License Distribution Control for Content Excerpts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Digital Rights Management (DRM) solutions are user-unfriendly, prohibiting fair use by not allowing users to extract and redistribute portions of content items, and fail to prevent colluding users from distributing entire works by concatenating excerpts.
Innovation Solution
A method and device for controlling license distribution that allows users to access and share excerpts of a content item by generating and managing licenses based on a limit value, ensuring that the total accessed units or excerpts do not exceed a threshold, using either a decentralized or centralized approach with a processor to verify and update access counters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If DRM solutions prohibit fair use to protect content, then content protection is improved, but user friendliness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The content item is divided into a set of continuous units, and licenses are issued for specific subsets of these units (excerpts) rather than requiring access to the entire content. This segmentation allows users to legally access and redistribute portions of content for fair use while maintaining protection of the complete work.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of access rights from binary (full access or no access) to granular (access to specific units or excerpts). By tracking the number of units accessed through counters in the license, the system enables flexible fair use while preventing unauthorized distribution of entire works.
2Adaptability or versatility
If users can extract and redistribute excerpts, then fair use is improved, but unauthorized distribution of entire works deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The license includes a counter that tracks the number of units accessed by the receiver. When the receiver requests access to additional units, the system compares the current counter value with a limit value. If the limit would be exceeded, access is denied. This feedback mechanism prevents unauthorized distribution of entire works while allowing fair use of excerpts.
Solution Approach 2:
The system takes preliminary action by embedding anti-collusion counters in the license before distribution. These counters prevent colluding users from distributing entire works by tracking cumulative access to units, thereby countering potential unauthorized distribution before it occurs.
3Reliability
If access counters are implemented to limit excerpt distribution, then unauthorized access is improved, but system complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The license structure itself contains the counter mechanism that automatically tracks and limits access to units. The receiver device uses the counter information already embedded in the license to determine whether additional access should be granted, eliminating the need for complex external monitoring systems.
Data Source
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Figure 3
AI summary
A method for controlling distribution of licenses (251; 351), a license being for an excerpt (252; 352) of a content item (211; 311), the content item comprising a set (100) of continuous units (110), each excerpt (252; 352) comprising a subset of the set (100) of continuous units. A device (230; 340) receives an identifier of a receiver (230; 330) of a license, and the license (251) or a request (322) to generate the license (351), the license or the request (322) to generate the license (351) comprising a content identifier and at least one indicator of the units covered by the license (251; 351); retrieves stored information regarding licenses previously delivered to the receiver; compares a limit value for the content item with the stored information combined with information from the license or the request (322) to generate the license (351); and allows the receiver access to the license only if the limit value is not exceeded by the stored information combined with information from the license or the request (322) to generate the license (351). Also provided is the device (230; 340).