Digital works having usage rights and method for creating the same

Abstract

Digital work adapted to be distributed within a system for controlling at least one of the distribution and use of digital works. The digital work includes digital content representing a portion of a digital work suitable for being rendered by a rendering device and usage rights associated with the digital content. The usage rights specify a manner of use indicating one or more stated purposes for which the digital work can be at least one of used and distributed by an authorized party.

1 . An apparatus for rendering content, the apparatus comprising:
 one or more processors; and   one or more memories operatively coupled to at least one of the one or more processors and having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause at least one of the one or more processors to:
 retrieve content and a usage right associated with the content, the usage right corresponding to a manner in which the content can be rendered; 
 determine whether the content may be rendered based at least in part on the usage right, wherein the content is stored in at least one file that is different from at least one file storing the usage right; and 
 render the content in accordance with the usage right if the content may be rendered based at least in part on the usage right. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are stored separate from the content. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is implemented as a single computing device. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the content is at least one of an electronic book, music, audio information, a multimedia presentation, a movie, a computer program, and video information. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more processors is associated with at least one of a printer, a video system, and an audio system that renders the content. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the manner in which the content can be rendered includes the number of times the content can be rendered. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the usage right comprises an identifier for identifying an owner of the content. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions that cause at least one of the one or more processors to determine whether the content may be rendered based at least in part on the usage right further cause at least one of the one or more processors to determine whether the content may be rendered based at least in part on the presence of a digital ticket. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the content and the usage right are stored on a same device. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the content and the usage right are stored on different devices. 
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented method executed by one or more computing devices for rendering content, the method comprising:
 retrieving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, content and a usage right associated with the content, the usage right corresponding to a manner in which the content can be rendered;   determining, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, whether the content may be rendered based at least in part on the usage right, wherein the content is stored in at least one file that is different from at least one file storing the usage right; and   rendering, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the content in accordance with the usage right if the content may be rendered based at least in part on the usage right.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method is executed by a single computing device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the determining is performed based on instructions that are stored separate from the content. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the content is at least one of an electronic book, music, audio information, a multimedia presentation, a movie, a computer program, and video information. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the one or more computing devices is associated with at least one of a printer, a video system, and an audio system that renders the content. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the manner in which the content can be rendered includes the number of times the content can be rendered. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the usage right comprises an identifier for identifying an owner of the content. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of determining further comprises determining whether the content may be rendered based at least in part on the presence of a digital ticket. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least a part of the content and the usage right are stored on a same device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least a part of the content and the usage right are stored on different devices. 
     
     
         21 . At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause at least one of the one or more computing devices to:
 retrieve content and a usage right associated with the content, the usage right corresponding to a manner in which the content can be rendered;   determine whether the content may be rendered based at least in part on the usage right, wherein the content is stored in at least one file that is different from at least one file storing the usage right; and   render the content in accordance with the usage right if the content may be rendered based at least in part on the usage right.   
     
     
         22 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions are stored separate from the content. 
     
     
         23 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions are executed by a single computing device. 
     
     
         24 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the content is at least one of an electronic book, music, audio information, a multimedia presentation, a movie, a computer program, and video information. 
     
     
         25 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the one or more computing devices is associated with at least one of a printer, a video system, and an audio system that renders the content. 
     
     
         26 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the manner in which the content can be rendered includes the number of times the content can be rendered. 
     
     
         27 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the usage right comprises an identifier for identifying an owner of the content. 
     
     
         28 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions that cause at least one of the one or more computing devices to determine whether the content may be rendered based at least in part on the usage right further cause at least one of the one or more computing devices to determine whether the content may be rendered based at least in part on the presence of a digital ticket. 
     
     
         29 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein at least a part of the content and the usage right are stored on a same device. 
     
     
         30 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein at least a part of the content and the usage right are stored on different devices.