Abstract: A system for ranking electronic documents based on reference frequency includes a central controller in electronic communication with a document database. The central controller maintains a graphical model of the electronic documents that identifies all references between documents. A weight is automatically calculated and assigned to each reference within the graphical model in order to increase the significance of document references which are based on subject matter relevance and decrease the significance of document references which are based on interpersonal relationships or other meritless factors. Using the weighted graphical model, the central controller is able to automatically identify document clusters having similar subject matter, create a probability matrix for each cluster based on the weighted graphical model, and apply a power iteration to each probability matrix to yield a reference-based ranking of the electronic documents within each cluster.

Abstract: One customer of the license clearinghouse may act as an intermediary and perform selected tasks on behalf of another customer. In particular, an intermediary customer can make rights inquiries that access the portion of the central repository that belongs to its client in order to determine rights available to the client. In one embodiment, the portion of the central repository that is accessed in response to a rights inquiry is determined by an IP address of the device being used to make the rights inquiry. This IP address is used to retrieve a record having a customer ID and a field that indicates whether the IP address corresponds to a rights intermediary. If this is the case, a keyword corresponding to the customer ID of the customer that is provided in the rights request by the rights intermediary is used to access the central repository.

Abstract: A link to a rights advisor website can be constructed from article metadata by a non-programmer user by connecting together a chain of steps, each of which uses a pre-defined module, called a “widget”, which, in turn, performs a specific task. By selecting, configuring and arranging steps, different websites can be processed in different manners. However, since the modules are predefined, they cannot be changed and thus the overall process can be controlled to prevent problems with one program from affecting other programs.

Abstract: In order to retrieve article level content from a plurality of content providers, a federated search program receives a generic query from a user and dispatches the query simultaneously to a plurality of connector objects. Each connector object that is associated with a particular content source and contains source specific code that reformats the generic query into a proprietary format required for the associated content source. The proprietary query is then dispatched to the content source. When the results at the content source are ready, the result set is fetched by the connector. The fetched results are then mapped into a standard format. The standard result sets from the different content sources are then merged into a single consolidated result set. Duplicate documents are removed from the consolidated result set and the final results are sorted in accordance with criteria specified by the user and presented to the user.

Abstract: A small program in a browser that a knowledge worker uses to search for content can be activated when the worker wants to determine available rights for a publication that has been found. When activated, the program accesses a rights advisor website that converts the URL of the publication in the browser to standard publication identifiers. The publication identifiers are then used to access a rights database and extract all rights associated with the publication. Based on selected characteristics of the worker and the organization to which the worker belongs, the rights are filtered and placed into a decision tree. The tree is then traversed from its lowest level upward to locate the most favorable rights and the resulting rights are presented to the worker via the browser.

Abstract: Licensed access to selected videos is provided by a licensing service organization that obtains licenses from video content providers and combines these licenses into a new license for selected videos for a licensee organization. Administrators at the licensee organization then obtain a video authorization key for each video selection from the licensing service organization and embed those keys into web pages that are accessible via an intranet. Navigating to a web page for that selection from a computer connected to the intranet causes a viewing request that includes the embedded video authorization key and an IP address of the computer to be sent to a server at the licensing service organization. The server uses the incoming information to determine whether the request is from a predetermined intranet computer and if so to determine whether the request can be granted based on the new license conditions.

Abstract: A rules engine program is driven by one or more stored “rules” to make rights determinations normally made by a human operator; that is whether a request for a right can be granted, what price should be paid by the requestor and how much royalty should be paid to the rightsholder. In order to avoid specific coding for each right, the rules and parameters necessary to make the required determinations are constructed to form a standard set of reusable rule records that can be linked in different ways to process different rights. Additional display rules that are linked to the type of use control a graphic user interface in order to prompt the user for information needed to decide whether the request can be granted and to display to the user a determined price if the request is granted.

Abstract: In a large scale data repository, a single logical view of multiple versions of the same data is presented. In order to determine which data versions are equivalent without comparing each pair of entries in the database, the database entries are clustered with a clustering algorithm and then comparisons between entries are made only between the entries in each cluster. Once a set of entries has been determined to be equivalent, a composite master entry is constructed from those entries in the set that contain preferred metadata and the composite master entry is made available for searches and display to the user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that automatically converts a universal resource locator that specifies a location for a publication into a standard publication identifier that identifies the publication uses a plurality of parser rules, each parser rule being adapted to extract data fields for a particular form of universal resource locator. One of the parser rules is selected based on a domain in the universal resource locator and used to parse the universal resource locator to generate data field values. A plurality of translation rules are used, each translation rule accepting one or more data fields as inputs. When the generated data field values match the inputs of a translation rule, that translation rule is used to create a standard publication identifier.

Abstract: A link resolver menu generated by a link resolver server includes a link to a “rights advisor website” containing a program that determines available rights for a resource. When activated, the program uses the resource information in the link to obtain a standard resource identifier and then uses user and context information to access and extract all agreements stored therein that are applicable to the organization to which the user belongs. The resource identifier is then used to determine agreements that are applicable to that resource. An applicable right is selected from each agreement, if available. The rights are then ordered in a tree from the most permissive to the most restrictive. The tree is then traversed from its lowest level upward and the resulting rights are presented to the user.

