Method for determining internet users geographic region

• US 6,859,791 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2000
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rodgers, Jeremy, Best, Arthur R. II, Best, Arthur, Spagna, Richard L., Rettig, Paul R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Winter, John M.
• Application Number:
  US09/711,596
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/51
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1013 to locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• 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 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00884 involving a watermark, i.e. a barely perceptible transformation of the original data which can nevertheless be recognised by an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A method at a clearing house to verify the geographic region of an end user device for receiving encrypted digital content. In one embodiment the geographic region is a country. The method comprising three sub-methods. In the first sub-method the address is verified by determining the credit card clearing address of the end user using an address verification system. In the second sub-method the address is verified by determining the IP address of the end user device requesting delivery of the encrypted digital content. And in the third sub-method the address is verified by checking that the IP address of the end user device requesting delivery of the encrypted digital content is the identical IP address of the end user device requesting a license to use the encrypted digital content. Depending on predetermined system settings, one or more of the above combination of the three sub-methods is then checked, before authorizing the decrypting of the encrypted digital content includes decrypting the encrypted digital content if the address verification system returns an address in a predetermined geographic region and the IP address of the end user device is in a predetermined geographic region.

Claims

1. A method on an online store to verify the geographic region of an end user device for receiving encrypted digital content, the method comprising:

determining a credit card clearing address of the end user using an address verification system at a clearing house, wherein the end user sends a request via an end user device for the delivery of encrypted digital content;

verifying that an IP address of the end user device requesting delivery of the encrypted digital content is an identical IP address of the end user device requesting a license to use the encrypted digital content; and

authorizing the decrypting of the encrypted digital content if the address verification system returns an address in a first predetermined geographic region and the IP address of the end user device is in a second predetermined geographic region.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the verifying that the IP address of the end user device includes performing at least one of the following:

querying at least one IP address in IP databases provided by third parties;

checking at least one country code found in the trace routes to the IP address being verified; and

using preassigned country allocations for class C IP addresses.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the verifying that the IP address of the end user includes determining a confidence by:

querying the IP address; and

checking the country codes found in the trace routes;

wherein the confidence is determined against a second IP address returned for the second geographic region being verified.

4. A method at a clearing house to verify the geographic region of an end user device for receiving encrypted digital content, the method comprising:

determining a credit card clearing address of an end user using an address verification system, wherein the end user sends a request via an end user device for a delivery of encrypted digital content;

verifying that an IP address of the end user device requesting delivery of the encrypted digital content is an identical IP address of the end user device requesting a license to use the encrypted digital content; and

authorizing the decrypting of the encrypted digital content if the address verification system returns an address in a first predetermined geographic region and the IP address of the end user device is in a second predetermined geographic region.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the verifying that the IP address of the end user device includes performing at least one of the following:

querying at least one IP addresses in IP databases provided by third parties;

checking at least one country codes found in the trace routes to the IP address being verified; and

using preassigned country allocations for class C IP addresses.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the verifying the IP address of the end user includes determining a confidence by:

querying the IP address; and

checking the country codes found in the trace routes;

wherein the confidence is determined against a second IP address returned for the second geographic region being verified.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the authorizing the decrypting of the encrypted digital content includes authorizing the decrypting of the encrypted digital content if the address verification system returns an address in the first predetermined geographic region defined by at least one country.

8. A computer readable medium containing programming instructions for execution at a clearing house to verify the geographic region of an end user device for receiving encrypted digital content, the programming instructions comprising:

determining a credit card clearing address of an end user using an address verification system, wherein the end user sends a request via an end user device for the delivery of encrypted digital content;

verifying that an IP address of the end user device requesting delivery of the encrypted digital content is an identical IP address of the end user device requesting a license to use the encrypted digital content; and

authorizing the decrypting of the encrypted digital content if the address verification system returns an address in a first predetermined geographic region and the IP address of the end user device is in a second predetermined geographic region.

9. The computer readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the means for verifying the IP address of the end user device includes at least one of the following:

querying at least one IP address in IP databases provided by third parties;

checking at least one country code found in the trace routes to the IP address being verified; and

using preassigned country allocations for class C IP addresses.

10. The computer readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the means for verifying that the IP address of the end user includes determining a confidence by:

querying the IP address; and

checking the country codes found in the trace routes;

wherein the confidence is determined against a second IP address returned for the second geographic region being verified.

11. The computer readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the means for authorizing the decrypting of the encrypted digital content includes authorizing the decrypting of the encrypted digital content if the address verification system returns an address in the first predetermined geographic region defined by at least one country.

12. A system to verify the geographic region of an end user device for receiving encrypted digital content, comprising:

means for determining a credit card clearing address of an end user using an address verification system, wherein the end user sends a request via an end user device for the delivery of encrypted digital content;

means for verifying that an IP address of the end user device requesting delivery of the encrypted digital content is an identical IP address of the end user device requesting a license to use the encrypted digital content; and

means for authorizing the decrypting of the encrypted digital content if the address verification system returns an address in a predetermined geographic region and the IP address of the end user device is in the second predetermined geographic region.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the means of verifying the IP address of the end user device includes at least one of the following:

means for querying at least one IP address in IP databases provided by third parties;

means for checking at least one country code found in the trace routes to the IP address being verified; and

means for using preassigned country allocations for class C IP addresses.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the means of verifying the IP address of the end user includes determining the confidence of at least one of:

means for querying the IP address; and

means for checking the country codes found in the trace routes;

wherein the confidence is determined against a second IP address returned for the second geographic region being verified.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the means of authorizing the decrypting of the encrypted digital content includes authorizing the decrypting of the encrypted digital content if the address verification system returns an address in the first predetermined geographic region defined by at least one country.

16. A clearing house system to verify the geographic region of an end user device for receiving encrypted digital content, comprising:

an address verification system for determining a credit card clearing address of an end user, wherein the end user sends a request via an end user device for the delivery of encrypted digital content;

a storage area for storing an IP address of the end user device requesting a license to use the encrypted digital content and a comparator for verifying that an IP address of the end user device is identical to the IP address previously stored; and

a notification message sent to the end user device for authorizing the decrypting of the encrypted digital content if the address verification system returns an address in a predetermined geographic region and the IP address of the end user device is in the second predetermined geographic region.