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EP0862318A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Distribution and usage rights enforcement

Assignee: Contentguard Holdings Inc
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Filing: 1998-02-12
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2018-02-12
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Abstract

Abstract Described herein is a trusted rendering system for use in a system for controlling the distribution and use of digital works. The trusted rendering system facilitates the protection of rendered digital works which have been rendered on a system which controls the distribution and use of digital works through the use of dynamically generated watermark information that is embedded in the rendered output. The watermark data typically provides information relating to the owner of the digital work, the rights associated with the rendered copy of the digital work and when and where the digital work was rendered. This information will typically aid in deterring or preventing unauthorized copying of the rendered work to be made. The system for controlling distribution and use of digital works provides for attaching persistent usage rights to a digital work. Digital works are transferred between repositories which are used to request and grant access to digital works. Such repositories are also coupled to credit servers which provide for payment of any fees incurred as a result of accessing a digital work.

Inventors

  • 👤 Mark J. Stefik
  • 👤 Glen W. Petrie
  • 👤 Steve A. Okamoto
  • 👤 Nicholas H. Briggs

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 12:07
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F21/00; G06F21/10; G06F16/00; G06F16/40; G06Q; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/08; G06Q20/14; G06T; G06T1/00; G06T1/0021; G07; G07F; G07F17/00; G07F17/0014; G07F17/16; H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/32; H04N1/32101; H04N1/32144; H04N21/00; H04N21/80; H04N21/83; H04N21/835; H04N21/8358; G06T2201/00; G06T2201/005; G06T2201/0064; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/32; H04N2201/3201; H04N2201/3225; H04N2201/3233; H04N2201/3236; H04N2201/3269

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 190 words
A system for controlling the distribution and use of digital works comprising: means for creating usage rights, each instance of a usage right representing a specific instance of how a digital work may be used or distributed; means for attaching a created set of usage rights to a digital work including a rendering right, said rendering right for permitting said digital work to be rendered, said rendering right further specifying watermark information to be embedded into a rendering of said digital work, said watermark information including information related to the rendering of said digital work; a communication medium for coupling repositories to enable exchange of repository transaction messages; a general repository for storing and securely exchanging digital works with attached usage rights; and a rendering system comprising a rendering repository for receiving a digital work to be rendered from said general repository and a rendering device for rendering digital works; characterised in that said rendering repository further comprises means for gathering watermark information specified in a rendering right associated with said digital work to be rendered; and means for encoding said watermark information for embedding in said rendered digital work.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 30 words
A system according to claim 1 wherein said rendering right indicates a security level and watermarking capabilities which a rendering system must have in order to render said digital work.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 31 words
A system according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said rendering right is a print right, said rendering system is a printing system and said rendering repository is a printer repository.
Claim 4
Independent Claim 53 words
A system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 further comprising digital work authoring means having means for placing a watermark character on a digital document comprising means for encoding glyph patterns based on said watermark information to create a dynamic watermark font, wherein said glyph patterns correspond to watermark characters.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 28 words
A system according to claim 3 wherein said printer repository is further comprised of means for causing a printing fee to be paid when said document is printed.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 26 words
A system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 further comprising a watermark extraction means for extracting the watermark information from said digital work.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 49 words
A system according to claim 6 wherein said watermark extraction means comprises a scanner device for creating a bit mapped representation of a printed medium; means for locating said watermark in said bit mapped representation of a printed medium; and means for decoding embedded data contained in said watermark.
Claim 8
Independent Claim 194 words
A method for providing a watermark on a rendered digital work in a system for controlling the distribution and use of digital works, the method comprising the steps of: a) a digital work creator assigning a rendering right to said digital work and storing in a distribution repository, said rendering right specifying watermark information indicating information identifying a rendering event; b) a user obtaining an encrypted version of said digital work from said distribution repository and storing in a user repository; c) said user requesting that said digital work be rendered; d) said user repository determining if said digital work has the appropriate rendering right; e) if said digital work has the appropriate rendering right, said user repository communicating with a rendering repository to establish a trusted session; f) said user repository transferring said digital work to said rendering repository; g) said rendering repository gathering watermark information specified in said rendering right; h) said rendering repository encoding data for said watermark information; i) said rendering repository decrypting said digital work and embedding said watermark information; and j) said rendering repository transmitting said digital work with embedded watermark information to a rendering device for rendering.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 192 words
A method for providing a watermark on a rendered digital work in a system for controlling the distribution and use of digital works, the method comprising the steps of: a) a digital work creator assigning a rendering right to said digital work and storing in a distribution repository, said rendering right specifying criteria for a rendering system that must be satisfied before the digital work can be rendered; watermark information indicating information identifying a rendering event; b) a user requesting a rendered version of said digital work be rendered on a user rendering system having a rendering repository; c) said distribution repository determining if said user rendering system meets the specified criteria in said rendering right; d) if said rendering system satisfies said specified criteria, said distribution repository encrypting said digital work and sending to said rendering repository; e) said rendering repository gathering watermark information specified in said rendering right; f) said rendering repository encoding data for said watermark information; g) said rendering repository decrypting said digital work and embedding said watermark information; and h) said rendering repository transmitting said digital work with embedded watermark information to a rendering device for rendering.

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