CN111191271A

CN111191271A - Preventing fraud in digital content licensing and distribution using distributed ledgers

Info

Publication number: CN111191271A
Application number: CN201911075193.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 崔衍庭; J.D.施泰因; B.C.赫林; 朱贤君
Original assignee: International Business Machines Corp
Current assignee: International Business Machines Corp
Priority date: 2018-11-15
Filing date: 2019-11-06
Publication date: 2020-05-22
Anticipated expiration: 2039-11-06
Also published as: CN111191271B

Abstract

Software for preventing fraud in digital content licensing and distribution using distributed ledger technology. The software performs the following operations: (i) receiving a request for a license for a digital asset, wherein a record of the digital asset is stored in a first distributed ledger; (ii) verifying consensus of the request for permission of the digital asset; and (iii) in response to verifying the consensus of the request for the license to the digital asset: the method includes storing a transaction settlement record in a second distributed ledger, creating a fragmented copy of a plurality of fragmented digital assets that includes a digital asset, and storing at least one fragment of the fragmented copy of the digital asset in the second distributed ledger with fragmentation instructions for reconstructing the digital asset from the fragmented copy.

Description

Preventing fraud in digital content licensing and distribution using distributed ledgers

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to the field of blockchain systems, and more particularly to a blockchain system for enforcement of digital licenses (licenses) and content distribution.

Background

Blockchains refer to distributed, licensed, and immutable ledgers (leggers) that can record transactions (transactions). Blockchains are a decentralized technique that includes a peer-to-peer (P2P) network that includes computers called nodes. The blockchain further includes a method for node validation (valid) transactions. Once a transaction is validated by a node, a new block will be added to the existing blockchain that contains information that acknowledges the transaction.

Disclosure of Invention

According to an aspect of the invention, there is a method, computer program product, and/or computer system that performs the following operations (not necessarily in the following order): (i) receiving a request for a license for a digital asset, wherein a record of the digital asset is stored in a first distributed ledger; (ii) verifying consensus (consensus) of requests for permission of digital assets; and (iii) in response to verifying the consensus of the request for the license to the digital asset: the method includes storing a transaction settlement record in a second distributed ledger, creating a fragmented copy of a plurality of fragmented digital assets that includes the digital asset, and storing at least one fragment of the fragmented copy of the digital asset in the second distributed ledger with fragmentation instructions for reconstructing the digital asset from the fragmented copy.

Drawings

To readily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the figure number in which the element is first introduced.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram depicting a networked computer system 100 according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a flowchart 200 depicting a method of licensing digital assets stored in a blockchain ledger in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows a flowchart 300 depicting a method of rebuilding a fragmented digital asset stored in a blockchain ledger in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram depicting a procedure 400 according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 shows a flow diagram 500 depicting a method of capturing and pushing digital content to a blockchain service in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 shows a flow diagram 600 depicting a method of storing digital assets in a blockchain ledger in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a technology useful for restricting the use of copyrighted material, such as audiovisual material. Typically, DRM software will provide access control for the use, modification and/or distribution of managed material. However, DRM generally operates in a centralized manner and makes it difficult to monitor the actual use of the material. To address this and other shortcomings, a blockchain digital licensing system is disclosed.

The present invention may be a system, method and/or computer program product. The computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions embodied therewith for causing a processor to implement various aspects of the present invention.

The computer readable storage medium may be a tangible device that can hold and store the instructions for use by the instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic memory device, a magnetic memory device, an optical memory device, an electromagnetic memory device, a semiconductor memory device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium would include the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanical coding device, such as punch cards or in-groove projection structures having instructions stored thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Computer-readable storage media as used herein is not to be construed as transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., optical pulses through a fiber optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through electrical wires.

The computer-readable program instructions described herein may be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to a respective computing/processing device, or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, such as the internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and/or a wireless network. The network may include copper transmission cables, fiber optic transmission, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. The network adapter card or network interface in each computing/processing device receives computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer-readable program instructions for storage in a computer-readable storage medium in the respective computing/processing device.

