Cryptographic methods, apparatus and systems for storage media electronic rights management in closed and connected appliances

Abstract

A rights management arrangement for storage media such as optical digital video disks (DVDs, also called digital versatile disks) provides adequate copy protection in a limited, inexpensive mass-produceable, low-capability platform such as a dedicated home consumer disk player and also provides enhanced, more flexible security techniques and methods when the same media are used with platforms having higher security capabilities. A control object (or set) defines plural rights management rules for instance, price for performance or rules governing redistribution. Low capability platforms may enable only a subset of the control rules such as controls on copying or marking of played material. Higher capability platforms may enable all (or different subsets) of the rules. Cryptographically strong security is provided by encrypting at least some of the information carried by the media and enabling decryption based on the control set and/or other limitations. A secure “software container” can be used to protectively encapsulate (e.g., by cryptographic techniques) various digital property content (e.g., audio, video, game, etc.) and control object (i.e., set of rules) information. A standardized container format is provided for general use on/with various mediums and platforms. In addition, a special purpose container may be provided for DVD medium and appliances (e.g., recorders, players, etc.) that contains DVD program content (digital property) and DVD medium specific rules. The techniques, systems and methods disclosed herein are capable of achieving compatibility with other protection standards, such as for example, CGMA and Matsushita data protection standards adopted for DVDs. Cooperative rights management may also be provided, where plural networked rights management arrangements collectively control a rights management event on one or more of such arrangements.

1 . A system for packaging rights-protected electronic information, the system comprising: 
 a first device configured to generate first electronic information, the first device including a secure node configured to securely associate first control information with the first electronic information, the first control information including one or more controls specifying one or more permitted uses of the first electronic information;    a second device configured to generate second electronic information, the second device including a secure node configured to securely associate second control information with the second electronic information, the second control information including one or more controls specifying one or more permitted uses of the second electronic information; and    a third device configured to receive the first electronic information, the second electronic information, the first control information, and the second control information, and to write the first electronic information, the second electronic information, and a control set to a storage medium in accordance with at least the first control information and the second control information, wherein the control set includes one or more controls from the first control information and one or more controls from the second control information.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , in which the third device is further configured to generate one or more additional controls, and in which the control set further comprises the one or more additional controls.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , in which the first device comprises a digital camera, and in which the first electronic information comprises image information.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , in which the storage medium comprises a DVD.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , in which the first device comprises a digital camera, the second device comprises an audio recorder, and the third device comprises a digital mixing board.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , in which the third device is further configured to write metadata to the storage medium, the metadata being adapted to assist in use of the first electronic information and the second electronic information.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , in which the metadata includes frame information of the first electronic information and/or the second electronic information.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , in which the third device is further configured to write the first electronic information and the second electronic information to the storage medium in encrypted form, and in which the third device is further configured to write one or more cryptographic keys to the storage medium in encrypted form, the one or more cryptographic keys being adapted to decrypt the first electronic information and the second electronic information.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , in which the control set includes a control that prohibits copying of the first electronic information.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , in which the control set includes a control that allows the first electronic information to be copied only once.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , in which the control set includes a control that allows the first electronic information to be copied multiple times.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , in which the control set includes a control that allows a user or a class of users to play the first electronic information.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , in which the control set includes a control that allows a user or a class of users to extract or excerpt at least a part of the first electronic information.  
     
     
         14 . A storage medium comprising: 
 a first property;    a second property;    a first metadata block, the first metadata block for assisting in usage of the first property;    a second metadata block, the second metadata block for assisting in usage of the second property;    a control set for governing use of at least the second property, the control set comprising one or more controls specifying one or more permitted or prohibited uses of at least the second property; and    an encrypted key block comprising one or more cryptographic keys for use in decrypting at least the second property.    
     
     
         15 . The storage medium of  claim 14 , in which the first property and the first metadata block are in unprotected form, and the second property and the second metadata block are in protected form.  
     
     
         16 . The storage medium of  claim 14 , in which the control set includes a first subset of one or more controls for use by a first class of electronic appliances, and a second subset of one or more controls for use by a second class of electronic appliances.  
     
     
         17 . The storage medium of  claim 14 , in which the first metadata block includes metadata adapted to enable usage of an abbreviated version of the second property.  
     
     
         18 . The storage medium of  claim 17 , in which the second metadata block includes metadata adapted to enable usage of a complete version of the second property.  
     
     
         19 . The storage medium of  claim 18 , in which the first metadata block and the second metadata block include frame playback sequence data.  
     
     
         20 . The storage medium of  claim 14 , further comprising one or more keys for decrypting the encrypted key block.  
     
     
         21 . The storage medium of  claim 14 , further comprising identification information of the second property.  
     
     
         22 . The storage medium of  claim 14 , in which the control set includes a control that prohibits copying of the second property.  
     
     
         23 . The storage medium of  claim 14 , in which the control set includes a control that allows the second property to be copied only once.  
     
