International Business Machines Corporation

Kenneth Louis Milsted

George Gregory Gruse

Marco M Hurtado

Craig N Kindell

Edgar S Downs

Kha D Nguyen

Qing Gong

Brian E Yoder

Susan E Waefler

Jeffrey Bruce Lotspiech

George William Wilhelm, Jr

Stefan Nusser

Michael G Lisanke

Christopher T Lehman

Michael P Vogt

Bruce A Tantlinger

Richard L Spagna

John J Dorak, Jr

Glen E Hamblin

Cesar Medina

Kenneth Carlin Nelson

Bryan John Wright

James T Tsevdos

Ting Zhao

David P Lybrand

Paripon Singkornrat

Ross L Cook

Nancy Lee Ring

Carlos Portela

Brent C Anderson

Jonn J Dorak, Jr

Gary K Lehnertz

Kevin L Zemanek

Qing Lu

Michael F Buondonno

Robert S Barnhill

A method of managing keys is provided. According to one exemplary method, digital content data encrypted with a first encrypting key is decrypted using a first decrypting key, and re-encrypted using a second encrypting key. A second decrypting key is encrypted using a third encrypting key to produce an encrypted second decrypting key. In some embodiments, an encrypted first decrypting key that was encrypted using a fourth encrypting key is received, and the encrypted first decrypting key is decrypted using a fourth decrypting key to reproduce the first decrypting key. An application for use on a computer system is also provided.

Watermarking system that executes received watermarking instructions to embed a watermark

An end-user system for the blocking of recording digital content at during the rendering of encrypted digital multimedia files. Before the process of rendering of encrypted digital multimedia can be started all rendered media stream during playback are opened to ensure that this multimedia content is not recorded. This blocks the usage of the multimedia interfaces including devices and/or ports that can be used to store un-encrypted content that has been decrypted for the purposes of playing or rendering. The method also includes an exception, which allows recording with permission from the present invention.

End-user system of preventing unauthorized rerecording of multimedia content

A system, a method and a computer program product for tracking usage of digital content on user devices. A license to play digital content data is transmitted to a user. An user watermark is generated by the user device using watermarking instructions and usage rights associated with the digital content. The user watermark is separate from the water mark created outside the user device. Further, information is transmitted to a logging site whenever the content data is played by the content player or copied from the content player to an external medium so that usage of the licensed content data can be tracked.

System for tracking end-user electronic content usage

A computer-based method with multilevel hashing for lookup of a complex nested object (such as access control list) which has a plurality of nesting levels and each level has at least one element. Method stores representatives of a complex nested object in a data structure at locations determined by recursive multilevel hashing of the complex nested object elements. When needed, a match for an inputted complex nested object is determined by applying the same recursive multilevel hashing to the inputted complex nested object, as used during the storing of the complex nested object, and performing integer comparisons with hash values of the stored complex nested object.

Matching of complex nested objects by multilevel hashing

A method, system and computer readable medium for the blocking of recording digital content at an end user multimedia end-user-system during the rendering of encrypted digital multimedia files. Before the process of rendering of encrypted digital multimedia can be started all rendered media stream during playback are opened to ensure that this multimedia content is not recorded. This blocks the usage of the multimedia interfaces including devices and/or ports that can be used to store un-encrypted content that has been decrypted for the purposes of playing or rendering. The method also includes an exception, which allows recording with permission from the present invention.

Method and system for preventing unauthorized rerecording of multimedia content

A method, system and computer readable medium for the blocking of recording digital content at an end user multimedia end-user-system during the rendering of encrypted digital multimedia files. Before the process of rendering of encrypted digital multimedia can be started all rendered media stream during playback are opened to ensure that this multimedia content is not recorded. This blocks the usage of the devices and/or ports that can be used to store un-encrypted content that has been decrypted for the purposes of playing or rendering. The method also includes an exception, which allows recording with permission from the present invention.

Method and system of preventing unauthorized rerecording of multimedia content

A method of determining an encoding rate for digital content. According to the method, the a sample of the content data is encoded for a predetermined period of time. The encoding rate is calculated by knowing the size of the sample of content encoded and the length of time necessary for encoding. In another embodiment, the encoding rate calculated for a specific encoding algorithm and encoding bit rate is averaged with any previously stored encoding rate for this encoding algorithm and encoding bit rate. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an apparatus is described to carry out the above method.

Method and apparatus to indicate an encoding status for digital content

A method provides a collection of data structures and subroutines in a software toolkit, for developing an application for playing digital content data. The method comprises steps of receiving previously encrypted content data encrypted with an encrypted key from an external source; storing the previously encrypted content data in a library; selecting one or more encrypted content data from the library to play; and decrypting each content data selected to be played with its unique encryption key, wherein the decrypting is performed in a tamper-resistant subroutine for deterring unauthorized access to the instructions for decrypting the content data and for deterring unauthorized access to the encryption key.