The computer program instructions for carrying out operations of the present invention may be assembler instructions, Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) instructions, machine-related instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C + + or the like and procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The computer-readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the case of a remote computer, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, aspects of the present invention are implemented by personalizing an electronic circuit, such as a programmable logic circuit, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or a Programmable Logic Array (PLA), with state information of computer-readable program instructions, which can execute the computer-readable program instructions.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

These computer-readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. These computer-readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer, programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the computer-readable medium storing the instructions comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices implement the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems which perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

Embodiments of possible hardware and software environments for software and/or methods according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating portions of a networked computer system 100, including: a server subsystem 102; a client subsystem 104; a client subsystem 106; client subsystem 108, client subsystem 110, client subsystem 112; a communication network 114; a server computer 116; a communication unit 118; a processor group 120; a set of input/output (I/O) interfaces 122; a memory device 124; a persistent storage device 126; a display device 132; a group of external devices 134; a Random Access Memory (RAM) device 128; a cache memory device 130; and a procedure 400.

Subsystem 102 represents the various computer subsystem(s) of the present invention in many respects. Accordingly, several portions of subsystem 102 will now be discussed in the following paragraphs.

Subsystem 102 may be a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a netbook computer, a Personal Computer (PC), a desktop computer, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a smart phone, or any programmable electronic device capable of communicating with client subsystems via network 114. Program 400 is a collection of machine-readable instructions and/or data for creating, managing and controlling certain software functions, which will be discussed in detail below.

Subsystem 102 is capable of communicating with other computer subsystems via network 114. The network 114 may be, for example, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN) such as the Internet, or a combination of both, and may include wired, wireless, or fiber optic connections. In general, network 114 may be any combination of connections and protocols that support communication between server and client subsystems.

Subsystem 102 is shown as a block diagram with a number of double arrows. These double-headed arrows (without separate reference numbers) represent communication structures that provide communication between the various components of the subsystem 102. The communication fabric may be implemented with any architecture designed to transfer data and/or control information between processors (such as microprocessors, communication and network processors, etc.), system memory, peripheral devices, and any other hardware components within a system. For example, the communication fabric may be implemented at least in part using one or more buses.

Memory device 124 and persistent storage device 126 are computer-readable storage media. In general, memory device 124 may include any suitable volatile or non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. It is further noted that now and/or in the near future: (i) the external device group 134 may be capable of providing some or all of the memory for the subsystem 102; and/or (ii) a device external to subsystem 102 can provide memory for subsystem 102.

Program 400 may include distributed, licensed, and immutable ledgers, such as blockchains. In some embodiments, the blockchain is comprised of a plurality of nodes in communication with each other. In some embodiments, a blockchain may include three types of nodes: (i) a client node that commits transaction calls, (ii) a peer node that commits transactions and maintains state and copies of ledgers, and (iii) a subscriber node that implements communication services with delivery guarantees, such as atomic or full-order broadcasts.

Program 400 may also include one or more consensus mechanisms for validating transactions before they are permanently stored on a block of a blockchain. In some embodiments of the invention, the consensus is a verification of the correctness of one or more transactions that comprise the block. Consensus may be obtained when the order and outcome of one or more transactions in a block meet explicit policy criteria checks. The consensus method may include an endorsement policy (endorsity policy) to specify which specific members of the licensed blockchain network must endorse a certain transaction class. The consensus method may further employ a chain code (e.g., a prescribed interface of business logic agreed upon by the licensed blockchain members) to ensure that the endorsement policy is enforced by, for example, verifying that sufficient endorsements exist and/or verifying that the endorsements originate from the appropriate members of the licensed blockchain network. After verifying that the appropriate endorsement exists, a versioning check (versioning check) can include an agreement or consensus on the current state of the ledger before any blocks containing transactions are attached to the ledger.

The process 400 may also include processes referred to as chain code, save state, and ledger data, and perform transactions. The program 400 chain code may be used to perform intelligent contracts (e.g., automatically perform transactions and log information onto a ledger) based on events occurring on the blockchain. The smart contract may also include conditions under which transactions are mutually agreed to occur by the permitted blockchain network members. The chain code may be the central element of the blockchain, as transactions are operations invoked on the chain code. In some embodiments, a transaction may have to be "endorsed" and only endorsed transactions may be committed and have an impact on the state. In some embodiments, the blockchain may include one or more special chain codes, collectively referred to as system chain codes, for managing functions and parameters. In an exemplary embodiment, the process 400 may be implemented in a system such as a Hyperfolder Fabric (Hyperfolder Fabric). (Note that the term(s) "super ledger" and/or "super ledger structure" may be limited by trademark rights in different jurisdictions around the world, and are used herein only to refer to products or services properly named by trademark, so long as such trademark rights may exist.)

