Enrolling / sub-enrolling a digital rights management (DRM) server into a drm architecture

Abstract

A Digital Rights Management (DRM) system has a plurality of DRM servers performing DRM functionality and an entering DRM-E server is enrolled into the system by an enrolling DRM-R server such that the entering DRM-E server is to be trusted within the system. The DRM-E server sends an enrollment request to the DRM-R server including a proffering identification and a public key (PU-E). The DRM-R server validates the proffering identification, and, if the request is to be honored, generates a digital enrollment certificate with (PU-E) for the DRM-E server to enroll such DRM-E server into the DRM system. The now-enrolled DRM-E server with the generated enrollment certificate is able to employ same to issue DRM documents within the DRM system.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 373,458 filed Feb. 25, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,188,144 issued Dec. 11, 2007.[0002]The following U.S. patent applications disclose subject matter that is related to the subject matter of the present application, and are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety:[0003]U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 185,527, filed Jun. 28, 2002 under attorney docket number MSFT-1330 and entitled “Obtaining a Signed Rights Label (SRL) for Digital Content and Obtaining a Digital License Corresponding to the Content Based on the SRL in a Digital Rights Management System”;[0004]U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 185,278, filed Jun. 28, 2002 under attorney docket number MSFT-1333 and entitled “Using a Rights Template to Obtain a Signed Rights Label (SRL) for Digital Content in a Digital Rights Management System”;[0005]U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 185,511, file...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is a Digital Rights Management (DRM) system that uses multiple DRM servers to manage digital content. A new DRM-E server is enrolled into the system by a trusted DRM-R server. The DRM-E server obtains a public / private key pair to identify itself and sends an enrollment request to the DRM-R server. The DRM-R server validates the request and generates a digital enrollment certificate for the DRM-E server. The certificate is based on the public key. The DRM-E server stores the certificate for future use and can use it to issue DRM documents within the system. The technical effect of this invention is to securely enroll new DRM-E servers into the system and manage digital content with multiple DRM servers.

Problems solved by technology

However, and in either scenario, after distribution has occurred, such content owner / developer has very little if any control over the digital content.

This is especially problematic in view of the fact that practically every personal computer includes the software and hardware necessary to make an exact digital copy of such digital content, and to download such exact digital copy to a write-able magnetic or optical disk, or to send such exact digital copy over a network such as the Internet to any destination.

However, such a promise is easily made and easily broken.

However, there is likely very little that prevents a mildly determined user from decrypting encrypted digital content, saving such digital content in an un-encrypted form, and then re-distributing same.

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