Abstract: A secure distribution system utilizes a content viewer that consists of an applet that is downloaded to a user's conventional browser when the user logs into a publisher's server. The content viewer requests a selected document from the server by referring to the document name or URL. The server retrieves the document and forwards it to the viewer in encrypted form. The viewer then computes a document identifier from the encrypted document and uses the identifier to request a key in order to decrypt the document. The key is forwarded from the server to the viewer that then decrypts the document and displays it in the viewer. Since the document is processed by the viewer and displayed only in a window associated with the viewer, none of the conventional browser functions has to be disabled. Further, since the document is downloaded in encrypted form, it cannot be stored or forwarded using the conventional browser.

Abstract: A link resolver menu generated by a link resolver server includes a link to a “rights advisor website” containing a program that determines available rights for a resource. When activated, the program uses the resource information in the link to obtain a standard resource identifier and then uses user and context information to access and extract all agreements stored therein that are applicable to the organization to which the user belongs. The resource identifier is then used to determine agreements that are applicable to that resource. An applicable right is selected from each agreement, if available. The rights are then ordered in a tree from the most permissive to the most restrictive. The tree is then traversed from its lowest level upward and the resulting rights are presented to the user.

Abstract: Rather than downloading each content document on demand from the publisher location to the user site, at the publisher location, each content document is encrypted and then multiple encrypted documents are assembled into a distribution archive that is itself encrypted with a scheduled key. The distribution archive is then downloaded into a content server at the user site. When the content server receives the distribution archive, it decrypts the archive file and unpacks the encrypted documents. The scheduled key used to decrypt an archive file is included with an archive file that was sent previously to the user site in accordance with the subscription service. The scheduled key to decrypt the first archive file sent to the user is sent from the publisher to the user over a communication channel different from the communication channel used to send the archive file from the publisher to the user.

Abstract: In response to a request from a content server to forward an encrypted document to a recipient user, a forwarding engine in the content server prepares an e-mail message that contains a link to the document publisher and an identifier for the document. Upon receiving the e-mail, the recipient user can log onto a content server in the publisher and the publisher content server resolves the link, downloads a secure viewer program and an encrypted version of the requested document to the viewer program. Subsequently, the secure viewer program requests a decryption key for the encrypted document and decrypts the document. The recipient user can then view the document content in secure viewer but cannot copy or print the document without permission from the publisher.

Abstract: A process for managing and authorizing rights in a computer system accounts for the dynamic, multi-dimensional, and granular nature of rights. A database structure divides works and rights into two related tables. A works table includes information sufficient to identify works managed by the system, while a rights table identifies a right associated with a work and includes one or more date fields delimiting the right. The rights table may also include type of use information. Additional tables, such as a work relation table, a party table, or an order table, may be provided. The process involves managing and querying the database structure and has broad applicability to intellectual, real, and personal property; contract management; and similar items. The process may be performed in a computer system operating in standalone mode, client/server mode, or over the Internet.

Abstract: Rather than downloading each content document on demand from the publisher location to the user site, at the publisher location, each content document is encrypted and then multiple encrypted documents are assembled into a distribution archive that is itself encrypted with a scheduled key. The distribution archive is then downloaded into a content server at the user site. When the content server receives the distribution archive, it decrypts the archive file and unpacks the encrypted documents. The scheduled key used to decrypt an archive file is included with an archive file that was sent previously to the user site in accordance with the subscription service. The scheduled key to decrypt the first archive file sent to the user is sent from the publisher to the user over a communication channel different from the communication channel used to send the archive file from the publisher to the user.

Abstract: A small program in a browser that a knowledge worker uses to search for content can be activated when the worker wants to determine available rights for a publication that has been found. When activated, the program accesses a rights advisor website that converts the URL of the publication in the browser to standard publication identifiers. The publication identifiers are then used to access a rights database and extract all rights associated with the publication. Based on selected characteristics of the worker and the organization to which the worker belongs, the rights are filtered and placed into a decision tree. The tree is then traversed from its lowest level upward to locate the most favorable rights and the resulting rights are presented to the worker via the browser.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that automatically converts a universal resource locator that specifies a location for a publication into a standard publication identifier that identifies the publication uses a plurality of parser rules, each parser rule being adapted to extract data fields for a particular form of universal resource locator. One of the parser rules is selected based on a domain in the universal resource locator and used to parse the universal resource locator to generate data field values. A plurality of translation rules are used, each translation rule accepting one of more data fields as inputs. When the generated data field values match the inputs of a translation rule, that translation rule is used to create a standard publication identifier.

Abstract: At a publisher location, multiple encrypted documents are assembled into a distribution archive that is also encrypted. The distribution archive is then downloaded into a content server at an unsecure site. When the content server receives the distribution archive, it decrypts the archive file and unpacks the encrypted documents, which are then stored, in encrypted form, in a local document database. When a user logs into the local content server, a secure content viewer is downloaded to the user's browser. The content viewer requests a selected document from the local server, which then forwards the encrypted document to the viewer. The viewer then computes a document identifier from the encrypted document content and requests a key from the server with the identifier. The server then returns the requested key and the viewer decrypts that document and presents it in a display area controlled by the viewer.

Abstract: A limited-use browser and related security system control access to content stored on a server computer linked to a network. The security system secures the content on the server and only permits it to be downloaded to a client computer running the limited-user browser or a general purpose browser executing an add-in security module providing the same functions as the limited-user browser. The limited-use browser or module secures the downloaded content on the client computer and displays it in a “view-only” mode. While the secured content is being displayed, menu selections, key combination, or pointing device commands initiated on the client computer that would modify the content or create a copy of another medium are either disabled as a default or monitored to determine if the action is permitted.