Blockchains (smart contracts, distributed ledgers) and rights management broadly construed are the themes of today's Spotlight Applications. Assigned to Intertrust, the first application discloses techniques for augmenting content with watermarks including embodiments entailing blockchains. Assigned to Verizon, the second application discloses content consumption measurement for digital media using a blockchain.
20210326463, "Secure content augmentation systems and methods," assigned to Intertrust Technologies.
Abstract
The disclosure relates to, among other things, systems and methods for augmenting and/or otherwise supplementing content using watermarks. Consistent with embodiments disclosed herein, a user device such as a smartphone may be used to retrieve watermark information encoded in a watermark. The watermark information may comprise content that supplements an associated content item, link and/or location information that may be used to retrieve supplemental content, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the watermark information may comprise cryptographic and/or other access token information used to decrypt and/or otherwise access supplemental content.
20210329075, "Content consumption measurement for digital media using a blockchain," assigned to Verizon.
Abstract
A device may include a memory storing instructions and processor configured to execute the instructions to receive, by a blockchain node, a content consumption report from a user device relating to a digital content item provided by a content provider device to the user device and add content consumption data from the content consumption report to a blockchain associated with the blockchain node. The processor may be further configured to receive, by the blockchain node, a request for consumption information relating to the digital content item stored in the blockchain from a rights-holder associated with the digital content item; verify, by the blockchain node, that the rights-holder is authorized to access the requested consumption information; and provide, by the blockchain node, the requested consumption information from the blockchain to the rights-holder.
