WO2008033799B1

WO2008033799B1 - Transferring licensed digital content between users

Info

Publication number: WO2008033799B1
Application number: PCT/US2007/078105
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gidon Elazar; Dan Harkabi; Nehemiah Weingarten
Original assignee: SanDisk Corp
Current assignee: SanDisk Corp
Priority date: 2006-09-13
Filing date: 2007-09-11
Publication date: 2008-10-30
Anticipated expiration: 2009-03-13
Also published as: WO2008033799A3; JP2010503925A; EP2062190A2; TW200830140A; WO2008033799A2; KR20090057981A

Abstract

Techniques are described for reselling digital data content, such as books, other types of documents, music, video, software and games. Such data are stored in a small portable digital rights management (DRM) device, such as a non-volatile memory card or flash drive, along with a license that defines the extent of the use permitted of the data. The content and license data are processed by a microprocessor that is included in the memory card or flash drive, including modification of the license in response to the data content being resold and transferred to another memory card or flash drive. The process is a digital version of selling a book, CD, DVD or the like in a second-hand market.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 25 August 2008 (25.08.08)

1. A method of managing use of em item of daia content, comprising: utilizing at least first and second portable devices that individually include a processor, a re-programmable non- volatile memory and an interface for connection with any one of a plurality of digital appliances, storing an item of data content in the non- volatile memoτy of the first portable device along with data of a first license that enables the processor of the first portable device to render, in a manner that defines a presentation of the data content by the first portable device, the item of data content from the first portable device to one of the plurality of digital appliances to which the first portable device is connected through its interface , therafter storing the item of data content in the non-volatile memory of the second portable device along with data of a second license that enables the processor of the second portable device to render, in a manner that defines a presentation of the data content by the second portable device, the item of data content from the second portable device to one of the plurality of digital appliances to which the second portable device is connected through its interface, and in response to storing the item of data content in the non-volatile memory of the second portable device, causing the firsr license stored in the first portable device to be modified as to an extent to which the first license enables the processor of the first portable device to render the item of data content to one of the plurality of digital appliances to which the first portable device is connected through its interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modification of the first license includes terminating rights to use the item of data content stored in the first portable device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data content and second license are transferred to the second portable device from the first portable device, the second license being derived from the first license.

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4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first license is automatically modified to terminate rights to use the item of data content stored in the first portable device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the item of data content and the second license are stored in the second portable device from a master computer server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first license is modified by the master computer server to terminate rights to use the data content stored in the first portable device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second portable devices is a flash memory card.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second portable devices is a flash memory drive and its interface includes a USB connector.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data content includes data of written text.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data content includes audio data.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data content includes video data.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data content includes computer software.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein Hie data content includes a computer game.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein storing the item of data content in the memories of the first and second portable devices additionally includes storing the item of data content in hidden portions of the non-volatile memories thereof that are not within an externally accessible address space of the memories.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the item of data content in the memories of the first and second portable devices additionally includes storing the item of data content in an encrypted form.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein storing the license data in the memories of the first and second portable devices additionally includes storing the license data in hidden portions of the non- volatile memories thereof that are not within an externally accessible address space of the memories.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface of said at least the first or second portable devices includes a physical connector with electrical contacts.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface of said at least the first or second portable devices includes a wireless connection.

19. A method of operating a lending library of digital content, comprising: storing, in at least one computer server, digital data of a plurality of items of content and corresponding licenses that allow loaning a given number of one or more copies of individual ones of the plurality of items of content at a time, maintaining a record of ihe number of the loaned copies of individual items of content that have corresponding active licenses to use the individual items of content, in response to a request from a digital appliance to borrow a copy of a particular one of the individual items of content, checking whether all the given number of copies of that particular item are loaned with currently active licenses, and. if not, sending a copy of the requested item to the digital appliance along with an associated license thai limits the duration that content data in said copy of the requested item can be used, and

29 storing said copy of the requested item and said associated license in a memory of a portable device that is removably connected to the digital appliance.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the portable device providing a limited rendition of the content data to the digital appliance that utilizes the rendered content data.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one computer server, in response to the duration of the license of one of the individual items of content being exceeded, reduces the number of loaned copies of the one individual item that have active licenses from the record of loaned copies.

