Multiple party content distribution system and method with rights management features

Abstract

A multiple party system for distributing content. In one embodiment, four parties are involved in the system: a consumer, a service provider, an authenticator, and a content provider. The distribution of content from the content provider to the consumer is carried out using a predefined protocol, mutating IDs, and licenses. The authenticator controls the distribution of mutating IDs and verifies the identity of one or more participating parties.

1 . A method of content distribution, the method comprising: 
 encrypting a plurality of identifiers, each identifier identifying a party;    encapsulating the encrypted identifier at each party; and    authenticating one of the parties with the encapsulated identifier.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising distributing content based on the authenticated identifier.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising discarding the identifier after the distribution.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein encapsulating the encrypted identifier further comprises tagging an identifier to the encrypted identifier.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing at least three parties.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein authenticating one of the parties further comprises decrypting the encapsulated identifier.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating a new identifier for each party.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising requesting content from a party.  
     
     
         9 . A protocol for governing the communication of content between a plurality of entities, the protocol comprising: 
 establishing an authenticator;    maintaining a record of a previously used identifiers for each of the plurality of entities;    assigning a generally random, unused, one-time use identifier to each of the plurality of entities, where each identifier includes a number and a key and where each number is a hash;    ensuring that the hash of each number contains no information from the content;    keeping the identities of the plurality of entities blind to the plurality of entities; and    informing the authenticator of the identities of each of the plurality of entities.    
     
     
         10 . A protocol as claimed in  claim 9 , where keeping the identities of the plurality of entities blind to the plurality of entities includes ensuring that the hash of each number contains no information of the identity of the respective entity.  
     
     
         11 . A protocol as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein assigning a generally random, unused, one-time identifier includes sampling a stream of requests using a congruential random number.  
     
     
         12 . A protocol as claimed in  claim 9 , further comprising encrypting content using a PAD series.  
     
     
         13 . A method of transferring content items, the method comprising: 
 generating a plurality of mutating identifiers at an authenticator, each mutating identifier having a key;    assigning an identifier to a content provider;    transferring at least some of the plurality of mutating identifiers to the content provider; and    encrypting the content at the content provider using a key from at least one of some of the plurality of mutating identifiers transferred to the content provider.    
     
     
         14 . A method as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising associating the identifier of the content provider to at least some of the plurality of mutating identifiers transferred to the content provider.  
     
     
         15 . A method as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising transferring the encrypted content to a service provider or a consumer.  
     
     
         16 . A method as claimed in  claim 15 , further comprising tracking the transfer of encrypted content to a service provider or a consumer at the authenticator.  
     
     
         17 . A method of distributing content items, the method comprising: 
 assigning a content item a label;    associating the label with a key;    requesting a first mutating ID having a first part and a key;    encrypting the content item with the key from the first mutating ID;    grouping the first part of the first mutating ID with the label to create an encrypted identifier;    sending the encrypted content to a service provider;    assigning a second mutating ID to the service provider, the second mutating ID having a first part and a key;    encrypting the encrypted identifier with the key of the second mutating ID to create distributable content;    transferring the distributable content to a consumer;    verifying the identity of the consumer;    if the identity of the consumer is verified, sending the encrypted content from the service provider to the consumer; and    sending a decryption key from an authenticator to the consumer.    
     
     
         18 . A method as claimed in  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 assigning a first identifier to the consumer before transferring the distributable content to the consumer; and    assigning a second identifier to the consumer to replace the first identifier after sending the encrypted content from the service provider to the consumer.    
     
     
         19 . A method as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein assigning a second identifier to the consumer includes encrypting the second identifier with the first identifier.  
     
     
         20 . A method as claimed in  claim 17 , further comprising transferring a request for content from a consumer, the request including a label for at least one content item.  
     
     
         21 . A method of establishing a system for distributing content, the method comprising: 
 providing a plurality of entities including a first number of entities;    generating a plurality of symmetric keys including a second number of secret symmetric keys, wherein the first number of entities is equal to the second number of secret symmetric keys; and    transmitting each secret symmetric key included in the plurality of secret symmetric keys to at most one entity included in the plurality of entities.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising generating a plurality of identifiers including a third number of identifiers, wherein the third number of identifiers is equal to the first number of entities and the second number of secret symmetric keys.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising transmitting each identifier included in the plurality of identifier to at most one entity included in the plurality of entities.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising generating a plurality of content encryption keys including a fourth number of content encryption keys, wherein the fourth number of content encryption keys is equal to the first number of entities and the second number of secret symmetric keys.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising transmitting each content encryption key included in the plurality of content encryption keys to at least one entity included in the plurality of entities.  
     
     
         26 . A method of distributing content, the method comprising: 
 encrypting content with at least one encryption key;    obtaining at least one mutating identifier from an authenticator, the at least one mutating identifier including a key;    generating at least one license for the content based on the mutating identifier; and    transmitting the at least one license and the content to at least one of a service provider and a consumer.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising generating a label associated with the content.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising transmitting the label to the authenticator.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein generating at least one license for the content based on the mutating identifier, includes encrypting the label with the key.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising sending the encryption key to the authenticator.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising sending the encryption key to at least one consumer.  
     
     
         32 . A method of distributing content, the method comprising: 
 receiving at least one mutating identifier from an authenticator, the at least one mutating identifier including a key;    receiving encrypted content from a content provider;    receiving at least one license for the encrypted content from the content provider;    receiving a request for the content from a consumer;    encrypting the at least one license with the key;    transmitting the at least one license to the consumer;    receiving a confirmation signal from the authenticator; and    transmitting the encrypted content to the consumer.    
     
     
         33 . A method of obtaining content, the method comprising: 
 receiving a first mutating identifier from an authenticator, the first mutating identifier including a first key;    sending a request for content to a service provider;    receiving an encrypted license for the content from the service provider;    encrypting the encrypted license with the first key;    sending the encrypted license to the authenticator;    receiving the content encrypted with an encryption key from the service provider; and    receiving the encryption key from at least one of a content provider, the service provider, and the authenticator.    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising receiving a second mutating identifier from the authenticator, wherein the second mutating identifier includes a second key.  
     
     
         35 . A method of managing the distribution of content, the method comprising: 
 providing a first mutating identifier to a content provider, the first mutating identifier including a first key;    providing a second mutating identifier to a service provider, the second mutating identifier including a second key;    providing a third mutating identifier to a consumer, the third mutating identifier including a third key;    receiving an encrypted license for content from the consumer, the encrypted license for content encrypted with the third key;    decrypting the encrypted license for content;    verifying the encrypted license for content; and    transmitting a confirmation signal to the service provider.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising transmitting an encryption key associated with encrypted license for content to the consumer.