Decoupling rights in a digital content unit from download

Abstract

Systems and methods for enabling a user to obtain rights in a legitimate copy of a digital content unit without downloading the copy from a digital content store are provided. The systems and methods provide an encrypted copy of a digital content unit to a first user and transcript the encrypted copy to generate the legitimate copy to a second user. The encrypted copy is encrypted with a first encrypt key that may be associated with the first user and the legitimate copy is encrypted with a second encrypt key that may be associated with the second user.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A device comprising:
 a memory; and   at least one processor configured to:
 receive a request to provide a first right in a digital content unit to a first user; 
 authorize the first right in the digital content unit to the first user; and 
 place a first digital watermark in the digital content unit, the first digital watermark indicating that the first right has been authorized to the first user. 
   
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 receive a request to provide a second right in a copy of the digital content unit to a second user, the copy of the digital content unit including the first digital watermark;   authorize the second right in the copy of the digital content unit to the second user; and   add a second digital watermark in the copy of the digital content unit, the second watermark indicating that the second right has been authorized to the second user.   
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 27 , wherein the copy of the digital content unit is obtained by the second user from the first user. 
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 27 , wherein the first digital watermark is included in a header of the digital content unit. 
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 29 , wherein the second digital watermark is included in data of the copy of the digital content unit. 
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 27 , wherein the first digital watermark comprises first information that identifies the first user and the second digital watermark comprises second information that identifies the second user. 
     
     
         32 . The device of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 receive a request to provide a second right in a copy of the digital content unit to a second user, the copy of the digital content unit including the first digital watermark;   authorize the second right in the copy of the digital content unit to the second user; and   modify the first digital watermark in the copy of the digital content unit to create a modified watermark, the modified watermark corresponding to the operation of authorizing the second right.   
     
     
         33 . The device of  claim 32 , wherein the first digital watermark indicates a chain in ownership of the digital content unit from the first user to the second user. 
     
     
         34 . A method comprising:
 receiving a request to provide a first right in a digital content unit to a first user;   authorizing the first right in the digital content unit to the first user; and   placing a first digital watermark in the digital content unit, the first digital watermark indicating that the first right has been authorized to the first user.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 receiving a request to provide a second right in a copy of the digital content unit to a second user, the copy of the digital content unit including the first digital watermark and the copy of the digital content unit having been obtained by the second user from the first user;   authorizing the second right in the copy of the digital content unit to the second user; and   adding a second digital watermark in the copy of the digital content unit, the second watermark indicating that the second right has been authorized to the second user.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the first digital watermark is included in at least one of a header or a data of the digital content unit. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the first digital watermark comprises first information that identifies the first user and the second digital watermark comprises second information that identifies the second user. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 receiving a request to provide a second right in a copy of the digital content unit to a second user, the copy of the digital content unit including the first digital watermark;   authorizing the second right in the copy of the digital content unit to the second user; and   modifying the first digital watermark in the copy of the digital content unit to create a modified watermark, the modified watermark corresponding to the operation of authorizing the second right.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the first digital watermark indicates a chain in ownership of the digital content unit from the first user to the second user. 
     
     
         40 . A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising code that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations, the code comprising:
 code to receive a request to provide a first right in a digital content unit to a first user account;   code to authorize the first right in the digital content unit to the first user account; and   code to place a first digital watermark in the digital content unit, the first digital watermark indicating that the first right has been authorized to the first user account.   
     
     
         41 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 40 , wherein the code further comprises:
 code to receive a request to provide a second right in a copy of the digital content unit to a second user account, the copy of the digital content unit including the first digital watermark and the copy of the digital content unit having been obtained by the second user account from the first user account;   code to authorize the second right in the copy of the digital content unit to the second user account; and   code to add a second digital watermark in the copy of the digital content unit, the second watermark indicating that the second right has been authorized to the second user account.   
     
     
         42 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 41 , wherein the first digital watermark is included in at least one of a header or a data of the digital content unit. 
     
     
         43 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 41 , wherein the first digital watermark comprises first information that identifies the first user account and the second digital watermark comprises second information that identifies the second user account. 
     
     
         44 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 40 , wherein the code further comprises:
 code to receive a request to provide a second right in a copy of the digital content unit to a second user account, the copy of the digital content unit including the first digital watermark;   code to authorize the second right in the copy of the digital content unit to the second user account; and   code to modify the first digital watermark in the copy of the digital content unit to create a modified watermark, the modified watermark corresponding to the operation of authorizing the second right.   
     
     
         45 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 44 , wherein the first digital watermark indicates a chain in ownership of the digital content unit from the first user account to the second user account.