22. A portable device, comprising: a reprogrammable non-volatile memory capable of storing data content and data of an associated license, a memory controller, an interface through which access to the memory may be established by any one of a plurality of digital appliances, the access to the memory being under control of the memory controller, wherein the memory controller has access to content and license data stored in the memory to provide a limited rendition of the data content through the interface in accordance with the terms of the license for utilization by any one of the plurality of digital appliances, and wherein the memory controller is further operable to modify the terms of the license in order to thereafter alter the rendition of the data content through the interface.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the memory is partitioned into at least open and hidden portions in a manner that the data content and data of an associated license are storable in the hidden portion of the memory, the memory controller provides access through the interface to the open portion of the memory but not the

30 hidden portion and the memory controller has access to the hidden portion of the memory.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein the data content and data of an associated license are stored in the hidden portion of the memory.

25. The device of claim 22, wherein the memory is further capable of storing data content and data of an associated license in an encrypted form in a portion of the memory to which the memory controller provides access through the interface.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the data content and data of an associated license are stored in an encrypted form in a portion of the memory to which the memory controller provides access through the interface.

27. The device of claim 22, wherein the memory is partitioned into at least open and hidden portions in a manner that the data content are storable in an encrypted form in an open portion of the memory and data of an associated license are storable in the hidden portion of the memory, the memory controller provides access through the interface to the open portion of the memory but not the hidden portion and the memory controller has access to the hidden portion of the memory.

28. The device of claim 22, wherein the data content are stored in an encrypted form in the open portion of the memory and data of an associated license are stored in the hidden portion of the memory.

29. The device of claim 22, wherein the memory controller is operable to modify the terms of the license in a manner that thereafter terminates the ability of the controller to provide the limited rendition of the data content through the interface.

30. The device of claim 22, wherein the memory controller is operable to modify the license data in response to a command received through the interface.

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31. The device of claim 22, wherein the memory controller is operable to automatically modify the license data upon the data content being transferred though the interface without the limited rendition.

32. The device of claim 22, wherein the interface includes a connector having a set of electrical contacts adapted to mate with receptacles of the plurality of digital appliances.

33. The device of claim 22, wherein the interface includes wireless communication adapted to operate with the plurality of digital appliances.

34. A computer system comprising the portable device according to claim 22 characterized by an inability to utilize the limited rendition of the content data but with its interface connected with one of the plurality of digital appliances that does utilize the limited rendition of the content data.

35. A computer system, comprising: at least one server containing various items of data of content and associated data of licenses that define permitted renditions of the items of content data, a plurality of digital appliances that are individually capable of communicating with the server and utilizing permitted renditions of various items of data content in accordance with their associated license data, a plurality of portable storage devices that individually comprise: a reprogrammable non-volatile memory, a memory controller, and an interface through which access to the memory may be established with one of the plurality of digital appliances, access to the memory being under control of the memory controller, and wherein at least one of die items of content data with its associated license data are transferable from the server to the memory of at least one of the portable

32 storage devices through one of the digital appliances to which the portable storage device is interfaced, wherein the memory controller has access to the content and license data stored in the memory to provide a limited rendition of the data content to one of the digital appliances with which the portable device is interfaced in accordance with the associated license data, and wherein the associated license data allows the memory controller to transfer the content data through the interface without the limited rendition and in response modify the associated license data stored in the memory in order to thereafter alter the rendition of the data content that is permitted through the interface.

36. The computer system of claim 35, wherein the associated license data causes the memory controller to automatically modify the associated licensed data in response to transfer of the content data through the interface without the limited rendition.

37. The computer system of claim 36, wherein the associated license data causes the memory controller to modify the associated license data to terminate any further transfer or rendition of the content data through the interface.

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