System and method for activating a rendering device in a multi-level rights-management architecture

Abstract

A digital rights management system for the distribution, protection and use of electronic content. The system includes a client architecture which receives content, where the content is preferably protected by encryption and may include a license and individualization features. Content is protected at several levels, including: no protection; source-sealed; individually-sealed (or “inscribed”); source-signed; and fully-individualized (or “owner exclusive”). The client also includes and/or receives components which permit the access and protection of the encrypted content, as well as components that allow content to be provided to the client in a form that is individualized for the client. In some cases, access to the content will be governed by a rights construct defined in the license bound to the content. The client components include an object which accesses encrypted content, an object that parses the license and enforces the rights in the license, an object which obtains protection software and data that is individualized for the client and/or the persona operating the client, and a script of instructions that provides individualization information to a distributor of content so that the content may be individualized for the client and/or its operating persona. Content is generally protected by encrypting it with a key and then sealing the key into the content in a way that binds it to the meta-data associated with the content. In some instances, the key may also be encrypted in such a way as to be accessible only by the use of individualized protection software installed on the client, thereby binding use of the content to a particular client or set of clients.

1 . A computing device having a computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions for performing acts comprising: 
 validating a server;    deriving an identifier associated with said computing device;    uploading said identifier to said server;    receiving a secure repository from said server; and    authenticating said secure repository.    
   
   
       2 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein said computer-readable medium further includes computer-executable instructions for performing the acts of: 
 installing said secure repository; and    receiving one or more activation certificates adapted for use with said secure repository.    
   
   
       3 . (canceled).  
   
   
       4 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions comprise a client-side object.  
   
   
       5 . The computing device of  claim 4 , wherein said client-side object comprises an ACTIVEX control COM object.  
   
   
       6 . The computing device of  claim 4 , wherein said client-side object comprises a Java Applet.  
   
   
       7 . The computing device of  claim 4 , wherein said client-side object comprises a NETSCAPE plug-in.  
   
   
       8 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein said method further comprises the act of uploading, to said server, data associated with a user.  
   
   
       9 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein said identifier is based on hardware associated with said computing device, and wherein said identifier uniquely identifies said computing device.  
   
   
       10 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein said secure repository is based on said identifier.  
   
   
       11 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein said authenticating act comprises verifying a digital signature of at least some code of said secure repository.  
   
   
       12 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein said computing device comprises a dedicated reader device.  
   
   
       13 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein said computing device comprises an open-platform computing arrangement.  
   
   
       14 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein an address of said server is hard-coded into said computer-executable instructions.  
   
   
       15 . A method of activating software installed on a computing device, said method comprising the acts of: 
 validating a server;    deriving an identifier associated with said computing device;    uploading said identifier to said server;    receiving a secure repository from said server; and    authenticating said secure repository.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the acts of: 
 installing said secure repository; and    receiving one or more activation certificates adapted for use with said secure repository.    
   
   
       17 . (canceled).  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the act of uploading, to said server, data associated with a user of said software.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said identifier is based on hardware associated with said computing device, and wherein said identifier uniquely identifies said computing device.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said secure repository is based on said identifier.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said authenticating act comprises verifying a digital signature of at least some code of said secure repository.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the act of receiving an activation certificate from said server.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the act of storing information identifying a user of said software.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said software comprises text-viewing software.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said software comprises multimedia rendering software.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the act of contacting said server at a predetermined address.  
   
   
       27 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions to perform the method of  claim 15 .  
   
   
       28 . A method of activating software, said method comprising the acts of: 
 determining whether said software is activated;    if said software is not activated, issuing one or more instructions to obtain a secure repository.    
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said secure repository is individualized for a computing device on which said software is installed.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said instructions are issued to a client-side object.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said client-side object comprises an ACTIVEX control or a NETSCAPE plug-in.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said client-side object comprises a Java applet.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said software comprises a content rendering application, wherein said content rendering application enables the rendering of a first set of content items regardless of activation status, and wherein said rendering application enables the rendering of a second set of content items only if said rendering application is activated.  
   
   
       34 . A method of enabling the use of content items in a multi-level distribution architecture, said method comprising the acts of: 
 rendering a first set of content items without regard to whether a first status is activated or non-activated; and    rendering a second set of content items only if said first status is activated.    
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein said content items comprise text items.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein said content items comprise multimedia files.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising the act of obtaining an activation certificate.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein said second set of content items are encrypted, wherein said activation certificate contains a first public/private key pair, and wherein said second set of content items are decryptable only in the presence of said activation certificate.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein said second set of content items are encrypted with a first key, and wherein said first key is encrypted with the public key of said first public/private key pair.  
   
   
       40 . (canceled).  
   
   
       41 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions to perform the method of  claim 34 .  
   
   
       42 . A secure rendering client comprising: 
 a long term storage device which stores a first set of content items and a second set of content items; and    a first set of computer-executable instructions which renders said first set of content items regardless of whether said client is activated, and which renders said second set of content items only if said client is activated.    
   
   
       43 . The secure rendering client of  claim 42 , wherein said content items comprise text items.  
   
   
       44 . The secure rendering client of  claim 42 , wherein said content items comprise multimedia files.  
   
   
       45 . The secure rendering client of  claim 42 , further comprising storage which stores an activation certificate.  
   
   
       46 . The secure rendering client of  claim 45 , wherein said second set of content items are encrypted, wherein said activation certificate contains a first public/private key pair, and wherein said second set of content items are decryptable only in the presence of said activation certificate.  
   
   
       47 . The secure rendering client of  claim 46 , wherein said second set of content items are encrypted with a first key, and wherein said first key is encrypted with the public key of said first public/private key pair.  
   
   
       48 . The secure rendering client of  46 , further comprising a second set of computer-executable instructions having associated therewith a second public/private key pair, wherein said first key is encrypted with the public key of said first public/private key pair, and wherein said activation certificate contains the private key of said first public/private key pair in a form encrypted by the public key of said second public/private key pair.