Decoupling Digital Content Rights from Downloads via Transcrypting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current digital content protection technologies require users to download a digital content unit from a store to obtain rights, which is time-consuming and may incentivize unauthorized copying, as users seek to avoid costs and download times.
Innovation Solution
Systems and methods that allow users to obtain rights in a digital content unit without downloading it, by transcrypting or converting an encrypted digital content unit into a decryptable copy, decoupling the purchasing of rights from the downloading process, using cryptographic techniques and trusted/untrusted software to manage access and encryption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If users download digital content units from a store to obtain rights, then users can access and use the digital content, but the process is time-consuming and may incentivize unauthorized copying
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the digital content distribution process into two independent components: (1) downloading the encrypted digital content unit, and (2) obtaining the decryption key/rights. Users can obtain rights without downloading the full content, or download content and obtain rights separately. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing users to get rights quickly without waiting for lengthy downloads, while still maintaining content protection through encryption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the decryption key (rights) from the encrypted digital content unit, allowing users to obtain the key separately without needing to download the entire content file. The key can be provided independently through various channels, enabling users to access their purchased content faster and reducing the incentive for unauthorized copying, while the content itself remains protected through encryption.
2Reliability
If users download digital content units to obtain rights, then content protection is maintained, but users incur download costs and time delays
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the content download from the rights acquisition, users can obtain rights immediately or near-immediately without waiting for large file downloads. This improves access efficiency while maintaining content protection, as the encrypted content remains secure and users simply need the key to access their legally purchased content.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by providing users with decryption keys or rights information before or independently of the actual content download. Users can have their rights secured in advance, allowing them to access content faster once downloaded, thereby improving overall access efficiency without compromising protection.
3Ease of operation
If users can obtain rights without downloading content, then access is streamlined and unauthorized copying is discouraged, but content protection mechanisms become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting the decryption key from the content file and providing it through separate channels, the system simplifies the user experience - users can obtain rights quickly without lengthy downloads. The complexity of cryptographic mechanisms is contained within the backend system rather than affecting user operations, thus improving ease of operation while managing complexity in the system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary components (key management servers, licensing systems) that handle the complex cryptographic operations behind the scenes. Users interact with simplified interfaces to obtain rights, while the intermediary systems manage the complexity of key distribution, encryption, and rights management, thereby improving ease of operation without exposing users to system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for enabling a user to obtain rights in a legitimate copy of a digital content unit without downloading the copy from a digital content store are provided. The systems and methods provide an encrypted copy of a digital content unit to a first user and transcript the encrypted copy to generate the legitimate copy to a second user. The encrypted copy is encrypted with a first encrypt key that may be associated with the first user and the legitimate copy is encrypted with a second encrypt key that may be associated with the second user.