Electronic bookshelf with multi-user features

Abstract

The present invention relates to electronic books that are accessed over a computer network, such as the Internet. One embodiment of the invention relates to a shared electronic book, i.e. a book in which multiple users each have the right to access the book but only one of the users is allowed to actually access the book at a given point in time. Another embodiment of the invention relates to the detection of potentially fraudulent access of an electronic book. Yet a further embodiment of the invention is concerned with preventing electronic copying of an electronic book when the book is provided to users over an intranet that is not under the direct control of the provider of the electronic book.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . In a client internal computer system that includes a web server, a plurality of user computers, an intranet for communicating information between the web server and each of the plurality of user computers, a proprietary digital data resource located on the web server and a predetermined number of users authorized to access the proprietary digital data resource, a method for protecting the proprietary digital data resource from copying by individuals that can use the client internal computer system comprising: 
 encrypting the proprietary digital data resource located on the web server;    initializing a counter to 0;    incrementing said counter each time a request is received for access to the proprietary digital data resource from one of the authorized computer users;    decrypting the encrypted proprietary digital data resource when said counter is incremented from 0 to 1;    providing the decrypted proprietary digital data resource to each of the authorized computer users that has requested access to the proprietary digital data resource as long as the counter is equal to 1 or greater than 1;    decrementing said counter each time the decrypted proprietary digital data resource has been completely provided to one of the authorized computer users requesting access to the proprietary digital data resource;    re-encrypting the decrypted proprietary digital data resource if said counter, after said step of decrementing, is equal to 0.    
     
     
         2 . A method, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said step of providing includes conveying the decrypted proprietary digital data resource to the authorized computer users based upon the order in which the requests from the authorized computer users are received.    
     
     
         3 . A method, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said step of decrypting includes verifying the web server domain name.