Method and system for secure distribution of selected content to be protected

Abstract

The present invention relates to data rights management and more particularly to a secured system and methodology and production system and methodology related thereto and to apparatus and methodology for production side systems and are consumer side systems for securely utilizing protected electronic data files of content (protected content), and further relates to controlled distribution, and regulating usage of the respective content on a recipient device (computing system) to be limited strictly to defined permitted uses, in accordance with usage rights (associated with the respective content to control usage of that respective content), on specifically restricted to a specific one particular recipient device (for a plurality of specific particular recipient devices), or usage on some or any authorized recipient device without restriction to any one in specific, to control use of the respective content as an application software program, exporting, modifying, executing as an application program, viewing, and/or printing of electronic data files.

1 . A method for securely utilizing content, the method comprising:
 providing encrypted content created from encrypting original content using a production encryption key to provide the encrypted content; and   providing an encrypted production key created from the production encryption key encrypted responsive to an appliance ID generated by a recipient device.   
     
     
         2 . The method as in  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 providing the encrypted content and the encrypted production key to the recipient device;   generating at the recipient device a generated appliance ID;   decrypting the encrypted production key at the recipient device,   responsive to the generated appliance ID to provide a decrypted production key; and   decrypting the encrypted content at the recipient device, responsive to the decrypted production key, to provide decrypted content.   
     
     
         3 . The method as in  claim 2 , the method further comprising:
 temporarily storing the decrypted content within the recipient device.   
     
     
         4 . The method as in  claim 2 , wherein the original content has an associated video representation, the method further comprising:
 selectively providing at least one of a video presentation for viewing, selectively printing out, and exporting, at least one copy of at least a portion of the associated video presentation for the original content, and exporting, responsive to the respective decrypted content.   
     
     
         5 . The method as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing the encrypted content and the encrypted production key on at least one of magnetic disks, storage, optical storage, other non-volatile storage, storage at the recipient device and a remote coupled server.   
     
     
         6 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the original content is comprised of at least one of:
 a) textual data;   b) image data;   c) audio waveform data;   d) MIDI data;   e) video data;   f) game data;   g) business data;   h) application program code;   i) textual data having a respective associated ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for the respective textual data;   j) image data having a respective associated ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for the respective image data;   k) audio waveform data having a respective associated ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for the respective;   l) MIDI data having a respective associated ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for the respective audio waveform data;   m) video data having a respective associated ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for the respective video data;   n) game data having a respective associated ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for the respective game data;   o) business data having a respective associated ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for the respective business data;   p) application program code having a respective associated ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for the respective application program code; and   q) a ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for an associated respective data file.   
     
     
         7 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the original content is a ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for an associated respective data file. 
     
     
         8 . The method as in  claim 7 , further comprising:
 providing the associated respective data file;
 wherein the associated respective data file is comprised of at least one of: 
 a) textual data; 
 b) image data; 
 c) audio waveform data; 
 d) MIDI data; 
 e) video data; 
 f) game data; 
 g) business data; and 
 h) application program code. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 combining the encrypted content and the encrypted production key as a combined encrypted output;   providing the combined encrypted output to the recipient device;   separating the combined encrypted output at the recipient device into an encrypted content copy and an encrypted production key copy;   decrypting the encrypted production key copy at the recipient device, to provide a decrypted production key; and   decrypting the encrypted content copy, at the remote appliance, responsive to the decrypted production key to provide unencrypted content.   
     
     
         10 . The method as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating a ticket output associated with respective encrypted content, the ticket output providing defined usage rights for regulating usage rights of the encrypted content; and   encrypting the ticket output to provide an encrypted ticket output, responsive to the production key.   
     
     
         11 . The method as in  claim 10 , wherein the ticket output is comprised of usage rights and a ticket ID, the method further comprising:
 validating the ticket output on the remote appliance, responsive to the ticket ID;   regulating usage of at least one of viewing, saving, exporting, and   printing of the temporary decrypted content on a remote appliance, and exporting, responsive to the usage rights and the validating.   
     
     
         12 . The method as in  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 providing decrypted content for the original content responsive to the encrypted content, the encrypted production key and the key encryption key.   
     
     
         13 . The method as in  claim 2 , wherein the decrypted production key is only temporarily stored on the recipient device until completion of providing the decrypted content. 
     
