Systems and methods for preventing unauthorized use of digital content

Abstract

Theft, distribution, and piracy of digital content (software, video, audio, e-books, any content of any kind that is digitally stored and distributed) is generally accomplished by copying it, if possible, or, if it is protected from being copied in any fashion, such piracy is based upon a number of reverse engineering techniques. Aside from the straightforward copying of unprotected content, all of these other methods require first an understanding of the protective mechanism(s) guarding the content, and finally an unauthorized modification of that protection in order to disable or subvert it. Methods that prevent a skilled individual from using reverse engineering tools and techniques to attain that level of understanding and/or prevent anyone from performing such modifications can offer significant advantages to content creators who wish to protect their products.

1 . A method for preventing unauthorized use of digital content data hosted on a system comprising: 
 examining system devices that are operating in the system;    determining whether any of the system devices are emulator devices; and    initiating a nondeterministic defense action if it is determined that an emulator device is operating on the system wherein the nondeterministic defense action obfuscates the cause of the defense action.    
     
     
         2 . The method of claim wherein the system devices comprise physical devices or logical entities.  
     
     
         3 . The method of claim wherein the emulator devices comprise hardware-based emulator devices or software-based emulator devices.  
     
     
         4 . The method of claim wherein initiating the nondeterministic defense action includes initiating a nondeterministic order of exit of system entities.  
     
     
         5 . A method for preventing unauthorized use of digital content data hosted on a system comprising: 
 executing a plurality of system processes;    monitoring at each process for unauthorized use and each process transferring a status message to another process related to the unauthorized use; and    each process determining whether an unauthorized use has occurred, and, if such a determination is made, initiating a nondeterministic defense action wherein the nondeterministic defense action obfuscates the cause of the defense action.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the status messages further relate to authorized use.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising interleaving and encrypting each status message before transferring the status message.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the status messages are temporarily stored at a virtual memory location on the system.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5  wherein initiating the nondeterministic defense action includes initiating a nondeterministic order of exit of system entities.  
     
     
         10 . A method for preventing unauthorized use of digital content data hosted on a system comprising: 
 during the operation of a function operating on the system, determining whether an unauthorized use of the digital content data is in progress; and    in the case where an unauthorized use is determined, initiating a nondeterministic defense action that is integrated into the function wherein the nondeterministic defense action obfuscates the cause of the defense action.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the function is a non-defensive function.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the nondeterministic defense action comprises reading and writing data values critical to system operation repeatedly to a decoy process.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein initiating the nondeterministic defense action includes initiating a nondeterministic order of exit of system entities.  
     
     
         14 . A method for preventing unauthorized use of digital content data hosted on a system comprising: 
 determining whether an unauthorized use of the digital content data is in progress; and    in the case where an unauthorized use is determined, initiating a defense action by disabling only an input device in association with the unauthorized use, wherein the input device is only disabled in an unauthorized interface window when the target focus for the input device is an unauthorized application associated with the unauthorized interface window.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein disabling an input device comprises disabling a combination of keystrokes at a keyboard input device.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising disabling the input device with regard to user interface windows related to the unauthorized use.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the input device comprises a keyboard or a mouse.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising allowing proper function of the input device in an authorized interface window when the target focus for the input device is an authorized application associated with the authorized interface window.