The program 400 is stored in a persistent storage device 126 for access and/or execution by one or more of the respective computer processors of the processor complex 120, typically through one or more memories of the memory device 124. Persistent storage device 126: (i) at least more permanent than the signal in transmission; (ii) storing a program (including soft logic and/or data thereof) on a tangible medium (such as a magnetic or optical domain); and (iii) much less persistent than permanent (permanent) storage. Alternatively, the data store may be more persistent and/or permanent than the type of storage provided by persistent storage 126. Program 400 may also be stored and accessed from a public or private cloud service (e.g., blockchain-as-a-service). Program 400 may include both machine-readable and executable instructions and/or substantive data (i.e., data of the type stored in a database). In this particular embodiment, persistent storage 126 includes a magnetic hard drive. Persistent storage 126 may include a solid state hard drive, a semiconductor storage device, a Read Only Memory (ROM), an Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), flash memory, or any other computer-readable storage medium capable of storing program instructions or digital information, to name a few possible variations.

The media used by persistent storage 126 may also be removable. For example, a removable hard drive may be used for persistent storage 126. Other examples include optical and magnetic disks, thumb drives, and smart cards that are inserted into the drive for transfer onto another computer readable storage medium that is also part of persistent storage 126.

In these examples, communication unit 118 provides for communication with other data processing systems or devices external to subsystem 102. In these examples, communications unit 118 includes one or more network interface cards. The communication unit 118 may provide communication using one or both of physical and wireless communication links. Any of the software modules discussed herein may be downloaded to a persistent storage device (such as persistent storage device 126) through a communication unit (such as communication unit 118).

The set of I/O interfaces 122 allows for input and output of data with other devices that may be locally connected in data communication with the server computer 116. For example, I/O interface group 122 provides connectivity to external device group 134. The external device group 134 will typically include devices such as a keyboard, a keypad, a touch screen, and/or some other suitable input device. The external device group 134 may also include portable computer-readable storage media, such as thumb drives, portable optical or magnetic disks, and memory cards. Software and data, such as program 400, for practicing embodiments of the invention may be stored on such portable computer-readable storage media. In these embodiments, the relevant software may (or may not) be loaded in whole or in part onto persistent storage 126 via I/O interface group 122. The I/O interface group 122 is also connected in data communication with a display device 132.

Display device 132 provides a mechanism to display data to a user and may be, for example, a computer monitor or a smartphone display screen.

The programs described herein are identified based upon the application for which they are implemented in a specific embodiment of the invention. However, it should be appreciated that any particular program nomenclature that follows is used merely for convenience, and thus the invention should not be limited to use solely in any specific application identified and/or implied by such nomenclature.

Having described embodiments of the present invention, the foregoing description is intended to be exemplary, not exhaustive, and not limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terms used herein were chosen in order to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application, or technical improvements to the techniques in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Fig. 2 shows a flow chart 200 depicting a method according to the invention. Fig. 3 shows a flow chart 300 depicting a method according to the invention. Fig. 4 shows a program 400 for performing at least some of the method operations of flowchart 200 and flowchart 300. The methods of flow diagrams 200 and 300 and the associated software of program 400 will now be discussed in the course of the following paragraphs with reference to fig. 2 and 3 (for method operation blocks) and fig. 4 (for software module ("mod") blocks).

Referring to flowchart 200 (see fig. 2), processing begins at operation 202 where blockchain module 402 (see fig. 4) receives a request for a license for a digital asset. In some embodiments of the invention, a record of the digital asset may be stored in the first distributed ledger. In some embodiments, the first distributed ledger is a blockchain. In some embodiments, the first licensed blockchain network includes an owner of the digital asset and the second licensed blockchain network includes a potential licensee (productive license) of the digital asset. In some embodiments, the second licensed blockchain network initiates a request for a license for the digital asset. In some embodiments, the request for permission of the digital asset may include a consensus method (e.g., if the request is received from a permitted blockchain network having a plurality of members).

