A rights management arrangement for storage media such as optical digital video disks (DVDs, also called digital versatile disks) provides adequate copy protection in a limited, inexpensive mass-produceable, low-capability platform such as a dedicated home consumer disk player and also provides enhanced, more flexible security techniques and methods when the same media are used with platforms having higher security capabilities. A control object (or set) defines plural rights management rules for instance, price for performance or rules governing redistribution. Low capability platforms may enable only a subset of the control rules such as controls on copying or marking of played material. Higher capability platforms may enable all (or different subsets) of the rules. Cryptographically strong security is provided by encrypting at least some of the information carried by the media and enabling decryption based on the control set and/or other limitations. A secure “software container” can be used to protectively encapsulate (e.g., by cryptographic techniques) various digital property content (e.g., audio, video, game, etc.) and control object (i.e., set of rules) information. A standardized container format is provided for general use on/with various mediums and platforms. In addition, a special purpose container may be provided for DVD medium and appliances (e.g., recorders, players, etc.) that contains DVD program content (digital property) and DVD medium specific rules. The techniques, systems and methods disclosed herein are capable of achieving compatibility with other protection standards, such as for example, CGMA and Matsushita data protection standards adopted for DVDs. Cooperative rights management may also be provided, where plural networked rights management arrangements collectively control a rights management event on one or more of such arrangements.

Cryptographic methods, apparatus and systems for storage media electronic rights management in closed and connected appliances

A software pay-per-use (PPU) licensing system is disclosed. The PPU licensing system includes one or more licensor license management system (LMS) and one or more licensee LMS. Each licensee LMS includes one or more components that operate to grant pay-per-use licenses for software applications, including data collection on amount of usage licenses granted, and to monitor operational states of the pay-per-use license granting and data collection operations, including periodic reporting of state and usage license granted data to a licensor LMS. Each licensor LMS includes components that operate to receive, store and process state and usage license granted data for the software applications from the licensee systems, including verification of timely periodic reporting from the licensee LMS.

Software pay per use licensing system

A digital license specifies rights with regard to corresponding digital content, and in particular specifies at least one event and for the at least one event at least one of a condition precedent to allowing the event to proceed and an action to be taken once the event has occurred. To respond to a request for an event from a rendering application with regard to the content, event code corresponding to the event is located in the license, and the condition within the event code is evaluated. If evaluated as true, the requested event is allowed to proceed, whereby the rendering application performs the event, and the action within the event code is executed. If evaluated as false, the requested event is denied.

Specifying rights in a digital rights license according to events

Method and apparatus for upgrading a software on a customer system are provided. In one embodiment, a method for upgrading a software on a customer system comprises: receiving, by a supplier system, a software inventory from the customer system; verifying one or more business contracts for the software inventory utilizing one or more databases connected to the supplier system; and determining one or more software upgrade releases for the software inventory utilizing a product topology database connected to the supplier system.

Method and apparatus for automating software upgrades

The present invention, generally speaking, provides for secure electronic software packaging using a setup-external unlocking module. As a result, a software publisher can produce a single ESD-ready version of a software title that may later be prepared for distribution through multiple different ESD channels by adding channel-specific unlocking modules. Duplication of the injection process prior to the packing of the setup file set is eliminated and great flexibility is achieved. Preferably, the single ESD-ready version allows for trial of the software, e.g., a free 30-day trial. Software publishers are incentivized to produce trial versions of their software for marketing purposes. Once such a trial version of a software title has been produced, no further modifications are required on the part of the software publisher in order to distribute the software through various different channels. In one embodiment, the software publisher produces a trial version of a software title using a technology provider tool to inject the program executable with “guard code” referred to herein as a protection module. The protection module allows the program to be run only in accordance with trial parameters specified by the software publisher. The protection module will typically lack commerce capabilities required in order to purchase the software, i.e., obtain unlimited usage of the software or at least usage beyond the original trial period. After the software has been injected with the protection module, a conventional installation tool is used to produce a setup file set. At this point, the BOB can be downloaded and tried but cannot be purchased. That is, unlike competing technologies, the BOBs at his point are fully functional trial versions that can be tested and tried without adding purchase capabilities.

Secure electronic software packaging using setup-external unlocking module

The present invention has an object to provide a method of managing contracts for licensed program use with which a licensor is able to confirm whether or not a contract for using a program has been properly kept by the user, as well as provide a system capable of utilizing the managing method. At the user-side (20), information on the status of utilizing the licensed program is stored as data (25), and the stored data is outputted after it is coded. Whereas, at the licensor-side (10), the coded data is inputted and decoded, thereby the licensor is able to determine the status of utilization of the program.

Method of managing contracts for licensed program use and a management system thereof

PURPOSE:To confirm that a user does not make an unfair practice by an means of a licensor by storing the using situation of a program as data, ciphering the piece of data, decoding the cipher by the licensor and analyzing stored data CONSTITUTION:The user 20 executes a special command(Scm) provided by the licensor 10 to the program This Scm ciphers a log file concerning the using of the program and the contents of a file similar to the log file (data file including necessary items such as the ID number of the program, the name of a computer installing the 10 number, for example) so as to generate a specified cipher code C2 Then, the user 20 sends the cipher code C2 to the licensor 10 and the licensor receiving it decodes and explains it to confirm whether the user 20 surely and properly maintains the contents of the program or not

Fukui Toshiyuki

Papers

Method of managing contracts for licensed program use and a management system thereof

Method for controlling program using contract and system for realizing the method