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said computing device is further capable of encrypting the second user data, wherein the encrypted second user data is entered as the second electronic watermark.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said computing device is further capable of encrypting of the second user data using a public key of the data management center.

30. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the number of times the first data content is further transferred is limited.

31. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said computing device is further capable of editing the first data content by the first user to produce edited data content represented by the first data content and a scenario, the scenario comprising an editing process on the first data content.

32. A method, comprising:

receiving an encrypted first data content from a data management center by a first user, wherein the encrypted first data content comprises first data content encrypted using a first secret key, and wherein the first data content comprises a first user data entered as a first electronic watermark to said first data content;

receiving the first secret key and a second secret key from the data management center by the first user, the first and second secret keys being different from each other;

decrypting the encrypted first data content by the first user using the first secret key;

entering second user data as a second electronic watermark to the first data content by the first user before transferring the first data content from the first user to a second user; and

re-encrypting the first data content by the first user using the second secret key before storing, copying, or transferring the first data content by the first user.

33. A data management method according to claim 32, wherein the receiving of the first secret key and the second secret key from the data management center by the first user comprises receiving first and second secret keys encrypted using a public key of the first user;

and further comprising decrypting the first and second secret keys by the first user using a private key of the first user before decrypting the encrypted first data content using the first secret key.

34. A data management method according to claim 32, wherein the first and second secret keys are generated based on the first user data.

35. A data management method according to claim 32, wherein the secret keys are selected from a key library at the data management center.

36. A data management method according to claim 32,

wherein one or more of the secret keys comprise corresponding partial secret keys,

wherein one of the partial secret keys corresponding to the first secret key and one of the partial secret keys corresponding to the second secret key are received by the first user, and

wherein another one of the partial secret keys corresponding to the first secret key and another one of the partial secret keys corresponding to the second secret key are attached to the first data content.

37. A data management method according to claim 32, wherein after said decrypting by the first user using the first secret key, the first secret key is abandoned by the first user by overwriting the first secret key with the second secret key.

38. A data management method according to claim 32, further comprising:

editing the first data content by the first user to produce edited data content represented by the first data content and a scenario, the scenario being an editing process on the first data content;

registering the scenario with the data management center by the first user;

receiving a third secret key from the data management center by the first user upon registration of the scenario, the third secret key being different from the first and second secret keys; and

encrypting the edited data content by the first user using the third secret key before storing, copying, or transferring the edited data content by the first user.