Methods and apparatus for persistent control and protection of content

Abstract

A novel method and apparatus for protection of streamed media content is disclosed. In one aspect, the apparatus includes control means for governance of content streams or content objects, decryption means for decrypting content streams or content objects under control of the control means, and feedback means for tracking actual use of content streams or content objects. The control means may operate in accordance with rules received as part of the streamed content, or through a side-band channel. The rules may specify allowed uses of the content, including whether or not the content can be copied or transferred, and whether and under what circumstances received content may be “checked out” of one device and used in a second device. The rules may also include or specify budgets, and a requirement that audit information be collected and/or transmitted to an external server. In a different aspect, the apparatus may include a media player designed to call plugins to assist in rendering content. A “trust plugin” is disclosed, along with a method of using the trust plugin so that a media player designed for use with unprotected content may render protected content without the necessity of requiring any changes to the media player. In one aspect, the streamed content may be in a number of different formats, including MPEG-4, MP3, and the RMFF format.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of rendering a digital bit stream performed by a computer system comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer system to perform the method, the method comprising:
 receiving the digital bit stream;   determining, based on first header information included in the digital bit stream, that a digital bit stream comprises a protected digital bit stream;   reading, from the first header information, information identifying the bit stream and a first time stamp associated with the digital bit stream;   identifying, based on the information identifying the bit stream, a first control associated with the digital bit stream stored by the computer system; and   rendering at least a first portion of the digital bit stream in accordance with the identified first control.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first control specifies one or more rules for accessing the digital bit stream. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first control specifies one or more authorized uses of the protected digital bit stream. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the method further comprises receiving the first control separate from the digital bit stream. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first control comprises a first cryptographic key. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the method further comprises decrypting the at least a first portion of the digital bit stream using the first cryptographic key. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first control comprises a control a plurality of controls associated with the digital bit stream stored by the computer system and wherein the first control is further identified based on the first time stamp. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the method further comprises:
 reading, from second header information included in the digital bit stream, a second time stamp associated with the digital bit stream;   identifying, based on the information identifying the bit stream and the second time stamp, a second control of the plurality of controls associated with the digital bit stream stored by the computer system; and   rendering at least a second portion of the digital bit stream in accordance with the identified second control.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the first control comprises a first cryptographic key and the second control comprises a second cryptographic key different from the first cryptographic key, and wherein the method further comprises decrypting the at least a second portion of the digital bit stream using the second cryptographic key. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the first control and the second control are received separately by the computer system. 
     
     
         31 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a computer system to perform a method comprising:
 receiving the digital bit stream;   determining, based on first header information included in the digital bit stream, that a digital bit stream comprises a protected digital bit stream;   reading, from the first header information, information identifying the bit stream and a first time stamp associated with the digital bit stream;   identifying, based on the information identifying the bit stream, a first control associated with the digital bit stream stored by the computer system; and   rendering at least a first portion of the digital bit stream in accordance with the identified first control.   
     
     
         32 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein the first control specifies one or more rules for accessing the digital bit stream. 
     
     
         33 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein the first control specifies one or more authorized uses of the protected digital bit stream. 
     
     
         34 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein the method further comprises receiving the first control separate from the digital bit stream. 
     
     
         35 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein the first control comprises a first cryptographic key. 
     
     
         36 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein the method further comprises decrypting the at least a first portion of the digital bit stream using the first cryptographic key. 
     
     
         37 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein the first control comprises a control a plurality of controls associated with the digital bit stream stored by the computer system and wherein the first control is further identified based on the first time stamp. 
     
     
         38 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 37 , wherein the method further comprises:
 reading, from second header information included in the digital bit stream, a second time stamp associated with the digital bit stream;   identifying, based on the information identifying the bit stream and the second time stamp, a second control of the plurality of controls associated with the digital bit stream stored by the computer system; and   rendering at least a second portion of the digital bit stream in accordance with the identified second control.   
     
     
         39 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 38 , wherein the first control comprises a first cryptographic key and the second control comprises a second cryptographic key different from the first cryptographic key, and wherein the method further comprises decrypting the at least a second portion of the digital bit stream using the second cryptographic key. 
     
     
         40 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 38 , wherein the first control and the second control are received separately by the computer system.