Digital rights management engine systems and methods

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for performing digital rights management. In one embodiment, a digital rights management engine is provided that evaluates license associated with protected content to determine if a requested access or other use of the content is authorized. In some embodiments, the licenses contain control programs that are executable by the digital rights management engine.

1 - 7 . (canceled) 
   
   
       8 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 creating an electronic document using a first software application;   encrypting the electronic document using a digital rights management plug-in; and   associating a license with the electronic document using the digital rights management plug-in, wherein the license comprises an encrypted first key, the first key for decrypting the electronic document, and wherein the license further comprises a control program for controlling access to the electronic document.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the control program requires possession of a set of one or more link objects logically connecting a node associated with a first device to a node associated with a first group of users in order to obtain access to the electronic document.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 choosing a first template from a set of one or more templates, the first template expressing policy conditions that can be imposed on access to electronic documents;   using the digital rights management plug-in to automatically convert the policy conditions expressed by the first template into the control program.   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the digital rights management plug-in further creates a controller object securely binding the control program with the first key. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the controller object comprises a hash of a content key object and a control object, wherein the content key object comprises the encrypted first key, and the control object comprises the control program. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the controller object is signed with a hashed message authentication code using the first key. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the controller object is signed with a public key signature of an author of the electronic document. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the public key signature is signed with a hashed message authentication code using the first key. 
   
   
       16 . A method of accessing an electronic document, the method comprising:
 receiving the electronic document at a first computer system;   receiving a license associated with the electronic document, the license comprising an encrypted first key, the first key for decrypting the electronic document, the license further comprising a control program, the control program conditioning access to the electronic document on possession of a set of one or more link objects logically connecting a node associated with a first device to a node associated with a first group of users;   determining that the first computer system has possession of a set of one or more link objects logically connecting a node associated with the first computer system to the node associated with the first group of users, wherein at least one of the one or more link objects comprises an encrypted version of a second key for decrypting the first key;   upon completion of the determining step, decrypting the second key using a key associated with the first computer system;   decrypting the first key using the second key; and   decrypting the electronic document using the first key.   
   
   
       17 . A computer program stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer program including instructions that, when executed by an electronic appliance, are operable to cause the electronic appliance to perform actions comprising:
 receiving an electronic document;   receiving a license associated with the electronic document, the license comprising an encrypted first key, the first key for decrypting the electronic document, the license further comprising a control program, the control program conditioning access to the electronic document on possession of a set of one or more link objects logically connecting a node associated with a first device to a node associated with a first group of users;   determining that the electronic appliance has possession of a set of one or more link objects logically connecting a node associated with the electronic appliance to the node associated with the first group of users, wherein at least one of the one or more link objects comprises an encrypted version of a second key for decrypting the first key;   upon completion of the determining step, decrypting the second key using a key associated with the electronic appliance;   decrypting the first key using the second key; and   decrypting the electronic document using the first key.   
   
   
       18 . A computer program stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer program including instructions that, when executed by an electronic appliance, are operable to cause the electronic appliance to perform actions comprising:
 creating an electronic document using a first software application;   encrypting the electronic document using a digital rights management plug-in; and   associating a license with the electronic document using the digital rights management plug-in, wherein the license comprises an encrypted first key, the first key for decrypting the electronic document, and wherein the license further comprises a control program for controlling access to the electronic document.