In an exemplary embodiment, Sarah and Ben are the legitimate owners of photos (i.e., digital assets). Sarah and Ben form the licensed blockchain network A. Sarah and Ben initiate voting (or an alternative consensus method) as members of the licensed blockchain network to store the photo in the first distributed ledger for the purpose of providing a license for the photo. In response to confirming that consensus for permitted photos is provided in the permitted blockchain network a, the blockchain module 402 stores the photos in the first distributed ledger. Responsive to the photo being added to the first distributed ledger, a watermarked (watermarked) version of the photo is included in the public digital asset directory. Some of these aspects of the invention are discussed in more detail below with reference to fig. 5 and 6.

Bob and Lisa, members of licensed blockchain network B, after reviewing public catalogues and finding their favorite watermarked version of the photo, initiate a vote (or an alternative consensus method) to request permission for the photo. In response to confirming the consensus requesting permission for photos in the licensed blockchain network B, the intelligent contract agreement module 404 may initiate a request for permission for photos.

Processing continues at operation 204, where the intelligent contract agreement module 404 (see FIG. 3) verifies consensus on the request to grant permission for the digital asset. In some embodiments of the invention, the consensus method may include an endorsement policy to specify which particular members of the licensed blockchain network must endorse a certain transaction class. The consensus method may include determining that an endorsement policy is enforced by, for example, verifying that there is sufficient endorsement and/or verifying that the endorsement originates from an appropriate member of a licensed blockchain network. In some embodiments, a member of the first blockchain network, including the owner of the digital asset, is an appropriate member of the licensed blockchain network to grant the request for the license for the digital asset.

In an exemplary embodiment, the members of network A, Sarah and Ben, initiate a request to vote (or an alternative consensus method) to grant permission to a photo. The intelligent contract agreement module 404 may validate the transaction by determining that Sarah and Ben are in fact required members of the licensed blockchain network A to approve the request for photo license. The intelligent contract agreement module 404 may further validate the transaction using one or more other known consensus methods.

Processing proceeds to operation 206 where the intelligent contract agreement module 404 (see FIG. 4) stores the transaction settlement record in the second distributed ledger. In some embodiments of the invention, the second distributed ledger is also a blockchain. In some embodiments, a second distributed ledger is created to store transaction settlement records between the first licensed blockchain network and the second licensed blockchain network. In some embodiments, the second distributed ledger is shared between the first licensed blockchain network and the second licensed blockchain network. In some embodiments, the second distributed ledger is also used to distribute licensed digital assets and/or to enforce the use of licensed digital assets.

In an exemplary embodiment, the intelligent contract agreement module 404 creates a second distributed ledger and stores a permitted transaction settlement record for the photograph in the second distributed ledger. The transaction settlement record contains a transaction summary that facilitates creation of a second distributed ledger.

Processing continues at operation 208, where the intelligent contract agreement module 404 (see FIG. 4) creates a fragmented copy of a plurality of fragmented digital assets including a digital asset. In some embodiments of the invention, the intelligent contract agreement module 404 uniquely shards (tiles) and decomposes digital assets using a sharding algorithm (e.g., transaction shards, network shards, and/or status shards). In some embodiments, the sharding algorithm is selected for efficient allocation of digital assets and enforcement of licenses for digital assets. In a method using network sharding, a digital asset is sharded into a plurality of shards corresponding to a plurality of nodes of a second distributed ledger. For example, each shard of the plurality of shards may be stored in a different node of the plurality of nodes (i.e., one shard per node in a one-to-one allocation). In this approach, reconstructing the digital asset may require access to multiple nodes, where each node independently enforces a license for the digital asset (e.g., by implementing a consensus method for efficient use of the digital asset under the granted license). These aspects of the present invention represent an improvement over the prior art by allowing license enforcement and content distribution in a decentralized manner.

In an exemplary embodiment, the intelligent contract agreement module 404 creates a fragmented copy of the photograph. The intelligent contract agreement module 404 further implements a network fragmentation algorithm using the first node of the second distributed ledger and the second node of the second distributed ledger. In this example, the first node is associated with a licensed blockchain network a and the second node is associated with a licensed blockchain network B.

