INFLUENTIAL DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT

• US 20080082448A1
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Glasgow, Dane A., Cheng, Lili, Meijer, Henricus Johannes Maria, Raghavan, Kartik N., Bolosky, William J., Larus, James R., Brumme, Christopher W., Blinn, Arnold N., Gounares, Alexander G., Glasser, Daniel S., Snyder, Ira L., Mital, Amit, Bergstraesser, Thomas F., Mishra, Debi P., Gates, William H.
• Application Number:
  US11/613,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20080082448A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1078 Logging; Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

Innovative aspects provided herein pertain to digital rights management (DRM) and/or enforcement in conjunction with remote network clouds and services. Digital rights management licenses/rights/policies can be applied to personal files to facilitate worry free remote storage and/or file sharing. These rights can be identity-centric rather than machine centric, thereby facilitating access and usage from any network device anywhere. Various mechanisms are also disclosed to deter assorted uses of content and/or encourage rights acquisition as an alternative or in addition to technologically prohibitive means. Additionally, a system and method are provided that can afford a frictionless marketplace for file distribution, wherein content is protected and freely distributed and identity-centric rights can be purchased to access the content.

Claims

1. A digital rights management system, comprising:

a component to accept payment of a license fee for use of technologically unprotected content; and

an influence component that encourages users to pay the fee.

2. The system of claim 1, the influence component discounts the license fee as a function of user content distribution and/or referral.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a reward component that provides a reward for payment of the license fee.

4. The system of claim 3, the reward component positively impacts a publicly available license compliance metric.

5. The system of claim 3, the reward component provides a free license to other content.

6. The system of claim 3, the reward component provides priority access to content.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a context component that affords user context information to the influence component.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a deterrent component that provides one or more messages to a user that appeal to a user'"'"'s conscience regarding use of unlicensed content.

9. A licensing method, comprising:

distributing computer readable content items free of technological restrictions;

receiving payment of a license fee associated with an a content item; and

rewarding the user for payment of the license fee.

10. The method of claim 9, rewarding the user comprising reducing licensing fees on other content items.

11. The method of claim 9, rewarding the user comprising providing access to otherwise restricted content.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising maintaining a publicly accessible license compliance metric, rewarding the user comprises positively impacting the compliance metric.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising aggregating user metrics to generate associated organizational metrics.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising affording organizational compliance awards.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing priority access to software applications base on a metric value.

16. The method of claim 9, monitoring content item usage and notifying the user when a non-licensed content item is being utilized.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising crediting a user the licensing fee upon the user referring and/or distributing the content to a predetermined number of individuals.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising warning the user if rights are already owned to prevent purchase of duplicative rights.

19. A digital rights management system, comprising:

means for receiving payment of a license fee; and

means for rewarding a user for payment of the fee.

20. The system of claim 19, the means for rewarding at least one of positively impacts a publicly available compliance metric, reduces license fees on other content and/or provides a free content license.