Producing a new black box for a digital rights management (DRM) system

Abstract

A new ((n)th) black box is produced for a digital rights management (DRM) system. The (n)th black box is for being installed in and for performing decryption and encryption functions in the DRM system. The (n)th black box is produced and delivered to the DRM system upon request and includes a new ((n)th) executable and a new ((n)th) key file. The (n)th key file has a new ((n)th) set of black box keys and a number of old sets of black box keys. The request includes an old ((n-1)th) key file having the old sets of black box keys. A code optimizer/randomizer receives a master executable and randomized optimization parameters as inputs and produces the (n)th executable as an output. A key manager receives the (n-1)th key file and the (n)th set of black box keys as inputs, extracts the old sets of black box keys from the (n-1)th key file, and produces the (n)th key file including the (n)th set of black box keys and the old sets of black box keys as an output. The (n)th executable and the (n)th key file are forwarded to the requesting DRM system.

1 . A method for producing a new ((n)th) black box for a digital rights management (DRM) system, the (n)th black box for being installed in the DRM system and for performing decryption and encryption functions in the DRM system, the (n)th black box being produced and delivered to the DRM system upon request therefrom and including a new ((n)th) key file, the (n)th key file having a new ((n)th) set of black box keys and a number of old sets of black box keys, the request including an old ((n-1)th) key file having the old sets of black box keys, the method comprising:
 receiving the (n-1)th key file and the (n)th set of black box keys;   extracting the old sets of black box keys from the (n-1)th key file; and   producing the (n)th key file including the (n)th set of black box keys and the old sets of black box keys as an output based on the extracted old sets of black box keys from the (n-1)th key file and the received (n)th set of black box keys; and   forwarding the produced (n)th key file to the requesting DRM system.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the old sets of keys in the (n-1)th key file are encrypted according to a secret of an (n-1)th executable, and wherein extracting the old sets of keys comprises obtaining the secret of the (n-1)th executable and applying the secret to the encrypted old sets of keys in the (n-1)th key file. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the (n)th black box further includes a new ((n)th) executable, wherein the request includes the (n-1)th executable, wherein the secret is embedded in the (n-1)th executable, and wherein obtaining the secret of the (n-1)th executable comprises extracting the secret from the (n-1)th executable. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the secret is maintained in a database, and wherein extracting the old sets of keys comprises obtaining the secret from the database. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the secret is included in the (n-1)th key file, and wherein extracting the old sets of keys comprises obtaining the secret from the (n-1)th key file. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the secret is included in the (n-1)th key file encrypted according to a super secret (SUPER(secret)), and wherein extracting the old sets of keys comprises obtaining (SUPER(secret)) from the (n-1)th key file, obtaining the super secret, and applying the super secret to (SUPER(secret)) to obtain the secret. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein producing the (n)th key file includes encrypting the (n)th set of black box keys and the old sets of black box keys according to a secret. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein producing the (n)th key file includes encrypting the (n)th set of black box keys and the old sets of black box keys according to a secret derived from the (n)th set of black box keys. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising maintaining the secret in a database. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein producing the (n)th key file further includes placing the secret in the (n)th key file. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein producing the (n)th key file further includes encrypting the secret according to a super secret (SUPER(secret))and placing (SUPER(secret)) in the (n)th key file. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the DRM system resides on a computing device having a hardware ID (HWID) associated therewith, wherein the (n-1)th key file further has the HWID therein, wherein the method further comprises extracting the HWID from the (n-1)th key file, and wherein producing the (n)th key file comprises inserting the extracted HWID into the (n)th key file. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1  comprising:
 receiving, at a key manager, the (n-1)th key file and the (n)th set of black box keys as inputs;   extracting, at the key manager, the old sets of black box keys from the (n-1)th key file; and   producing, at the key manager, the (n)th key file including the (n)th set of black box keys and the old sets of black box keys as an output based on the inputs thereto.