Processing proceeds to operation 210 where the intelligent contract agreement module 404 (see fig. 3) stores the fragmented copy of the digital asset in the second distributed ledger with instructions for reconstructing the digital asset from the fragmented copy. In some embodiments of the present invention, the sharding algorithm determines which shards are to be stored in a first node of the second distributed ledger and which shards are to be stored in a second node of the second distributed ledger. In some embodiments, the first node is associated with a licensed blockchain network a and the second node is associated with a licensed blockchain network B. In some embodiments, the instructions for reconstructing the digital asset from the fragmented copies include computer instructions for reorganizing and distributing the digital asset. In some embodiments, the additional node may be for storing a shard of a shard copy of the digital asset. In these and other embodiments, the node may verify and enforce access to the licensed digital asset.

In an exemplary embodiment, the intelligent contract agreement module 404 stores a first fragment of a fragmented copy of a photograph in a first node and a second fragment of the fragmented copy of the photograph in a second node, along with computer instructions to reorganize a digital asset from the first node and the second node.

Referring now to flowchart 300 (see FIG. 3), processing begins at operation 302 where intelligent contract agreement module 404 (see FIG. 4) receives a request for access to a licensed digital asset. In some embodiments of the invention, a request for a licensed digital asset is received in response to a user requesting access to the licensed digital asset. In some embodiments, the intelligent contract agreement module 404 may include a consensus method that enforces the use of digital assets. In some embodiments, the consensus method includes validating the transaction to ensure that the intended use is supported by the license for the digital asset. In some embodiments, the consensus method for effectuating use of a digital asset may comprise (e.g., in a network sharding method) each of a plurality of nodes independently effectuating a license for the digital asset.

In an exemplary embodiment, Bob and Lisa use licensed photos in the website. When a user opens a web site, a request for licensed digital assets is automatically generated. Upon receiving the request, the intelligent contract agreement module 404 verifies that the request is a valid use of the photograph by, for example, verifying that the request is from an authorized user.

Processing continues at operation 304, where the intelligent contract agreement module 404 (see FIG. 4) executes the stored instructions for reconstructing the digital asset from the sharded copy of the digital asset stored in the second distributed ledger and sends the reconstructed digital asset for digital use. In some embodiments, reconstructing the digital asset may include (e.g., in a network sharded approach) reconstructing the digital asset from a plurality of shards stored in a plurality of nodes of the second distributed ledger. For example, each shard of the plurality of shards may be retrieved from a different node of the plurality of nodes (i.e., one shard per node in a one-to-one assignment).

In an exemplary embodiment, the intelligent contract agreement module 404 reassembles the digital assets from the first distributed ledger and the second distributed ledger by retrieving a first fragment of the fragmented copy of the photo from the first distributed ledger and retrieving a second fragment of the fragmented copy of the photo from the second distributed ledger. The smart contract agreement module 404 reassembles the licensed digital asset for use in the website as authorized by the licensing terms obtained by Bob and Lisa, and sends the reconstructed photograph for use in the website.

In some embodiments of the invention, a workflow is provided for storing the digital content itself (e.g., in a watermarked format) on a licensed blockchain ledger. Fig. 5 and 6 show a flow chart 500 and a flow chart 600, respectively, depicting a method according to one of these embodiments.

Referring first to flowchart 500 (see fig. 5), in operation 502 a content author registers a content creation device (e.g., a smartphone or an internet-enabled camera, such as client subsystem 104, for example) with a blockchain service using the content creation device. For example, the author uses the device to establish an ownership identity that includes authentication details of the author (e.g., a fingerprint) and authentication details of the device (e.g., a serial number), and then the device provides the ownership identity to the blockchain service (e.g., via blockchain module 402). At operation 504, the author uses the device to capture digital content (e.g., photos, pictures, recordings, etc.) on the device. The device then automatically pushes the digital content to the blockchain service by sending the digital content to the blockchain module 402 in response to the author capturing the digital content at operation 506. In this embodiment, when pushing digital content to the blockchain service, the device also sends the identification details of the author, the identification details of the device, metadata of the digital content (e.g., time, location, device manufacturer, device model, etc.), and a digital hash (hash) of the digital content to blockchain module 402.