     
         24 . The storage medium of  claim 14 , in which the control set includes a control that allows the second property to be copied multiple times.  
     
     
         25 . The storage medium of  claim 14 , in which the control set includes a control that allows a user or a class of users to play the second property.  
     
     
         26 . The storage medium of  claim 14 , in which the control set includes a control that allows a user or a class of users to extract or excerpt at least a part of the second property.  
     
     
         27 . A storage medium comprising: 
 a digital content item;    a first metadata block, the first metadata block comprising first information for use in playing at least a first portion of the digital content item;    a second metadata block, the second metadata block comprising second information for use in playing at least a second portion of the digital content item; and    a control set adapted for use by tamper-resistant hardware and/or software to govern use of the digital content item, the control set comprising one or more controls specifying one or more permitted or prohibited uses of the digital content item.    
     
     
         28 . The storage medium of  claim 27 , in which the digital content item is encrypted at least in part.  
     
     
         29 . The storage medium of  claim 28 , in which the first metadata block is encrypted and the second metadata block is not encrypted.  
     
     
         30 . The storage medium of  claim 28 , further comprising an encrypted key block comprising one or more cryptographic keys for use in decrypting the digital content item.  
     
     
         31 . The storage medium of  claim 27 , in which the digital content item comprises video content, and in which the first information comprises first frame sequence information, and the second information comprises second frame sequence information.  
     
     
         32 . The storage medium of  claim 27 , in which the first portion comprises an abbreviated version of the digital content item, and in which the second portion comprises the entire digital content item.  
     
     
         33 . The storage medium of  claim 27 , in which the digital content item comprises a motion picture, and in which the first portion comprises a first cut of the motion picture and the second portion comprises a second cut of the motion picture.  
     
     
         34 . The storage medium of  claim 33 , in which the first cut comprises a PG-rated version of the motion picture and the second cut comprises an R-rated version of the motion picture.  
     
     
         35 . The storage medium of  claim 30 , further comprising one or more keys for decrypting the encrypted key block.  
     
     
         36 . The storage medium of  claim 27 , in which the control set includes a control that prohibits copying of the digital content item.  
     
     
         37 . The storage medium of  claim 27 , in which the control set includes a control that allows the digital content item to be copied only once.  
     
     
         38 . The storage medium of  claim 27 , in which the control set includes a control that allows the digital content item to be copied multiple times.  
     
     
         39 . The storage medium of  claim 27 , in which the control set includes a control that allows a user or a class of users to play the digital content item.  
     
     
         40 . A method comprising: 
 receiving first electronic information and first control information from a first device, the first control information including one or more controls specifying one or more permitted or prohibited uses of the first electronic information;    receiving second electronic information and second control information from a second device, the second control information including one or more controls specifying one or more permitted or prohibited uses of the second electronic information; and    writing the first electronic information, the second electronic information, and at least one control set to a storage medium in accordance with at least the first control information and the second control information, wherein the control set includes one or more controls from the first control information and one or more controls from the second control information.    
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising generating one or more additional controls, and in which the at least one control set further comprises the one or more additional controls.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40 , in which the first device comprises a digital camera, and in which the first electronic information comprises image information.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , in which the second device comprises an audio recorder.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising writing metadata to the storage medium, the metadata being adapted to assist in use of the first electronic information and the second electronic information.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , in which the metadata includes frame information of the first electronic information and/or the second electronic information.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 40 , in which the step of writing the first electronic information, the second electronic information, and at least one control set to the storage medium comprises writing the first electronic information and the second electronic information to the storage medium in encrypted form.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , further comprising writing one or more cryptographic keys to the storage medium in encrypted form, the one or more cryptographic keys being adapted to decrypt the first electronic information and the second electronic information.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 40 , in which the control set includes a control that prohibits copying of the first electronic information.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 40 , in which the control set includes a control that allows the first electronic information to be copied only once.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 40 , in which the control set includes a control that allows the first electronic information to be copied multiple times.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 40 , in which the control set includes a control that allows a user or a class of users to play the first electronic information.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 40 , in which the control set includes a control that allows a user or a class of users to extract or excerpt at least a part of the first electronic information.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 40 , in which the first electronic information and the second electronic information comprise digital information.  
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising distributing the storage medium to an end user site, and, at the end user site, using at least one of the first electronic information and the second electronic information in accordance with the control set.  
     
     
         55 . A digital camera comprising: 
 a secure node configured to package digital image information in a secure digital container, and to associate one or more controls with the digital image information;    an output for sending the secure digital container and the one or more controls to another device communicatively coupled to the output.    
     
     
         56 . The digital camera of  claim 55 , in which the secure node is configured to package the digital image information in the secure digital container in encrypted form.  
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 55 , in which the control set includes a control that prohibits copying of the digital image information.  
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 55 , in which the control set includes a control that allows the digital image information to be copied only once.  
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 55 , in which the control set includes a control that allows the digital image information to be copied multiple times.  
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 55 , in which the control set includes a control that allows a user or a class of users to view the digital image information.