System and method for managing transfer of rights using shared state variables

• US 7,774,280 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2004
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Mai, Ta, Thanh, Wang, Xin, Chen, Eddie J., Lao, Guillermo
• Primary Examiner(s): Fischer, Andrew J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEST, THOMAS C
• Application Number:
  US10/956,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20050060571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,136 Days
• Field of Search: 705 50- 79
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• 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 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32

Abstract

A method, system and device for transferring rights adapted to be associated with items from a rights supplier to a rights consumer, including obtaining a set of rights associated with an item, the set of rights including meta-rights specifying derivable rights that can be derived from the meta-; determining whether the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights; and deriving at least one right from the derivable rights, if the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights, wherein the derived right includes at least one state variable based on the set of rights and used for determining a state of the derived right.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for transferring rights adapted to be associated with items from a rights supplier to a rights consumer, the method comprising:

obtaining a set of rights associated with an item, the set of rights including a meta-right specifying a right that can be created when the meta-right is exercised, wherein the meta-right is provided in digital form and is enforceable by a repository;

determining, by a repository, whether the rights consumer is entitled to the right specified by the meta-right; and

exercising the meta-right to create the right specified by the meta-right if the rights consumer is entitled to the right specified by the meta-right, wherein the created right includes at least one state variable based on the set of rights and used for determining a state of the created right.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the state variable inherits a state thereof for content usage or rights transfer from the set of rights.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the state variable shares a state thereof for content usage or rights transfer with the set of rights.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the state variable inherits a remaining state for content usage or rights transfer from the set of rights.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the state variable is updated upon exercise of a right associated with the state variable.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein exercising the meta-right creates a plurality of rights, wherein the state variable is shared by the created rights.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the state variable represents a collection of states.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of state variables that determine the state of the created right.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one state variable is unspecified in the created right, is created during a rights transfer, and is assigned to the created right.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the state variable is transferred from the right specified by the meta-right to the created right.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a license including the created right, if the rights consumer is entitled to the right specified by the meta-right.

12. A system for transferring rights adapted to be associated with items from a rights supplier to a rights consumer, the system comprising:

means for obtaining a set of rights associated with an item, the set of rights including a meta-right specifying a right that can be created when the meta-right is exercised, wherein the meta-right is provided in digital form and is enforceable by a repository;

means for determining whether the rights consumer is entitled to the right specified by the meta-right; and

means for exercising the meta-right to create the right specified by the meta-right if the rights consumer is entitled to the right specified by the meta-right, wherein the created right includes at least one state variable based on the set of rights and used for determining a state of the created right.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the state variable inherits a state thereof for content usage or rights transfer from the set of rights.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the state variable shares a state thereof for content usage or rights transfer with the set of rights.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the state variable inherits a remaining state for content usage or rights transfer from the set of rights.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the state variable is updated upon exercise of a right associated with the state variable.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein exercising the meta-right results creates a plurality of rights, wherein the state variable is shared by the created rights.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the state variable represents a collection of states.

19. The system of claim 12, including a plurality of state variables that determine the state of the created right.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one state variable is unspecified in the created right, is created during a rights transfer, and is assigned to the created right.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the state variable is transferred from the right specified by the meta-right to the created right.

22. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for generating a license including the created right, if the rights consumer is entitled to the right specified by the meta-right.

23. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for obtaining, the means for determining, and the means for exercising comprise at least one of computer-executable instructions, and devices of a computer system.

24. A device for transferring rights adapted to be associated with items from a rights supplier to a rights consumer, the device comprising:

means for obtaining a set of rights associated with an item, the set of rights including a meta-right specifying a right that can be created when the meta-right is exercised, wherein the meta-right is provided in digital form and is enforceable by a repository;

means for determining whether the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable right specified by the meta-right; and

means for exercising the meta-right to create the right specified by the meta-right if the rights consumer is entitled to the right specified by the meta-right, wherein the created right includes at least one state variable based on the set of rights and used for determining a state of the created right.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the state variable inherits a state thereof for content usage or rights transfer from the set of rights.

26. The device of claim 24, wherein the state variable shares a state thereof for content usage or rights transfer with the set of rights.

27. The device of claim 24, wherein the state variable inherits a remaining state for content usage or rights transfer from the set of rights.

28. The device of claim 24, wherein the state variable is updated upon exercise of a right associated with the state variable.

29. The device of claim 24, wherein exercising the meta-right results creates a plurality of rights, wherein the state variable is shared by the created rights.

30. The device of claim 24, wherein the state variable represents a collection of states.

31. The device of claim 24, including a plurality of state variables that determine the state of the created right.

32. The device of claim 24, wherein the at least one state variable is unspecified in the created right, is created during a rights transfer, and is assigned to the created right.

33. The device of claim 24, wherein the state variable is transferred from the right specified by the meta-right to the created right.

34. The device of claim 24, further comprising means for generating a license including the created right, if the rights consumer is entitled to the right specified by the meta-right.

35. The device of claim 24, wherein the means for obtaining, the means for determining, and the means for exercising comprise at least one of computer-executable instructions, and devices of a computer system.

36. The device of claim 24, wherein one or more of the means for obtaining, the means for determining, and the means for exercising are specified in a license.