Cryptography – Facsimile cryptography
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-02
2004-01-06
Peeso, Thomas R. (Department: 2132)
Cryptography
Facsimile cryptography
C380S201000, C380S255000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06674859
ABSTRACT:
The present invention concerns a device for the protected output of electronically transmitted and stored documents provided with electronic copy protection, and a corresponding output method, in particular a method of operating the device. The present invention concerns in particular protection for electronic documents on a computer system, which is still operative even when a copy protection mechanism provided for the document has been switched off or overridden.
The state of the art discloses numerous devices and methods for the electronic publication of documents, in which respect the term electronic documents in accordance with the present invention is used to denote not just texts and images but also data banks, audio media, videos, animations, interactive films, control programs, active and passive computer programs and the like usable arrangements of electronic data. In this respect documents which are valuable in terms of copyright are often available in a form in which they are protected from copying, either by virtue of suitable encoding or encrypting methods, by virtue of special (proprietary) formats for a data file, characterising and/or individualizing recognition features or by suitably set, secret software interfaces. There are also solutions in existence, which for decoding purposes supply necessary data or items of information externally, for example by way of a data communication network.
All solutions of that kind however suffer from the disadvantage that, as soon as the copy protection or use protection has been circumvented by a suitable measure, an electronic document can be at any time locally manipulated and in particular also can be passed on as desired and in unlimited fashion. More specifically, due to the digital character of the documents, any copying procedures can be implemented without a loss of quality, so that after copy protection has been successfully removed, there is then an—illegal—copy which in terms of quality does not suffer from any detriment in relation to the original.
The state of the art hitherto does not offer any measures which can be used when copy protection is overridden in order to move an end user towards use of the original, in a technically supportive fashion, when the situation involves making a decision between an original and an illegal digital copy which can be unlimitedly used.
The state of the art discloses copy protection methods in which a password or a key must be supplied as additional data by way of the network. The disadvantage of these methods is that only a very limited number of barriers has to be overcome in order to put the document into a condition in which access without online authorization appears possible. The nature and the structure of the additional data which must be used for enablement purposes with that method are already very substantially established upon generation of the document or prior to the moment in time of enablement. The additionally supplied data in addition do not include any benefit or value which can be viewed independently of the enablement procedure. Delivery of the data is implemented only for reasons which are related to direct security and not for reasons which are linked to an improvement in the use or value of an electronic document.
In particular in relation to electronic documents which involve a considerable value for the authorized creator thereof, successful overriding of the copy protection therefore means that the right and the option for the author to effectively assert his property rights in respect of the document are limited or even rendered impossible.
These problems are made more severe by virtue of the fact that there are numerous service or auxiliary programs for computer systems, the purpose of which is to overcome copy protection on an electronic document and the effectiveness of which, with the present copy protection mechanisms, is continuously increasing.
Therefore the object of the present invention is to protect electronically transmitted and stored documents even when a copy protection mechanism in respect of such documents has been removed or overridden, wherein “protection” in accordance with the present invention is used to denote any difficulty or any impairment in terms of options of use in respect of an illegally copied document in relation to an original (or a legal, authorized copy). The invention also seeks to provide a corresponding method.
That object is attained by the device having the features of claim
1
and the method having the features of claim
6
.
Advantageous developments of the invention are set forth in the appendant claims.
Advantageously, in accordance with the present invention, use is made of the fundamental principle of embedding the electronic document to be protected in a system environment which offers the additional operation and/or the additional data, wherein the additional value or gain to be achieved thereby can be implemented by the action of the interrogation and checking unit only when the copy protection has not been violated or overridden. A prerequisite in that respect is that the copy protection used is of such a kind that overriding or violation thereof can be detected by suitable criteria—for example within the document or within software environment interfaces which are to be used—by means of the interrogation and checking unit.
In addition, in accordance with the invention, advantageously at least one online contact is used by way of data communication network (“session”) in order to produce the additional data or to permit the additional operation to be implemented. In that way the generation of the additional use value or information value for the (authorized) user is possible, in a particularly secure and flexible fashion.
In accordance with the above-indicated definition, electronic document files which can acquire an additional value by additional data which in particular are only present externally are suitable for the invention, as electronically transmitted and stored documents in accordance with the present invention, in which respect the electronic documents embraced by the invention are to be separably joined to that additional value. In that case the additional operations in accordance with the invention concern in particular data processing and operating procedures which produce that additional value.
In a corresponding fashion, additional operations in accordance with the invention are procedures on a computer system which can be implemented with, on and/or together with the document, and give an advantage over the original document, and which are not present without those procedures on the computer system. In specific terms, additional operations of that kind can involve the provision of an online access for a (selective) update of the document, management of key words and notes, a representation of additional management data, storage and/or representation of reading marks or bookmarks, an additional storage/representation of color marking of text passages, implemented by the user, an additional access interface for searches in associated or superior archives, the use of further services such as electronic document exchange with relevant authors or publishing houses and the use of an electronic blackboard provided for the document. In that respect the items of additional information can have been acquired as rights in respect of use (use rights) at no cost in connection with registration of the electronic document. Those additional values and data can equally well be marked separately and independently and billed by way of a billing unit. In accordance with the invention in particular the following measures are also preferred examples in respect of additional operations or additional data.
The data management envisaged can also be for example the management of rights in respect of use on documents or parts of documents which have been paid for or otherwise acquired by the end user. In that way repeated use can be selectively offered to the user without payment.
In addition an overview
BrainShield Technologies, Inc.
Peeso Thomas R.
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