On Tuesdays the USPTO issues new patents. Both of today's Spotlight Patents address digital rights management. Assigned to the MPAA, the first patent concerns an adaptive digital rights management system for plural device domains. Assigned to Sprint, the second patent concerns wireless access provider intermediation to facilliate digital rights management for third party hosted content.
7,512,987, "Adaptive digital rights management system for plural device domains," assigned to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).
Abstract
A system and methods of digital rights management for plural device domains that adapts in response to external use data. Domain size parameters of a target domain that includes multiple receiving devices are determined. The domain parameters are compared to a domain benchmark developed from external data. A risk index for the target domain is then generated and used to create content usage rights for controlling access and usage of digital content by the collection of devices within that domain. The system may include a plurality of information-gathering tools for collecting the domain parameters from a plurality of independent domains as well as from the target domain.
7,512,973, "Wireless-access-provider intermediation to facilliate digital rights management for third party hosted content," assigned to Sprint Spectrum L.P.
Abstract
A method and system for wireless access provider management of digital rights. A wireless carrier receives a content request transmitted from a given wireless client station. The carrier determines by reference to digital rights management data that the requested content is premium content and then determines if the requesting party has the right to obtain the content. If the party does not have the right to obtain the content, the wireless carrier may engage in a payment collection process, to collect the party's payment for the content. Upon determination that the requesting party has the right to obtain the content, the wireless carrier inserts an access-token into the content request and sends the content request, with the access-token, to the content provider. The content provider can then rely on the access-token as proof that the requesting party has the right to obtain the requested content.
Abstract
A system and methods of digital rights management for plural device domains that adapts in response to external use data. Domain size parameters of a target domain that includes multiple receiving devices are determined. The domain parameters are compared to a domain benchmark developed from external data. A risk index for the target domain is then generated and used to create content usage rights for controlling access and usage of digital content by the collection of devices within that domain. The system may include a plurality of information-gathering tools for collecting the domain parameters from a plurality of independent domains as well as from the target domain.
7,512,973, "Wireless-access-provider intermediation to facilliate digital rights management for third party hosted content," assigned to Sprint Spectrum L.P.
Abstract
A method and system for wireless access provider management of digital rights. A wireless carrier receives a content request transmitted from a given wireless client station. The carrier determines by reference to digital rights management data that the requested content is premium content and then determines if the requesting party has the right to obtain the content. If the party does not have the right to obtain the content, the wireless carrier may engage in a payment collection process, to collect the party's payment for the content. Upon determination that the requesting party has the right to obtain the content, the wireless carrier inserts an access-token into the content request and sends the content request, with the access-token, to the content provider. The content provider can then rely on the access-token as proof that the requesting party has the right to obtain the requested content.
