Meta-Rights and State Variables for DRM Rights Derivation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems fail to effectively control and manage usage rights across complex distribution chains, particularly in multi-party models, as they lack mechanisms to enforce rights beyond the initial transaction and prevent unauthorized use and redistribution of digital content.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of meta-rights, which allow derivation of new rights from existing ones, enabling entities in the distribution chain to manage and transfer rights dynamically, using state variables to track and enforce these rights, thereby extending the capabilities of traditional usage rights management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If secure containers are used to encrypt digital documents during delivery, then document protection during transmission is improved, but the system cannot prevent legitimate users from obtaining clear documents and redistributing them in violation of intellectual property rights
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds usage rights metadata directly within the digital document structure itself, creating a nested relationship where the rights information is contained within the content it protects. This ensures that rights information travels with the document through all distribution channels, enabling continuous control over downstream parties without requiring separate tracking systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where usage rights information is continuously verified and enforced at each stage of the distribution chain. The embedded metadata provides real-time feedback about authorized usage, allowing the system to detect and prevent unauthorized redistribution by downstream parties who would otherwise operate without oversight.
2Reliability
If trusted systems with secure processors and certified software are built to prevent unauthorized use, then unauthorized use prevention is improved, but the system architecture becomes complex and incompatible with existing open systems like PCs and workstations
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring specialized trusted hardware, the patent uses software-based solutions that replicate security functions through digital signatures, cryptographic verification, and embedded rights metadata. These software copies of security mechanisms run on existing standard systems, eliminating the need for complex trusted hardware architectures while maintaining security enforcement capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The embedded usage rights system is designed to be universally compatible with existing open systems like PCs, workstations, and web browsers. The same rights enforcement mechanism works across different platforms and applications without requiring system-specific implementations, making the solution adaptable to the dominant open system architecture rather than requiring proprietary trusted systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If usage rights are granted to each party in the distribution chain according to their role, then rights management for multi-party distribution is improved, but upstream parties lose control over downstream transactions and the system cannot enforce granular rights restrictions beyond the initial transaction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a nested hierarchy of rights where upstream parties embed usage rights metadata that contains and controls downstream rights. Each layer of the distribution chain receives rights that are nested within and constrained by the rights of the previous layer, ensuring that upstream control is preserved throughout the entire distribution chain while enabling multi-party participation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic rights management where usage rights metadata can be updated, modified, and reconfigured at any stage in the distribution chain. This allows upstream parties to maintain control and adjust rights restrictions dynamically based on downstream transactions, rather than having static rights that cannot be modified after initial distribution.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, system and device for transferring rights adapted to be associated with items from a rights supplier to a rights consumer, including obtaining a set of rights associated with an item, the set of rights including meta-rights specifying derivable rights that can be derived from the meta-; determining whether the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights; and deriving at least one right from the derivable rights, if the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights, wherein the derived right includes at least one state variable based on the set of rights and used for determining a state of the derived right.