Systems and Methods for Matching, Selecting, Narrowcasting, and/or Classifying Based on Rights Management and/or Other Information

Abstract

Rights management information is used at least in part in a matching, narrowcasting, classifying and/or selecting process. A matching and classification utility system comprising a kind of Commerce Utility System is used to perform the matching, narrowcasting, classifying and/or selecting. The matching and classification utility system may match, narrowcast, classify and/or select people and/or things, non-limiting examples of which include software objects. The Matching and Classification Utility system may use any pre-existing classification schemes, including at least some rights management information and/or other qualitative and/or parameter data indicating and/or defining classes, classification systems, class hierarchies, category schemes, class assignments, category assignments, and/or class membership. The Matching and Classification Utility may also use at least some rights management information together with any artificial intelligence, expert system, statistical, computational, manual, or any other means to define new classes, class hierarchies, classification systems, category schemes, and/or assign persons, things, and/or groups of persons and/or things to at least one class.

1 - 4 . (canceled)  
     
     
         5 . A method comprising: 
 receiving an instruction set at a first electronic appliance, the instruction set including information for determining at least one class of content applicable to a user of the first electronic appliance;    processing the instruction set in a protected processing environment at the first electronic appliance, the protected processing environment being configured to resist tampering by a user of the first electronic appliance;    sending a request to a remote electronic appliance, the request including information indicating at least one desired class of content; and    securely receiving one or more content objects or references to one or more content objects from the remote electronic appliance, the one or more content objects being members of the desired class of content.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , in which the step of securely receiving one or more content objects or references to one or more content objects comprises receiving the one or more content objects or references to the one or more content objects in one or more secure electronic containers.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , in which the one or more content objects have at least one control set associated therewith, the at least one control set being configured for use in governing access to or other use of the one or more content objects by a user of the first electronic appliance.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , in which the step of receiving the instruction set comprises receiving a secure electronic container comprising the instruction set.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , in which the instruction set comprises at least one administrative event.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5 , in which the instruction set comprises at least one method configured to perform classification and/or class assignment.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5 , in which the one or more references to one or more content objects include a pointer to a service that offers at least one of the one or more content objects.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 using the one or more content objects.