System and Method for Digital Rights Management of Digital Media

Abstract

A system and accompanying method for Digital Rights Management (DRM) are disclosed that permit arbitrary forms of digital media to be vended in a networked environment. Special purpose renderers are distributed with each particular instance of digital media. Each renderer may include a tailored set of controls allowing the owner of the digital media to restrict the use thereof.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, of a server, for digital rights management operating in a networked environment, the method comprising:
 providing a first instance of encumbered digital media;   providing a first renderer that is a special purpose application specific to the first instance, the first renderer for unencumbering and rendering the first instance, for creating additional instances of the encumbered digital media, and for creating additional renderers that are specific to their respective instances;   operating on the first instance with the first renderer in order to create a copy of the first instance, which is a second instance, and to create a second renderer; and   providing the second renderer that is a special purpose application specific to the second instance, the second renderer for unencumbering and rendering the second instance and the second renderer being a product of the first renderer operating on the first instance;   wherein the second renderer is only operable to render the second instance on a particular system profile, the system profile comprising a dynamic object representation of hardware, software, firmware, configuration settings, and data.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 operating on the first instance with the first renderer in order to create a copy of the first instance, which is a third instance, and to create a third renderer; and   providing the third renderer that is a special purpose application specific to the third instance, the second renderer for unencumbering and rendering the third instance and the third renderer being a product of the first renderer operating on the first instance.   
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the first renderer is inoperable to render the second and third instances. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the second renderer is inoperable to render the first and third instances. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the third renderer is inoperable to render the first and second instances. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first instance is encumbered by at least one technique selected from the group consisting of obfuscation and compression. 
     
     
         7 . A method, of a server, for digital rights management operating in a networked environment, the method comprising:
 providing a first instance of encumbered digital media;   providing a first renderer that is a special purpose application specific to the first instance, the first renderer for unencumbering and rendering the first instance, for creating additional instances of the encumbered digital media, and for creating additional renderers that are specific to their respective instances;   operating on the first instance with the first renderer in order to create a copy of the first instance, which is a second instance, and to create a second renderer; and   providing the second renderer that is a special purpose application specific to the second instance, the second renderer for unencumbering and rendering the second instance and the second renderer being a product of the first renderer operating on the first instance.   
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising:
 operating on the first instance with the first renderer in order to create a copy of the first instance, which is a third instance, and to create a third renderer; and   providing the third renderer that is a special purpose application specific to the third instance, the second renderer for unencumbering and rendering the third instance and the third renderer being a product of the first renderer operating on the first instance.   
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the first renderer is inoperable to render the second and third instances. 
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the second renderer is inoperable to render the first and third instances. 
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the third renderer is inoperable to render the first and second instances. 
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the first instance is encumbered by at least one technique selected from the group consisting of obfuscation and compression. 
     
     
         13 . A method, of a server, for digital rights management operating in a networked environment, the method comprising:
 providing a first instance of encumbered digital media;   providing a first renderer that is a special purpose application specific to the first instance, the first renderer for unencumbering and rendering the first instance, for creating additional instances of the encumbered digital media, and for creating additional renderers that are specific to their respective instances;   operating on the first instance with the first renderer in order to create a copy of the first instance, which is a second instance, and to create a second renderer;   providing the second renderer that is a special purpose application specific to the second instance, the second renderer for unencumbering and rendering the second instance and the second renderer being a product of the first renderer operating on the first instance;   wherein the first renderer is only operable to render the first instance on a particular system profile, the system profile comprising a dynamic object representation of hardware, software, firmware, configuration settings, and data; and   wherein the second renderer is only operable to render the second instance on a particular system profile, the system profile comprising a dynamic object representation of hardware, software, firmware, configuration settings, and data.   
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , further comprising:
 operating on the first instance with the first renderer in order to create a copy of the first instance, which is a third instance, and to create a third renderer; and   providing the third renderer that is a special purpose application specific to the third instance, the second renderer for unencumbering and rendering the third instance and the third renderer being a product of the first renderer operating on the first instance.   
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the first renderer is inoperable to render the second and third instances. 
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the second renderer is inoperable to render the first and third instances. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the third renderer is inoperable to render the first and second instances. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the first instance is encumbered by at least one technique selected from the group consisting of obfuscation and compression.