     
         14 . The method as in  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 hosting the encrypted content a remote coupled server for secure communication to the recipient device of at least one selected portion of the encrypted content;   providing for user selection of a selected portion of the encrypted content;   providing the generated appliance ID by the recipient device to the remote coupled server;   encrypting the production key associated with the selected portion of the encrypted content, responsive to the generated appliance ID from the recipient device, to generate an encrypted production key; and   communicating the selected portion of the encrypted content and the encrypted production key to the recipient device.   
     
     
         15 . The method as in  claim 14 , further comprising:
 storing for the selected portion of the encrypted content a serial number and an associated password on the remote coupled server;   providing the serial number and the password from the recipient device to the remote coupled server; and   providing the selected portion of the encrypted content to the recipient device responsive to the serial number and the password from the recipient device.   
     
     
         16 . The method as in  claim 14 , further comprising:
 requiring transaction authentication from the recipient device prior to providing the communication of the encrypted content to the recipient device; and   providing as the transaction authentication at least one of credit card, key code authorization number, serial number and associated password, and emailed signature.   
     
     
         17 . The method as in  claim 2 , further comprising:
 storing an associated serial number and associated password as associated with providing the encrypted content to the recipient device;   providing from the recipient device, a generated appliance ID and the associated serial number and the associated password;   encrypting the production key to generate an encrypted production key responsive to the generated appliance ID; and   communicating the encrypted production key to the recipient device.   
     
     
         18 . The method as in  claim 14 , further comprising:
 storing the production key, the appliance ID and the encrypted production key on the remote coupled server;   utilizing the stored production key for further encryption of content for communication to the recipient device that provides the appliance ID, for each selection of one of the portions of the encrypted content for communication to the recipient device; and   encrypting of additional selected portions of the original content responsive to the stored production key to generate respective associated additional selected portions of the encrypted content.   
     
     
         19 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the original content is comprised of viewing content and a ticket for regulating assigned usage rights for the respective viewing content. 
     
     
         20 . A system for securely utilizing content, the system comprising:
 means for providing encrypted content created from encrypting original content using a production encryption key to provide the encrypted content; and   means for providing an encrypted production key created from the production encryption key encrypted responsive to an appliance ID generated by a recipient device.   
     
     
         21 . The system as in  claim 20 , further comprising:
 means for generating at the recipient device a generated appliance ID;   means for decrypting the encrypted production key at the recipient device, responsive to the generated appliance ID to provide a decrypted production key; and   means for decrypting the encrypted content at the recipient device, responsive to the decrypted production key, to provide decrypted content.   
     
     
         22 . The system as in  claim 21 , wherein the original content has an associated video representation, the system further comprising:
 means for selectively providing at least one of a video presentation for viewing, selectively printing out, and exporting, at least one copy of at least a portion of the associated video presentation for the original content, and exporting, responsive to the respective decrypted content.   
     
     
         23 . The system as in  claim 20 , further comprising:
 means for storing the encrypted content and the encrypted production key on at least one of magnetic storage, optical storage, other non-volatile storage, storage at the recipient device, and storage on a remote coupled server.   
     
     
         24 . The system as in  claim 20 , wherein the original content is a ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for an associated respective data file. 
     
     
         25 . The system as in  claim 24 , further comprising:
 providing the associated respective data file;
 wherein the associated respective data file is comprised of at least one of: 
 a) textual data; 
 b) image data; 
 c) audio waveform data; 
 d) MIDI data; 
 e) video data; 
 f) game data; 
 g) business data; and 
 h) application program code. 
   
     
     
         26 . The system as in  claim 20 , further comprising:
 means for combining the encrypted content and the encrypted production key as a combined encrypted output;   means for providing the combined encrypted output to the recipient device;   means for separating the combined encrypted output at the recipient device into an encrypted content copy and an encrypted production key copy;   means for decrypting the encrypted production key copy at the recipient device, to provide a decrypted production key; and   means for decrypting the encrypted content copy, at the remote appliance, responsive to the decrypted production key to provide unencrypted content.   
     
     
         27 . The system as in  claim 20 , wherein the original content is comprised of at least one of:
 a) textual data;   b) image data;   c) audio waveform data;   d) MIDI data;   e) video data;   f) game data;   g) business data;   h) application program code;   i) textual data having a respective associated ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for the respective textual data;   j) image data having a respective associated ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for the respective image data;   k) audio waveform data having a respective associated ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for the respective;   l) MIDI data having a respective associated ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for the respective audio waveform data;   m) video data having a respective associated ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for the respective video data;   n) game data having a respective associated ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for the respective game data;   o) business data having a respective associated ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for the respective business data;   p) application program code having a respective associated ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for the respective application program code; and   q) a ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for an associated respective data file.   
     
