Permission-Based Media Composition for Privacy-Controlled Sharing

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Social media platforms lack adequate mechanisms to manage user privacy and creative ownership of shared media content, allowing indiscriminate sharing and re-sharing without user control.

Innovation Solution

A permission-based media system that applies access policies and permissions to media objects, allowing users to manage sharing and re-sharing based on user-defined rules, including options to re-share or generate collaborative media objects.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If users can freely share and re-share media content on social media platforms, then social interaction and content distribution are enhanced, but user privacy and creative ownership are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent distribution flexibilityVSAvoidprivacy violation
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the audience into different permission groups (e.g., original sharers, approved re-sharers, blocked users) and applies different access rules to each segment. This allows the content to be distributed widely to authorized users while preventing unauthorized access, thus maintaining both distribution flexibility and privacy protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a permission management system as an intermediary between the content creator and potential viewers. This intermediary layer processes sharing requests, applies permission rules, and controls content distribution, enabling flexible sharing while protecting user privacy through automated permission enforcement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Quantity of substance

If users can re-share media content without restrictions, then content visibility and engagement increase, but control over content usage is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent reachVSAvoidcontent control
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by requiring content creators to pre-define permission rules and audience restrictions before sharing content. The system then automatically enforces these pre-set rules during distribution, allowing content to reach many users while maintaining creator control through automated permission checking at each sharing stage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If permission management systems are implemented to control content sharing, then user privacy and ownership are protected, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprivacy protectionVSAvoidpermission system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies self-service by enabling content creators to autonomously manage their own permission settings and audience controls without requiring manual intervention from platform administrators. The system provides automated tools for creators to define, modify, and enforce permission rules, reducing operational complexity while maintaining strong privacy protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4268166B1Permission based media composition
Publication Date: 2025.10.08 SNAP INC
  • EP4268166B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4268166B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4268166B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A permission based media system to perform operations that include: presenting a first media object at a client device associated with a user account, the first media object including a reference that identifies the user account; receiving an input that selects the first media object from the client device; determining a permission of the user account based on the reference that identifies the user account; presenting a set of options based on the permission associated with the user account; receiving a selection of an option from among the set of options; and generating a second media object based on the first media object and the selection of the option.