Managing Rights Management

Liquineq and Forcepoint Blockchain and DRM Patent Applications

New pending patent applications are published by the USPTO on Thursdays. Today's Spotlight Applications concern the theme of blockchain (distributed ledger, smart contracts) and digital rights management broadly construed. Assigned to Liquineq (CH),  the first application discloses techniques for multi-tiered distributed network transactional database. Assigned to Forcepoint, the second application discloses techniques for managing access to user profile information via a distributed transaction database.

Fidelity and Black Gold Coin Blockchain and DRM Patent Applications

New pending patent applications are published on Thursdays. Both of today's Spotlight Applications concern aspects of blockchain (distributed ledger, smart contracts) and digital rights management broadly construed. Assigned to Fidelity (FMR), the first application discloses techniques for a secure firmware transaction signing platform. Assigned to Black Gold Coin, Inc., the second application discloses techniques for providing block chain or distributed ledger-based entity identity and relationship verification.

MonetaGo and Odom Blockchain and DRM Patent Applications

New pending patent applications are published by the USPTO on Thursdays. This week's Spotlight Applications continue the theme of blockchain (smart contracts, distributed ledger) and digital rights management broadly construed. Assigned to MonetaGo, the first application discloses techniques for defining one or more smart contracts between various member banks associated with a central bank. Assigned to Odom, et al, the second application discloses techniques for delivering communications and storing and delivering data

SmartSky and BT Blockchain and DRM Patent Applications

New patent applications are published on Thursdays. Today's Spotlight Applications continue the theme of blockchain (distributed ledger, smart contracts) and digital rights management broadly construed. Assigned to SmartSky Networks, the first application discloses techniques for an aerospace commerce exchange system that may include a network, a plurality of clients operably coupled to the network, and an aerospace commerce exchange platform operably coupled to the network to provide exchange services to the clients. Assigned to British Telecom, the second application discloses techniques for a computer implemented method of a resource provider for access control for a restricted resource in a network connected computer system.

Slock.it and FMR Blockchain and DRM Patent Applications

New pending patent applications are published on Thursdays by the USPTO. We continue our theme of blockchain (distributed ledger, smart contracts) and digital rights management broadly construed. Assigned to Slock.it, the first of today's Spotlight Applications discloses techniques for a block-chain enabled service provider system. Assigned to FMR (Fidelity), the second application discloses techniques for asynchronous crypto asset transfer and social aggregating, fractionally efficient transfer guidance, conditional triggered transaction, datastructures, apparatuses, methods and systems.

Fidelity and Merck Blockchain and DRM Patent Applications

New patent applications are published by the USPTO on Thursdays. This week's Spotlight Applications continue the theme of blockchain (distributed ledger, smart contracts) and digital rights management broadly construed. Assigned to Fidelity, the first application discloses firmware extensions for secure cryptocurrency key backup, restore, and transaction signing platform apparatuses. Assigned to Merck (DE), the second application discloses techniques for composite security marking for a physical object, in particular to an anti-counterfeit product marking.

IBM and Northern Trust Blockchain and DRM Patents

New patents are issued by the USPTO on Tuesdays. Today's Spotlight Patents concern aspects of blockchain (distributed ledger, smart contracts) and digital rights management broadly construed. Assigned to IBM, the first patent addresses techniques for privacy-preserving transaction validation mechanisms for smart contracts that are included in a ledger. Assigned to Northern Trust, the second patent addresses techniques for digital identity management and permission controls within distributed network nodes.

Sony and BofA Blockchain and DRM Patent Applications

New pending patent applications are published by the USPTO on Thursdays. We continue with the theme of blockchain (distributed ledger, smart contracts) and digital rights management broadly construed. Assigned to Sony, the first application discloses techniques for blockchain-based digital rights management. Assigned to Bank of America, the second application discloses a distributed ledger system for providing aggregate tracking and threshold triggering.

Chicago Merc and Convey DRM and Blockchain Patent Applications

We continue the theme of patent applications addressing digital rights management (broadly construed) and blockchain (distributed ledger) technologies. Assigned to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the first of today's Spotlight Applications discloses techniques for implementing a real time reconciling shared data structure. Apparently assigned to Convey, the second application discloses techniques for cloud-based contacts management.

Digimarc and Infosys Digital Watermarking Patent Applications

New pending patent applications are published on Thursdays. Both of today's Spotlight Applications concern aspects of digital watermarking. Assigned to Digimarc, the first application discloses techniques for smartphone payments and transactions using watermarks. Assigned to Infosys (IN), the second application discloses techniques for embedding and extracting a watermark in a text document.

Fewer Rights Management Patents?

I haven't done a quantitative study, but I've had the impression over the past several months that patents dealing with rights management have been issued at a slower rate than in the past while at the same time there seems to be more patents dealing with watermarking issuing. It may be that those with fundamental patent portfolios relating to rights management such as Intertrust, ContentGuard, and perhaps Macrovision and increasingly Microsoft have pretty much exhausted the most fertile areas and that subsequent inventions will of necessity be much narrower in scope.

A few years ago, a well-respected senior computer scientist opined that the most important work in watermarking had not yet been done. Contrasted with rights management, it may be the case that researchers are finding watermarking a more fruitful area for innovation and patenting.

The US Patent Office issues new patents on Tuesdays. Issued patents and published applications  may be early indicators of the kinds of issues being addressed by inventors and/or the companies for whom they work. Assigned to Kaleidescape, Inc., the first  patent addresses watermarking and fingerprinting digital content using alternative blocks to embed information. Assigned to Musicrypt, the first of today's patents entails a biometric rights management system. 

Entitlement Management For Next Gen Broadband Systems

Telephony Online says in a worthwhile article that entitlement management systems are the next important evolution in back office systems for broadband services. Snippets:

The Electronic Money Mill

This is perhaps a bit off topic.

While Googling  around the Web in search of some information on quantum cryptography, Vernam cyphers and other similar esoterica, I came across a Web-published novel called The Electronic Money Mill apparently published pseudonymously by one Xavier I. Quennel.

DRM & Telecom

Billing World & OSS Today has a long feature article on telecom and DRM. Worth a read. A couple of snippets:

Content goes against traditional billing and OSS paradigms such as for voice, which is based on origin and destination. The rights to content drive billing for characteristics of the service provided: How long does the user have access to a movie? Was the customer able to share a video clip with a friend? Do multiple users in a household have access to the content? How many plays did a customer get in a game? Any special feature or use can make content more valuable. "What you're rating" Steffen [Telution Chief Executive Officer Kent Steffen] says, "is really complex."

The rights to content are also driving the business models, as well as the business support systems that support these business models.

Peppercoin picked by Wurld Media for P2P payments

According to Mass High Tech, Waltham, MA-based Peppercoin will provide Wurld Media with it's microtransaction software, enabling Wurld Media to legally sell digital content through its Peer Impact P2P Network.

Payments News / Glenbrook

Those interested in payments may wish to subscriber to Payments News, a useful blog dealing with a broad range of payment issues. The RSS-minded will find the appropriate news syndication buttons there as well.