Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support – Multiple computer communication using cryptography – Particular communication authentication technique
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-01
2004-02-24
Trammell, James P. (Department: 3621)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support
Multiple computer communication using cryptography
Particular communication authentication technique
C705S001100, C705S050000, C705S056000, C705S057000, C713S002000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06697944
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to a system and method for the distribution, transfer, and protection of digital content, and, more particularly relates to a system and method for implementing digital rights management in the distribution and transfer of digital content files to ensure proper protection and prevent unauthorized duplication thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The world is clearly leaving the industrial age and entering the digital information age. Personal computer ownership is at an all time high, and the rise in the popularity and usage of the Internet has exceeded even the most optimistic view of computer developers. This increased computer ownership and usage of the Internet have encouraged the development and growth of a system of e-commerce which allows consumers to now shop, bank, book travel, etc. from the comfort of their own home twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, via the Internet. However, because the Internet was designed for digital content transfer of information it is quite poor at delivering physical products such as a toaster which may have been purchased online through e-commerce. Most of these physical “products” still require shipping, handling, etc. to bring them in the hands of the consumer, even though the display, description, and actual purchase takes place via the Internet.
While physical products still require elements of traditional commerce to complete their acquisition, “information” products may fully exploit the medium of the Internet to allow for a total e-commerce selection, purchase, and delivery cycle. Since the Internet was developed to transfer digital information, a natural extension into the e-commerce realm exists for these information products which are themselves or may be remastered as digital information. While it would be naive to attempt to fully list all products which may be termed “information products”, such a definition would certainly include digital music, literature, financial services, software programs, games, video, etc. Through the Internet a consumer may shop for, sample, read technical specifications about, purchase, and download the particular information product of his or her choice all through the home computer without leaving the comfort of the home twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. This is but one example of true and complete e-commerce.
One area of information products which has seen an explosive growth is the music or audio area. While the term digital content information products covers much more than simply music as indicated above, the recent growth and availability of digital content audio files and the widespread availability of free software downloadable from the Internet to play these audio files on a home PC allows a description of this particular digital information product to point out the risks and impediments to the full development of a total e-commerce system for the purchase and transfer of digital content information products via the Internet. Additionally, while it is recognized that there are various formats of audio digital content information products available, including AC-3, AAC, MS Audio, Liquid Audio, MP4, etc., the most popular at this point appears to be the Motion Picture Experts Group Audio Level 3 (MP3) format. Because of its current widespread use and universal understanding of its operation, this format will be used in the following description, recognizing that such description is exemplary of such digital content information products in general.
The MP3 format for audio compression and digital transfer via the Internet is a compressed digital format for near CD quality audio at 16 k bytes per second. This format compresses digital music into much smaller, denser files which can move across the Internet quickly and be transferred to a personal computer's hard disk without taking up too much room. Prior to the advent of the MP3 format, high quality computer sound files were typically in WAV format. However, such a WAV file providing high quality sound reproduction for a 3 minute song would take up to about 30 megabytes of hard disk space and would actually require several hours to transmit over the Internet at normal speeds. However, this same song in MP3 format would require only about 2 megabytes of space on a hard disk and may be transferred across the Internet in mere minutes instead of hours. The desirability of this MP3 format is further enhanced by the widespread availability of free MP3 software to both generate and play MP3 format audio files. Additionally, several thousand MP3 format digital content audio files are also freely available for download from the Internet from various artists with many more available for purchase. These factors have combined to the point where one of the major Internet search engines has reported that searches for MP3 files is second only to searches for the keyword ‘sex’.
Recognizing that the demand for MP3 format audio digital content files will likely spawn demand for players of such files, several manufacturers have developed and released, or are in the process of releasing, portable players which are capable of playing these MP3 files. With such portable players consumers will be able to realize the benefits of this format away from their PCs. In the short term, these portable players will most likely utilize rotating media to store the MP3 files, however, more expensive players will most likely use flash RAM for storage of the digital content audio files. While the PC is still the primary player for MP3 audio digital content files, soon these portable devices will be able to connect directly to the Internet, or possibly capture audio from direct digital broadcasts. Currently portable players connect to the PC via parallel or serial ports, however, this is not seen as being sustainable into a mass marketed product because configuration of these ports is too complicated for a consumer product.
Despite, or maybe because of, the ease of transfer and quality of these MP3 digital audio content files, the music industry as an industry has not embraced the availability of this channel of commerce. In fact, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has filed court action to block the distribution of a portable MP3 player. The reason for such a move stems from the fear of bootleg piracy and copyright violations which may be possible with current MP3 technology. Specifically, MP3 files contain digital content which may be easily copied without reduction in quality of the audio information contained therein. Therefore, the music industry is concerned that pirates will violate the industry's or artists' copyrights by posting bootleg copies of songs on the Internet in this format for free. The industry is concerned that such high quality bootleg copies will add significantly to their estimated 5 billion dollars in losses due to bootleg piracy with conventional media. Therefore, until these copyright issues are resolved, the full utilization of the e-commerce potential for the sale and transfer of digital content files will not be realized.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The system of the instant invention overcomes these and other known problems existing with the current state of digital content transfer and distribution.
More specifically, the system of the instant invention provides a new and useful system of digital content distribution, transfer, and protection of digital content information files which allows for the full development and exploitation of the e-commerce capabilities of the information age. Further, the instant invention provides a portable player for use with such a system which will fully protect the digital content information files transferred to and stored therein. Additionally, the instant invention provides a protocol and method of communicating between a digital content provider host and a portable device for establishing a trusted relationship with the portable device ensuring that the copyright of the digital content information file will be respe
Brackenridge Billy
Jones Thomas C.
Greene Daniel L
Leydig , Voit & Mayer, Ltd.
Microsoft Corporation
Trammell James P.
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