Systems and methods for secure transaction management and electronic rights protection

• US 6,948,070 B1
• Filed: 10/30/2000
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intertrust Technologies Corporation (Fidelio Acquisition Co LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intertrust Technologies Corporation (Fidelio Acquisition Co LLC)
• Inventors: Ginter, Karl L., Spahn, Francis J., Shear, Victor H., Van Wie, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Darrow, Justin T.
• Application Number:
  US09/698,044
• Time in Patent Office: 1,786 Days
• Field of Search: 713/193, 713/194, 713/201, 713/202, 380/201, 380/202, 380/203, 380/231, 380/232, 380/233, 705/51, 705/52, 705/53, 705/57, 705/58, 705/59, 386/94, 700/231, 700/234
• US Class Current: 713/193
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1408 by using cryptography for digital transmission H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/023 the neutral party being a clearing house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• 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 2463/103 : applying security measure for protecting copy right protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment, e.g. protection the software providers copyright G06F21/10; data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; secrecy systems or subscription systems H04N7/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 : for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 : involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23476 : by partially encrypting, e.g. encrypting the ending portion of a movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 : Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 : Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• 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 21/2543 : Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 : Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 : involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 : embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 : Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 : Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 : involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 : Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 : OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• 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 21/4753 : for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 : Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 : involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• 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 21/83555 : using a structured language for describing usage rules of the content, e.g. REL
• 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 7/162 : Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 : Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for secure transaction management and electronic rights protection. Electronic appliances such as computers equipped in accordance with the present invention help to ensure that information is accessed and used only in authorized ways, and maintain the integrity, availability, and/or confidentiality of the information. Such electronic appliances provide a distributed virtual distribution environment (VDE) that may enforce a secure chain of handling and control, for example, to control and/or meter or otherwise monitor use of electronically stored or disseminated information. Such a virtual distribution environment may be used to protect rights of various participants in electronic commerce and other electronic or electronic-facilitated transactions. Distributed and other operating systems, environments and architectures, such as, for example, those using tamper-resistant hardware-based processors, may establish security at each node. These techniques may be used to support an all-electronic information distribution, for example, utilizing the “electronic highway.”

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing a first digital file in a first secure container on a first portable memory, said first secure container including said first digital file and at least one control governing at least one aspect of use of or access to said first digital file while said first digital file is contained in said first secure container;

receiving said first digital file at a first device, wherein said first digital file is received in said first secure container stored on said first portable memory;

establishing communication between said first device and a first clearinghouse located at a location remote from said first device;

said first device obtaining information from said first clearinghouse and using said information to gain access to or make at least one use of said first digital file;

storing said first digital file in a memory of said first device;

storing said first digital file in a second secure container, said second secure container including said second digital file and at least one control governing at least one aspect of use of or access to said second digital file while said second digital file is contained in said second secure container;

receiving said second digital file at said first device, wherein said second digital file is in said second secure container stored on a second portable memory different from said first portable memory;

establishing communication between said first device and a second clearinghouse located at a location remote from said first device,

said first device obtaining information from said second clearinghouse and using said information to gain access to or make at least one use of said second digital file;

storing said second digital file in a memory of said first device;

using at least a first control to determine whether some or all of said first digital file may be copied and stored on a second device;

if said first control allows at least a portion of said first digital file to be copied and stored on a second device;

copying at least a portion of said first digital file;

transferring said first digital file portion to a second device including a memory and an audio and/or video output; and

storing said first digital file portion in said memory of said second device;

using at least a second control to determine whether some or all of said second digital file may be copied and stored on said second device;

if said second control allows at least a portion of said second digital file to be copied and stored on said second device;

copying at least a portion of said second digital file;

transferring said second digital file portion to said second device;

storing said second digital file portion in said memory of said second device while said first digital file portion is also stored in said memory; and

rendering said first or said second digital file portion through said output.

2. A method as in claim 1, in which:

said step of storing said first digital file at said first device includes removing said first digital file from said first secure container; and

said step of storing said second digital file at said first device includes removing said second digital file from said second secure container.

3. A method as in claim 2, in which:

said step of transferring said first digital file portion to said second device includes storing said first digital file portion in a third secure container, said third secure container including said first digital file portion and at least one control governing at least one aspect of use or access to any file contained within said third secure container; and

said step of transferring said second digital file portion to said second device includes storing said second digital file portion in said third secure container.

4. A method as in claim 3, in which:

at least one of said third secure container controls governs at least one use that may be made of said first digital file portion and said second digital file portion while said first digital file portion and said second digital file portion are stored in said memory of said second device.

5. A method as in claim 4, in which:

said at least one of said third secure container controls restricts the ability of a user of said second device to make copies of said first digital file portion and said second digital file portion while said first digital file portion and said second digital file portion are stored in said memory of said second device.

6. A method as in claim 5, in which:

said restriction imposed by said at least one of said third secure container controls constitutes a prohibition on the creation by said second device of any copies of said first digital file portion or said second digital file portion.

7. A method as in claim 6, in which:

said first secure container controls include at least a first budget; and

said second secure container controls include at least a second budget.

8. A method as in claim 7, in which:

said first budget governs the number of copies which may be made by said first device of said first digital file or a portion thereof; and

said second budget governs the number of copies which may be made by said first device of said second digital file or a portion thereof.

9. A method as in claim 1, in which:

said first portable memory and said second portable memory are disks.