Referring now to flowchart 600 (see fig. 6), in operation 602, blockchain module 402 receives the identification details of the author, the identification details of the author's device, metadata of the digital content, a digital hash of the digital content, and the digital content from the author's device. Processing proceeds to operation 604, and in operation 604, the blockchain module 402 then verifies the authenticity of the author and the author's device using the author's identification details and the authentication details of the author's device. For example, in some embodiments, the blockchain module 402 compares the identification details of the author and the identification details of the author's device to registration information stored by the blockchain service (e.g., registrations from operation 502 discussed above).

The process then proceeds to operation 606, wherein, based on the authenticity approval, the intelligent contractual agreement module 404 creates a unique watermark on the digital content and a record of originality of the digital content (record of authenticity) using the received metadata. In some embodiments, the watermark is created based on the owner's identification information (identification information), the metadata of the digital asset, and a digital hash. Many known (or to be known) watermarking techniques may be used, including techniques for watermarks that are visible to a human user and techniques for digital watermarks that are only detectable by a computer. Similarly, many known (or to be known) techniques for providing digital records of originality and/or authenticity may be used; in fact, in some cases, the watermark itself serves as a record of originality.

Processing then proceeds to operation 608 where the blockchain module 402 stores the record with the watermarked digital content and the originality in the permitted blockchain ledger in operation 608. Many known (or to be known) methods for storing items in a blockchain ledger can be used, including the methods discussed elsewhere in this detailed description with respect to other embodiments. Further, in some embodiments, the watermarked digital content is stored with the original digital content in a blockchain ledger, either in the same node or in a neighboring node. In yet other embodiments, the watermarked digital content is stored on a node in a first distributed ledger, wherein the first distributed ledger has a link to a node in a second distributed ledger in which the original digital content is stored, wherein the link is stored in the same node or in a node adjacent to the watermarked digital content.

In some embodiments of the invention, the blockchain service includes intelligent contract agreements and blockchain architecture to allow for licensing of digital content across networks and to preserve links between networks. In some embodiments, the blockchain service provides the advantage of properly licensing content across multiple licensed blockchain networks through intelligent contractual agreements. In some embodiments, the smart contract agreement allows licenses to be granted to digital content while preserving the originality of the digital content across multiple licensed blockchain networks.

In some embodiments of the invention, there is a centralized or decentralized transaction (exchange) for a licensed blockchain network to grant a watermark protected view of digital content to a licensed user. In some embodiments, the digital content is archived and cataloged (cataloged) for licensing. In some embodiments, users may submit requests for permission for digital content for their use or on behalf of another blockchain network.

In some embodiments of the invention, the intelligent contract agreement processes the digital signature of the original author and receives the fingerprint signature of the licensed user in preparation for recording the link in the intermediate sub-ledger. In some embodiments, the intermediate sub-ledger is a blockchain ledger. In some embodiments, a network voting protocol may be used to receive fingerprint signatures for multi-member licensed blockchain networks.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, two licensed blockchain networks (e.g., network a and network B) are interested in digital content. In this exemplary embodiment, network a is the owner of the original digital content and network B seeks to license the original digital content for its use. In this exemplary embodiment, network A and network B have unique managers (Governor) and members with their own intelligent contracts and voting consensus.

In this exemplary embodiment, the main ledger of network a contains digital content, which includes a watermarked version of the digital content and a record of the originality of the digital content. Network a may also place the watermarked image in a digital content directory as a representation of the digital content and publish the digital content directory for licensing. Network B may issue a request for a license for the digital content to a member of network B. Once the request for permission from network B is approved, network a creates a child ledger shared by both networks, where the child ledger tracks the start of the transaction history between the two permitted blockchain networks. Network a collects the metadata signatures, member data, and protocols from network B and stores them in the sub ledger. The blocks in the shared sub-ledger contain links between transaction settlement records in the two networks. Voting between licensed blockchain networks in the intelligent contract agreement set (centrralize), signatures for consensus of all members and responsibility and use of digital content.