     
         28 . The system as in  claim 24 , wherein the ticket is comprised of usage rights and a ticket ID, the system further comprising:
 means for validating the ticket on the remote appliance, responsive to the ticket ID; and   means for regulating usage of at least one of viewing, saving, exporting, and printing of at least a portion of the temporary decrypted content on a remote appliance, responsive to the usage rights and the validating.   
     
     
         29 . The system as in  claim 20 , further comprising:
 means for hosting the encrypted content a remote coupled server for secure communication to the recipient device of at least one selected portion of the encrypted content;   means for providing for user selection of a selected portion of the encrypted content;   means for providing the generated appliance ID by the recipient device to the remote coupled server;   means for encrypting the production key associated with the selected portion of the encrypted content, responsive to the generated appliance ID by the recipient device, to generate an encrypted production key; and   means for communicating the selected portion of the encrypted content and the encrypted production key to the recipient device.   
     
     
         30 . The system as in  claim 29 , further comprising:
 means for storing for the selected portion of the encrypted content a serial number and an associated password on the remote coupled server;   means for providing the serial number and the password from the recipient device to the remote coupled server; and   means for providing the selected portion of the encrypted content to the recipient device responsive to the serial number and the password being provided from the recipient device.   
     
     
         31 . The system as in  claim 29 , further comprising:
 requiring transaction authentication from the recipient device prior to providing the communication of the encrypted content to the recipient device; and   providing as the transaction authentication at least one of credit card, key code authorization number, serial number and associated password, and emailed signature.   
     
     
         32 . The system as in  claim 20 , further comprising:
 means for storing an associated serial number and associated password as associated with providing the encrypted content to the recipient device;   means for providing from the recipient device, a generated appliance ID and the associated serial number and the associated password;   means for encrypting the production key to generate an encrypted production key responsive to the generated appliance ID from the recipient device; and   means for communicating the encrypted production key to the recipient device.   
     
     
         33 . The system as in  claim 29 , further comprising:
 means for storing the production key, the appliance ID and the encrypted production key on the remote coupled server;   means for utilizing the stored production key for further encryption of content for communication to the recipient device that provides the appliance ID, for each selection of one of the portions of the encrypted content for communication to the recipient device; and   means for encrypting of additional selected portions of the original content responsive to the stored production key to generate respective associated additional selected portions of the encrypted content.   
     
     
         34 . The system as in  claim 19 , wherein the original content is comprised of viewing content and a ticket defining assigned usage rights. 
     
     
         35 . A system for securely utilizing selected original content encrypted responsive to an associated production key:
 a recipient device comprised of a processor, local memory;   application software operating on the recipient device to generate an Appliance ID uniquely associated with the recipient device and derived from appliance data form the recipient device; and   means for providing an encrypted production key created from the production encryption key encrypted responsive to the Appliance ID generated by the recipient device.   
     
     
         36 . The system as in  claim 34 , further comprising:
 means for generating at the recipient device a generated Appliance ID;   means for decrypting the encrypted production key at the recipient device;   responsive to the generated Appliance ID to provide a decrypted production key; and   means for decrypting the encrypted content at the recipient device, responsive to the decrypted production key, to provide decrypted content.   
     
     
         37 . The system as in  claim 36 , further comprising:
 means for selectively providing at least one of a video presentation for viewing, selectively printing out, and exporting, at least one copy of at least a portion of the associated video presentation for the original content, and exporting, responsive to the respective decrypted content, responsive to the application software.   
     
     
         38 . A system for controlled distribution and usage of original content encrypted as an encrypted file, responsive to an associated production key, the system comprising:
 application software running off a recipient device providing for selective viewing and usage of converted content;   wherein the application software generates an Appliance ID from uniquely identifying parameters of the recipient device;   means for communication of the Appliance ID to a host subsystem;   wherein the host subsystem is responsive to the Appliance ID to encrypt the associated production key to create an encrypted production key;   means for coupling the encrypted production key to the recipient device; and   wherein the application software is responsive to the generation of the Appliance ID and to the encrypted production key to generate a decrypted production key; and   means for providing decryption of the converted content responsive to the decrypted production key.