Multimedia player toolkit for electronic content delivery

A digital content preparation system that includes a metadata acquisition tool for acquiring metadata associated with the digital content, and a digital content processor for processing the digital content by performing at least one of watermarking, encoding, and encrypting. A work flow manager manages processings by the metadata acquisition tool and the digital content processor. In one preferred embodiment, the metadata acquisition tool includes an automatic metadata acquisition tool and a manual metadata acquisition tool, and the digital content processor includes an encoder and an encrypter. The present invention also provides a method for preparing digital content. According to the method, metadata associated with the digital content is acquired, and the digital content is processed by at least one of watermarking, encoding, and encrypting. Processings in the acquiring step and the processing step are managed. In a preferred method, the acquiring step includes automatically retrieving at least a portion of the metadata and allowing manual entry of at least a portion of the metadata, and the processing step includes encoding the digital content and encrypting the encoded digital content.

Digital content preparation system

The present invention provides a system, computer program product and a method for overlapping boundary data of an audio information track which includes ending data from a previous track and starting data from a succeeding track. By doing this, the ending data from a previous track and the beginning data from a succeeding track are available for the compression process. The compression program then manipulates the additional appended data in order to generate the compressed audio. Later, by severing the overlapping appended additional information before recombining the tracks, the resulting No-Pause CD audio stream is free from distortion and mismatch.

Split and joint compressed audio with minimum mismatching and distortion

A method to delivery encrypted digital content to a end user system for playing the content comprising the steps of: reading from a computer readable medium metadata which has previously associated with the content. A user selects from the metadata associated content to decrypt and the end user system establishes a secure connection with an authorization authority for decrypting the content. The end user system receives a secure container containing the decrypting key for decrypting at least part of the previously encrypted content as permitted. The system creates a secure container using the encrypting key from a clearing house, wherein the secure container has an encrypting key therein from the end user system; transferring the secure container to the clearing house for authentication of permission to decrypt the content. The system receives from the clearing house, a secure container encrypted using the encrypting key of the end user system containing the decrypting key for decrypting at least part of the previously encrypted content stored on the computer readable medium as permitted; and playing at least part of the previously encrypted content by decrypting the secure container using the encrypting key of the end user system to access the decrypting key for decrypting at least part of the encrypted content.

Secure electronic content distribution on CDS and DVDs

A method for permitting the electronic delivery of digital content. Metadata is acquired which has been previously associated with content. Promotional metadata is extracted for use with a electronic store. At least one of the metadata is altered to create offer data. And at least one of the metadata is altered to create transaction data. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a computer readable medium is described to carry out the above method.

Method for delivering electronic content from an online store

A method of managing content data and associated metadata. According to the method, the content data and the associated metadata are generated. The content data is transferred to a content host, and the metadata and usage condition data for the associated content are transferred to an electronic store. The metadata and/or the usage condition data are altered in order to form promotional data, and the promotional data is transferred from the electronic store to a customer's system. In one preferred method, the content data is encrypted with a first encrypting key before being transferred to the content host. The first encrypting key is encrypted with a second encrypting key, and the encrypted first encrypting key is transferred along with the metadata and usage condition data to the electronic store. Additionally, the encrypted first encrypting key is transferred along with the promotional data to the customer's system.

Secure electronic content management system

A system for tracking usage of digital content on user devices. Electronic stores coupled to a network sell licenses to play digital content data to users. Content players, which receive from the network the licensed content data, are used to play the licensed content data. Additionally, a logging site that is coupled to the network tracks the playing of the content data. In particular, the logging site receives play information from the network, and the play information includes the number of times that the content data has been played by the associated content player. Also provided is a method for tracking usage of digital content on user devices. According to the method, a license to play digital content data is sold to a user, and the licensed content data is transmitted to a content player for the user. Further, information is transmitted to a logging site whenever the content data is played by the content player or copied from the content player to an external medium so that usage of the licensed content data can be tracked.

Multimedia player for an electronic content delivery system

A method of managing keys used by a digital content player on a computer system. According to the method, digital content data encrypted with a first encrypting key is decrypted using a first decrypting key, and re-encrypted using a second encrypting key. A second decrypting key is encrypted using a third encrypting key to produce an encrypted second decrypting key. In one preferred method, an encrypted first decrypting key that was encrypted using a fourth encrypting key is received, and the encrypted first decrypting key is decrypted using a fourth decrypting key to reproduce the first decrypting key. A digital content player for use on a computer system is also provided. The content player includes a decrypter that decrypts digital content data, which was encrypted with a first encrypting key, using a first decrypting key so as to produce the content data. An encrypter re-encrypts the content data using a second encrypting key and encrypts a second decrypting key using a third encrypting key. In one preferred content player, a receiver receives an encrypted first decrypting key that was encrypted using a fourth encrypting key, and the decrypter decrypts the encrypted first decrypting key using a fourth decrypting key to reproduce the first decrypting key.

Growing community of inventors

Boynton Beach, FL, United States of America

Kenneth Louis Milsted