In this exemplary embodiment, once consensus is reached, intelligent contracts uniquely fragment and decompose the digital content using a fragmentation algorithm prior to distribution to network B. The smart contract may then store the fragmented digital content in a block of the shared sub-ledger to provide access to network B. At settlement time, the respective master ledgers of network a and network B may include transactions with encrypted links to the shared sub-ledgers. Network B does not directly receive access to the original digital content but may only access the fragmented digital content stored in the sub ledger. The shared sub-ledger may also include a slicing algorithm (e.g., as part of an intelligent contractual agreement) that is used by network B to reassemble and consume digital content (e.g., display pictures on a web page or play audio in an audio player). The master ledger for web a may also include a history of permitted transactions by storing metadata of consumers and signatures of web B members.

Network a, as a representation of the digital content owner, may be exclusively responsible for writing into the sub ledger. Network a may also retain all the administrative capabilities of sharing the sub-ledgers as initiators and managers of transactions. Network a may retain the right to revoke the fragmentation algorithm for assembling the digital content. Thus, network B may be a read-only user sharing the sub-ledger.

The master ledger of network a may comprise an encrypted original copy of the digital content. For example, members that are allowed to access a private catalog of digital content cannot copy or move digital content without performing an intelligent contract. In other words, the signed license agreement provides access to the decryption key that created the private sub-ledger. This provides the licensed user with a new watermarked copy of the original digital content, including a record of the fingerprint and originality of the digital content. The fragmentation algorithm may reassemble the digital content based on authorized uses in the license agreement.

Once the encrypted version of the original image is entered into a block on the master ledger, the smart contract effectively obfuscates the image into slices by using a stochastic algorithm in the smart contract agreement, separating the image into a number of encrypted slices (i.e., shards) on the shared sub-ledger block between the original author and the licensed user. The creation of the shared child ledger can be displayed as a transaction on the original author's master ledger. The shared sub-ledger becomes a peer-to-peer (P2P) transaction between the original author and the network members, where the transfer of funds results in the generation of code and encrypted slices (i.e., fragmented digital content) to securely embed images onto their websites under copyright licensing agreements. Slicing the original digital content may be part of a smart contract agreement implemented using the original author's private key, based on an agreement, decrypting (i.e., reassembling) the original digital content, obfuscating for a smart contract for licensing. In some embodiments, the blockchain service may also utilize existing digital media Digital Rights Management (DRM) techniques.

Once the transaction is complete, the agreement is stored on network a master ledger and shared sub ledgers that maintain links to the original work owner master ledger nodes, along with randomized slices and their assembly algorithms and key signatures. Network B (the licensing user) may have a read-only link to a shared sub-ledger that contains obfuscated versions of the digital content, assembly algorithms, and embedded code that the licensing user may execute to display or otherwise access the licensed digital content. This makes the transaction completely private to the public world, while also giving full control and ownership exclusively to network a. Thus, network a may remove the shared sub-ledger node from the network (e.g., if it is determined to be fraudulent, unauthorized for use, or a contract violation).

Definition of

The invention comprises the following steps: should not be taken as an absolute indication that the subject matter described by the term "invention" is covered by the claims as filed or as may ultimately be issued after patent prosecution; while the term "invention" is used to aid the reader in obtaining a general sense, the disclosure herein is considered as potentially new, but as the use of the term "invention" indicates, such understanding is temporary and changes may occur during the course of a patent application as related information develops and the claims potentially modify.

Example (b): see above for the definition of "invention" -similar warnings apply to the term "embodiment"

And/or: comprises or; for example, "A, B" and/or "C" means that at least one of A, B or C is true and applicable.

Including/including: unless expressly stated otherwise, "includes, but is not necessarily limited to.

Module/submodule: any set of hardware, firmware, and/or software for performing a function, regardless of whether the module: (i) in the vicinity of a single local site; (ii) distributed over a wide area; (iii) a single neighborhood within a larger piece of software code; (iv) within a single piece of software code; (v) in a single storage device, memory, or medium; (vi) mechanically connecting; (vii) electrically connecting; and/or (viii) connected in data communication.

