Abstract: A system for facilitating a transaction between a first party and a second party is controlled by a trusted third party system and is programmed to carry out the method by receiving the first party's instructions for fulfilling at least a part of the first party's obligations in said transaction. The system communicates with the second party and provides the second party with perceptible assurance that the second party is in communication with a trusted third party system through the system. The system transmits information to the second party to provide assurance that the first party's instructions have been or will be fulfilled. Thus trust in the third party is transferred to the first party and the second party can trust that the first party's obligations have been or will be fulfilled.

Abstract: An exchange system for intangible goods comprises a first user system, a second user system, a registry system, a clearinghouse system and a hash module coupled for communication with each other. The first and second user systems includes a content module for acting as a repository for intangible goods, a pricing module for setting the price of intangible goods, a transaction generator module for creating transactions between seller and buyer, and a transaction log module for recording any transaction in which the user system participates. These systems are used to consummate transactions with other users for exchanging intangible goods. As part of each transaction, the user and the transaction must be entered or registered in the registry system. The registry system comprises an account module and a transaction log module for maintaining the anonymity of the sellers and buyers.

Abstract: Systems and methods are defined for facilitating the audit process involving a financial institution, a client of the financial institution, and an accountant. A service provider receives the client's account information from the financial institution upon approval of the client. The financial institution also provides an identification number allowing the accountant to access the information deposited in the service provider. The accountant is provided the identification number in one of a variety of ways allowing the accountant to access the client's information to facilitate an audit process. In this manner, an audit process can be facilitated and reduce the sending of paper copies from the financial institution to the accountant.

Abstract: A system and method for accessibility content copyright permission is presented. A copyright server receives a copyright request from a requestor, such as a portal server. The copyright request corresponds to a user requesting a particular content to be transcoded. The copyright server identifies content copyright permissions associated with the requested content that indicate whether it is permissible to transcode the requested content. If the copyright server does not locate content copyright permissions associated with the requested content, the copyright server identifies the owner of the content and sends a message to the content owner requesting content copyright permission. The copyright server receives a response from the content owner, stores the response on a local storage area, and forwards the response to the requestor. The content copyright permissions may include an amount of a transcoding fee that the content owner requires in order to transcode the requested content.

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 system and method for processing a rights expression for association with an item for use in a system for controlling use of the item in accordance with the rights expression. A rights expression is specified in a conventional manner in an original format. An intermediate format of the rights expression is generated based on at least one of syntax information and semantics information associated with the original format. The rights expression specifies a manner of use of said item for enforcement on a device. The intermediate format can be converted to a device specific format or a simplified format for resource constrained devices to permit rights enforcement on various devices.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates marking content during distribution of the content to a client. The system starts by receiving a request for the content from the client at the server and then obtaining a content identifier for the content. Next, the server generates a version identifier that uniquely identifies the version of the content that is sent to the client. Once the version identifier has been generated, the server stores the version identifier in a database along with information to facilitate identification of the requesting client. Finally, the server creates the version of the content by marking the content with the version identifier and delivers the version to the client. Note that the markings on the content facilitate subsequent identification of the client by examining the version of the content.

Abstract: A method authenticates at least one of a media and data stored on said media in order to prevent at least one of piracy, unauthorized access and unauthorized copying of the data stored on said media. At least one predetermined error is introduced with the data resulting in mixed data. The mixed data is optionally stored on the media. The at least one predetermined error includes at least one authentication key or component thereof, for authenticating whether the media and/or data is authorized. The method includes the following sequential, non-sequential and/or sequence independent steps: reading the mixed data from the media, detecting the at least one predetermined error from the mixed data, and comparing the at least one predetermined error to the at least one authentication key or component thereof.

Abstract: A management center registers user information that includes user identification information for identifying a user terminal and improvement-information identification information for identifying improvement information recorded in an optical disk and processed by the user terminal. When a user terminal requests improvement information through a network, the management center searches for another user terminal that can provide necessary information, according to user information, and obtains the improvement information from the another user terminal searched for, through the network. The management center then provides the obtained improvement information for the user terminal that requested it, through the network.

Abstract: Software lineages arise through purchase and reproduction. Lineages are tracked by storing lineage-relevant information in variable regions of software instances and/or in a central database according to methods disclosed.

