Associating rights to multimedia content

Abstract

A method and software to implement a method comprising receiving digital content such as multimedia content, and either ascertaining whether at least a part of the digital content has previously been associated with one or more matched referenced works or searching a store of fingerprint data of referenced works for a match. The searching includes determining a fingerprint of at least part of the digital content, e.g., multimedia content; and searching the store of fingerprint data of referenced works for a match. In the case that is has been ascertained that the work has previously been associated, or the searching has produced a match to one or more matched referenced works, associating association data to the one or more matched referenced works. Ownership data to the matched referenced works is included in the association such that use of the digital content can take into account such ownership rights. The associating of the association data is carried out in a secure manner.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving digital content;   determining a fingerprint the digital content; and   storing the determined fingerprint in a store of fingerprinted works that is searchable,   
       such that an unknown work can be searched by fingerprint in the store in order to associate association data with the unknown work in the case that the search produces a match to one or more matched works, wherein the association data includes rights information or a reference thereto, and wherein the associating is carried out in a secure manner. 
     
     
         2 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the digital content includes multimedia content. 
     
     
         3 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the digital content includes game software. 
     
     
         4 . A method comprising:
 receiving digital content;   ascertaining whether association data including ownership data has previously been associated to the received digital content;   in the case it is ascertained that there has not been association data including ownership data previously associated, searching for matches of one or more referenced works; and   in the case that the search results in one or more matched referenced works, forming association data including ownership data, and associating the formed association data to the received digital content.   
     
     
         5 . A method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the digital content includes multimedia content. 
     
     
         6 . A method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the digital content includes game software. 
     
     
         7 . A method as recited in  claim 4 ,
 wherein, the ascertaining includes:
 locally ascertaining whether association data including ownership data has previously been associated; and 
 in the case the locally ascertaining ascertains that there has not been association data including ownership data previously associated, generating an associable reference of the received digital content, and submitting the associable reference to a remote service to remotely ascertain whether association data including ownership data has previously been associated, and 
   wherein the searching for matches and the forming association data is carried out remotely.   
     
     
         8 . A method as recited in  claim 4 , further comprising:
 determining a fingerprint the digital content; and   in the case it is ascertained that there has not been association data including ownership data previously associated, storing the determined fingerprint in a store of fingerprinted works that is searchable,   
       such that an unknown work can be searched by fingerprint in the store in order to associate association data with the unknown work in the case that the search produces a match to one or more matched works, wherein the association data includes rights information or a reference thereto, and wherein the associating is carried out in a secure manner. 
     
     
         9 . A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to carry out a method comprising:
 determining a fingerprint the digital content; and   storing the determined fingerprint in a store of fingerprinted works that is searchable,   
       such that an unknown work can be searched by fingerprint in the store in order to associate association data with the unknown work in the case that the search produces a match to one or more matched works, wherein the association data includes rights information or a reference thereto, and wherein the associating is carried out in a secure manner. 
     
     
         10 . A computer-readable storage medium as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the digital content includes game software. 
     
     
         11 . A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to carry out a method comprising:
 receiving digital content;   ascertaining whether association data including ownership data has previously been associated to the received digital content;   in the case it is ascertained that there has not been association data including ownership data previously associated, searching for matches of one or more referenced works; and   in the case that the search results in one or more matched referenced works, forming association data including ownership data, and associating the formed association data to the received digital content.   
     
     
         12 . A computer-readable storage medium as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the digital content includes multimedia content. 
     
     
         13 . A computer-readable storage medium recited in  claim 11 , wherein the digital content includes game software. 
     
     
         14 . A computer-readable storage medium as recited in  claim 11 ,
 wherein, the ascertaining includes:
 locally ascertaining whether association data including ownership data has previously been associated; and 
 in the case the locally ascertaining ascertains that there has not been association data including ownership data previously associated, generating an associable reference of the received digital content, and submitting the associable reference to a remote service to remotely ascertain whether association data including ownership data has previously been associated, and 
   wherein the searching for matches and the forming association data is carried out remotely.   
     
     
         15 . A computer-readable storage medium as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
 determining a fingerprint the digital content; and   in the case it is ascertained that there has not been association data including ownership data previously associated, storing the determined fingerprint in a store of fingerprinted works that is searchable,   
       such that an unknown work can be searched by fingerprint in the store in order to associate association data with the unknown work in the case that the search produces a match to one or more matched works, wherein the association data includes rights information or a reference thereto, and wherein the associating is carried out in a secure manner.