System for prepayment of electronic content using removable media and for prevention of unauthorized copying of same

• US 6,434,535 B1
• Filed: 11/13/1998
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Iomega Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Kupka, Michael S., Lundgren, Michael G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough, Hyung-sub
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E.
• Application Number:
  US09/191,976
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 705/41, 705/17, 705/56, 705/52, 705/53, 380/24, 380/201, 380/202, 380/228, 713/193
• US Class Current: 705/24
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system and method for distribution of electronic content over a network infrastructure and compensation of vendors of such data using prepaid media that includes a client device for operation by a user desiring to receive the electronic content and server that contains the electronic content and offering the electronic content for downloading to the client device via the network infrastructure. The client device communicates a unique identifier associated with a particular piece of media to which the electronic content is to be stored to the server. The server contacts a media tracking sever to determine if the media is valid and a remaining balance of the prepaid media. The cost of the electronic content to be downloaded is deducted from the remaining balance and credited to the vendor'"'"'s account. The server then encrypts the electronic content using the unique identifier as a key and downloads the encrypted electronic content to the client computer, where the client computer writes the encrypted electronic content to the particular piece of media such that the encrypted electronic content may only be accessed from the particular piece of media. The electronic content is only accessible from only the one piece of media having the unique identifier and is not accessible from any other media having a different or no identifier.

Claims

1. A method of distributing electronic content from a vendor server to a client device via a network infrastructure which includes a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol Network and for payment to a vendor of the electronic content, said method utilizing a permanent unique identifier stored on a piece of destination media on which the electronic content is to be stored to associate the electronic content with only said piece of media and utilizing a predetermined value stored on said piece of media as payment for the electronic content, said method comprising:

contacting the vendor server via the network infrastructure;

transmitting said unique identifier of said piece of destination media to the vendor server;

communicating, via said network infrastructure information from said vendor server to media tracking server to determine if said unique identifier is valid and to determine a remaining balance of said predetermined value of said piece of media;

encrypting said electronic content into an encrypted format having said unique identifier as a key;

communicating, via the network infrastructure, said encrypted format of said electronic content to said piece of media; and

writing the electronic content to said piece of media in accordance with said unique identifier such that the electronic content may be accessed for use from only said piece of media having said unique identifier.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of communicating, via the network infrastructure, information from the vendor server to a media tracking server, further comprises:

determining if said remaining balance is greater than a purchase price of the electronic content;

deducting the purchase price from said remaining balance to determine a new remaining balance if said remaining balance is greater than a purchase price of the electronic content; and

sending an acknowledgment to the vendor server prior to communicating the electronic content to said piece of media.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising crediting an account of the vendor of the electronic content.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

notifying the vendor server that the remaining balance is insufficient to cover the cost of the electronic content if said remaining balance is less than a purchase price of the electronic content;

notifying the client device that said remaining balance is insufficient to cover the cost of the electronic content;

requesting if the remaining balance is to be replenished; and

obtaining payment information to replenish the remaining balance.

5. The method as recited in claim 2, said step of communicating, via the network infrastructure, the electronic content to said piece of media, wherein the electronic content is in an encrypted format;

further comprising;

determining if an error situation has occurred during the communication of the electronic data;

determining if said piece of media is full; and

if so, prompting a user to insert a second piece of media having a second predetermined value and downloading the electronic content to said second piece of media.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

reading a second unique identifier from said second piece of media;

determining, at said media tracking server, if said second piece of media is valid based on said second unique identifier; and

transferring said remaining balance from said piece of media to said second piece of media.

7. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said transmitting said unique identifier to the vendor server further comprises:

accessing said one piece of destination media;

reading said unique identifier from a predetermined location on said one piece of destination media; and

formatting said unique identifier into a first data structure for communication to the vendor server.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein said predetermined location on said one piece of destination media is a predetermined track.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein said communicating the electronic content to said piece of media, wherein the said electronic content is in an encrypted format comprises encrypting at least one of the electronic content and an encryption key to the electronic content, said encrypting using said unique identifier as an encryption key.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the electronic content is written to said one piece of media in an encrypted format using said unique identifier as a decryption key.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein said contacting the vendor server via the network infrastructure comprises:

submitting, from the client device, a form to the vendor server;

executing, at the vendor server, a program to process said form; and

sending, to the client device, a metatag and transaction file.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said metatag and said transaction file launch a client program at the client device after being sent to the client device, and wherein said client program opens said transaction file and parses metadata from metatags within said transaction file.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the client connects to a server address identified by a predetermined metatag in said transaction file to receive the electronic content.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said server address is dynamically changed as the electronic content is requested from the vendor server.

15. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said transmitting said unique identifier to the vendor server further comprises:

accessing said one piece of destination media;

reading said unique identifier from a predetermined location on said one piece of destination media;

obtaining vender information;

obtaining user information;

building a compound key through a predetermined operation using said unique identifier, said vendor information, and said user information; and

formatting said compound key into a first data structure for communication to the vendor server with said unique identifier.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein said predetermined location on said one piece of destination media is a predetermined track.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein said step of storing said electronic content in an encrypted format comprises encrypting at least one of the electronic content and an encryption key to the electronic content, said encrypting using said compound key as an encryption key.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the electronic content is written to said one piece of destination media in an encrypted format using said compound key as a decryption key.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein said contacting the vendor server via the network infrastructure comprises:

submitting, from the client device, a form to the vendor server;

executing, at the vendor server, a program to process said form; and

sending, to the client, a metatag and transaction file.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein said metatag and said transaction file launch a client program at the client device after being sent to the client device, and wherein said client program opens said transaction file and parses metadata from metatags within said transaction file.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the client connects to a server address identified by a predetermined metatag in said transaction file to receive the electronic content.

22. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein said server address is dynamically changed as the electronic content is requested from the vendor server.

23. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said piece of media is a removable magnetic disk and said unique identifier is the serial number of said disk.

24. A system for distribution of electronic content over a network infrastructure which includes a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol Network to a client device running an application program, said client device including a piece of media having a permanent unique identifier and a prepaid monetary value inserted therein, said system further compensating a vendor of the electronic content from a remaining balance of said prepaid monetary value, said system comprising:

a vendor server containing the electronic content and offering the electronic content for downloading to said client device via said network infrastructure;

a media tracking server that maintains said remaining balance of said piece of media in accordance with said unique identifier;

wherein said unique identifier is communicated to said vendor server and said vendor server communicates said unique identifier to said media tracking server to determine said remaining balance, and

wherein said vendor server encrypts the electronic content with said unique identifier as a key and downloads the encrypted electronic content to said piece of media such that the electronic content may only be accessed from said piece of media.

25. The system as recited in claim 24, wherein said media tracking server determines if said remaining balance is greater than a purchase price of the electronic content,

wherein said media tracking server debits the purchase price from said remaining balance to determine a new remaining balance if said remaining balance is greater than a purchase price of the electronic content; and

wherein said media tracking server sends an acknowledgment to said vendor server prior to communicating the electronic content to said piece of media.

26. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein said media tracking server credits an account of the vendor of the electronic content.

27. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein said media tracking server notifies the vendor that the remaining balance is insufficient to cover the cost of the electronic content if said remaining balance is greater than a purchase price of the electronic content, and

wherein said vendor server requests if said remaining balance is to be replenished and payment information to replenish the remaining balance is communicated via said application software to said media tracking server.

28. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein said vendor server determines if an error situation has occurred during the communication of the electronic data and determines if said piece of media is full, and

wherein if said media is full, said application software requests that a second piece of media having a second predetermined value be inserted into said client device, and said vendor server resumes downloading the electronic content to said second piece of media.

29. The system as recited in claim 28, said application software reading a second unique identifier from said second piece of media, and

wherein said media tracking server determines if said second piece of media is valid based on said second unique identifier and transfers said remaining balance from said piece of media to said second piece of media.

30. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein said application software accesses said one piece of destination media and reads said unique identifier from a predetermined location on said one piece of destination media, and

wherein said application software formats said unique identifier into a first data structure for communication to the vendor server.

31. The system as recited in claim 30, wherein said predetermined location on said piece of media is a predetermined track.

32. The system as recited in claim 30, wherein the electronic content to be transmitted to the client device is encrypted using said unique identifier as an encryption key.

33. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the electronic content is written to said piece of media in an encrypted format using said unique identifier as a decryption key.

34. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein said application software accesses said piece of destination media and reads said unique identifier from a predetermined location on said piece of destination media, obtains vender information, and obtains user information,

wherein said application software builds a compound key through a predetermined operation using said unique identifier, said vendor information, and said user information, and

wherein said application software formats said compound key into a first data structure for communication to the server with said unique identifier.

35. The system as recited in claim 34, wherein said predetermined location on said piece of destination media is a predetermined track.

36. The system as recited in claim 34, wherein the electronic content to be transmitted is encrypted using said compound key as an encryption key.

37. The system as recited in claim 36, wherein the electronic content is written to said piece of destination media in an encrypted format using said compound key as a decryption key.

38. The system as recited in claim 24 wherein said piece of media is a removable magnetic disk and said unique identifier is the serial number of said disk.