Abstract: A method of encrypting data, a telecommunications terminal and an access authorization card are described, which permit utilization of services of one or more service providers independently of a network operator or manufacturer of the telecommunications terminal. Encrypted data is transmitted between a service provider and the telecommunications terminal over a telecommunications network. Data to be transmitted over the telecommunications network is encrypted as a function of the service provider selected.

Abstract: Software lineages arise through purchase and reproduction. Lineages are tracked by storing lineage-relevant information in variable regions of software instances and/or in a central database according to methods disclosed.

Abstract: Controlling unauthorized access to software distributed to a user by a vendor. A verification key is generated by a product key generator and either embedded in the software prior to distribution or packaged with the software as a self-installing package. The verification key includes a public verification key. The combination of the software and the verification key create distributable software which is distributed to a user. The user installs the software on a user computer system as protected software. To obtain a user key, the user inputs identifying information, which may be for the user or for a group, which is sent to a user key generator. The user key generator converts the identifying information to a numeric representation and then generates, by signing the numeric representation with the private signing key, a user key, which is returned to the user.

Abstract: An intelligent method of e-commerce order completion automatically completes an order using either stored billing information, or information supplied at purchase if none is stored. User sends an order to a merchant. On receipt, user's authentication level is checked. If user is authenticated and billing information has been stored, it is retrieved and order completed without further user action. When none has been stored, flow redirects to a digital form for entering billing information, whereupon order is completed. In this case, after order completion, the user may save billing information to create a new digital wallet. To create the wallet, if the user isn't authenticated, or is insufficiently authenticated, they are first prompted to authenticate. Upon wallet creation, the user is fully authenticated and can complete purchases quickly without providing billing information with every purchase.

Abstract: Integrated computer services and software licensing processing methods and systems are provided. A license processing service (LPS) receives a services or software license request from a user via a client computer. The LPS communicates the request to a billing system for the services or software provider to obtain an expiration date for use of a desired service or software product. The LPS receives and forwards the expiration date from the billing system to a licensing clearinghouse operated by the provider of the desired service or software product. The clearinghouse, in turn, provides a use license for the desired service or software application to the client computer via the LPS.

Abstract: A system and method for conducting electronic commerce are disclosed. In various embodiments, the electronic transaction is a purchase transaction. A user is provided with an intelligent token, such as a smartcard containing a digital certificate. The intelligent token suitably authenticates with a server on a network that conducts all or portions of the transaction on behalf of the user. In various embodiments a wallet server interacts with a security server to provide enhanced reliability and confidence in the transaction. In various embodiments, the wallet server includes a toolbar. In various embodiments, the digital wallet pre-fills forms. Forms may be pre-filled using an auto-remember component.

Abstract: A system and method manages and enforces user privacy of user data in a network environment in various manners. The system and method can determine a context for interaction with a party, filter user data to be provided to the party based on the determined context, and transmit the filtered user data to the party. The system and method can further determine an anonymity level at which interaction with the party is to be conducted, and interact with the party at the determined anonymity level. Additionally, to enforce user privacy, a privacy enforcement system can be employed at the receiving party and a trusted supervising authority can be utilized to supervise the access of user data received by the receiving party as well as to provide third party certification.

Abstract: An effective electronic settlement system in which the number of checks is small. The electronic settlement system includes a data storage device such as an IC card in which value information is stored, a client device provided with an information input/output function to the data storage device, a store device for providing commodities or services, a settlement management device for managing settlement between the data storage device and the store device, and a communication system for connecting the client device, the store device, and the settlement management device so as to enable bidirectional communication.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for processing a stored-value instrument. An unrestricted value associated with the stored-value instrument is authenticated at an instrument-authority system in response to an authentication request received from a merchant point-of-sale terminal. An allocation request is received at the instrument-authority system for a restricted allocation of at least a portion of the authenticated value associated with the stored-value instrument. The authenticated value is allocated in accordance with the allocation request.

Abstract: A method and system that protects against a replay attack in a closed system postage meter is provided. “Freshness” data is included along with each indicium message sent from the meter to the printer, thereby enabling the printer to detect “stale” indicium data, i.e., indicium data that was previously generated and is being replayed, and prohibit the printing of duplicate indicia. The freshness data includes a random nonce generated by the printer during initialization along with sequence data that the printer can verify against sequence data from the previous printed indicium. If in the current indicium message the nonce is different or the current sequence data is not greater than or equal to the sequence data from the previous printed indicium, indicating the current indicium data may have been previously generated and is a replay, the printer will not print the current indicium data.