Method and apparatus for establishing usage rights for digital content to be created in the future

Abstract

Usage rights for a digital work are established prior to creation of the corresponding content. The rights can be associated with the content after the content is created. A content creation, such as a video recorder or a still camera, device can store labels of the rights and can associate usage rights with content in real time as the content is created.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method executed by one or more computing devices for creating a digital work, the method comprising:
 before content is created, associating, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a usage right with a label representing the content, the usage right corresponding to a permitted utilization of the content;   selecting, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, an instance of the content appropriate for a user environment; and   after the content is created, associating, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the usage right with the selected instance of the content, thereby creating the digital work.   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus for creating a digital work, 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:
 before content is created, associate a usage right with a label representing the content, the usage right corresponding to a permitted utilization of the content; 
 select an instance of the content appropriate for a user environment; and 
 after the content is created, associate the usage right with the selected instance of the content, thereby creating the digital work. 
   
     
     
         3 . 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:
 before content is created, associate a usage right with a label representing the content, the usage right corresponding to a permitted utilization of the content;   select an instance of the content appropriate for a user environment; and   after the content is created, associate the usage right with the selected instance of the content, thereby creating the digital work.