A computer: any device with significant data processing and/or machine-readable instruction reading capabilities, including but not limited to: desktop computers, mainframe computers, laptop computers, Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based devices, smart phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), onboard or plug-in computers, embedded device computers, Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) based devices.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a request for a license for a digital asset, wherein a record of the digital asset is stored in a first distributed ledger;

verifying, by one or more processors, a consensus of the request for the license for the digital asset; and

in response to verifying consensus of the request for permission of the digital asset:

(i) storing, by the one or more processors, the transaction settlement record in a second distributed ledger,

(ii) creating, by one or more processors, a sharded copy of a digital asset that includes a plurality of shards of the digital asset, an

(iii) Storing, by one or more processors, at least one shard of the shard copy of the digital asset in a second distributed ledger via shard instructions for reconstructing the digital asset from the shard copy.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a request to reconstruct the digital asset from a sliced copy of the digital asset;

verifying, by one or more processors, a consensus on a request to reconstruct the digital asset; and

in response to verifying consensus on the request to reconstruct the digital asset, reconstructing, by one or more processors, the digital asset from the sliced copy of the digital asset according to the slicing instructions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the request to reconstruct the digital asset from the sharded copy of the digital asset is received in response to selecting the watermarked copy of the digital asset in a public digital asset directory.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein storing at least one shard of the shard copy of the digital asset in a second distributed ledger via shard instructions for reconstructing the digital asset from the shard copy further comprises:

storing, by one or more processors, a first slice of a plurality of slices of the digital asset in a first node of a second distributed ledger; and

storing, by one or more processors, a second slice of the plurality of slices of the digital asset in a second node of a second distributed ledger.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

verifying, by one or more processors, consensus of a request to reconstruct the digital asset from a sliced copy of the digital asset; and

in response to verifying consensus on the request to rebuild the digital asset:

(i) receiving, by one or more processors from a first node, a first shard of the plurality of shards of the digital asset,

(ii) receiving, by one or more processors, a second shard of the plurality of shards of the digital asset from a second node, an

(iii) Reconstructing the digital asset from the first shard and the second shard according to the sharding instructions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein verifying consensus on a request to reconstruct the digital asset from a fragmented copy of the digital asset comprises receiving independent verifications from a first node and a second node, wherein the verifications enforce the licensing of the digital asset.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the first node is associated with a first licensed blockchain network and the second node is associated with a second licensed blockchain network.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied thereon, the program instructions being executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform method steps of a method according to any of claims 1 to 7.

9. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing program instructions executable by the processor to cause the system to perform method steps of the method of any of claims 1 to 7.

10. A system comprising modules configured individually to perform each step of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, identification information of an owner of a digital asset, metadata of the digital asset, a digital hash of the digital asset, and the digital asset;

verifying, by the one or more processors, authenticity of the owner based at least in part on the received identification information;

responsive to verifying the authenticity of the owner, creating, by one or more processors, a watermarked version of the digital asset based on the identification information of the owner, the metadata of the digital asset, and the digital hash; and

storing, by one or more processors, the digital asset and the watermarked version of the digital asset in a first distributed ledger.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing, by one or more processors, a public digital asset directory, wherein the public digital asset directory allows a user to request a license for a digital asset, including the digital asset, and validating the license request using one or more licensed blockchain networks.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing, by one or more processors, a watermarked version of the digital asset in the public digital asset directory as a representation of the digital asset.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising, in response to a user requesting a license for the digital asset via the public digital asset directory:

verifying, by one or more processors, a consensus of the request for the license for the digital asset using the one or more licensed blockchain networks; and

providing access to the digital asset to a user in response to the consensus verifying the request for permission of the digital asset.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein providing a user with access to the digital asset comprises providing a read-only link to a node on the first distributed ledger in which the digital asset is stored, wherein the node is associated with a licensed blockchain network.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein providing a user access to the digital asset comprises providing a code for securely embedding the digital asset within a website.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the received identification information, metadata, digital hash, and digital asset are received from an owner's device in response to the owner capturing the digital asset using the device.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied thereon, the program instructions being executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform method steps of a method according to any of claims 11 to 17.

19. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing program instructions executable by the processor to cause the system to perform method steps of the method of any of claims 11 to 17.

20. A system comprising modules configured individually to perform each step of the method according to any one of claims 11 to 17.