On Thursdays the USPTO publishes new pending patent applications. Both of today's Spotlight Applications concern aspects of digital rights management. Assigned to General Instrument, the first application discloses techniques for trading unused digital rights. The second application discloses techniques for identity management in wireless devices, no assignee given.
20120130900, "System and Method for Trading Unused Digital Rights," assigned to General Instrument.
Abstract
A device is provided for use with a digital content provider and a content purchaser. The content provider can provide digital content and a first digital key, wherein the digital content has quantified digital rights associated therewith. The device includes a receiving portion, a security portion, a content database, an interface portion and a transmitting portion. The receiving portion can receive the digital content and the first digital key. The security portion can access the digital content with the first digital key. The content database can store the digital content. The interface portion can offer to the content purchaser the digital content and can enable the content purchaser to purchase the digital content in accordance with purchased quantified digital rights. The security portion can further encrypt the digital content with a second digital key such that the content purchaser may use the purchased digital content.
20120129498, "Methods and Systems for Identity Management in Wireless Devices," no assignee given.
Abstract
Methods and devices for allowing a wireless communication device (1301) initially unauthorized for communication with a network to obtain persistent soft network subscription credential information (1303) from a wireless communication device (1401) initially authorized for communication with the network are disclosed. In performing the persistent transfer of the soft network subscription credential information (1303), one of a token management module (1312), a session initiation protocol communication module (1408), or a electronic rights manager (1406) may be used to ensure that only one communication device is capable of communicating with a network at any one time.
