Abstract: Technologies for a Consumer Privacy Digital Rights Management system based on stable partially blind signatures that enable a license server to provide licenses for delivery to users without knowing the corresponding digital contents that users access with the license. Therefore consumer privacy is protected during license acquisition. Further, if the client DRM module in the DRM system does not disclose any information about a user's digital content access, and the messages that the client DRM module sends out are in plain text enabling verification that the client DRM module is not disclosing such information, then consumer privacy is fully protected by the DRM system.

Abstract: For an organization having a central station and a plurality of distributed outlets, each of the outlets having a cashier's terminal, each of the cashier's terminals coupled to a respective point-of-sale (POS) controller, a method of permitting a billee to pay an invoice issued by a biller is disclosed.

Abstract: Intellectual property is sold to buyers through a kiosk. The kiosk provides users with the ability of located desired content on a seller's computer. When a user located the desired intellectual property, a payment transaction is initiated. When the payment transaction is complete, the seller transmits the intellectual property to the kiosk. The kiosks also preferably include production facilities that transfer the owner's intellectual property onto a permanent medium and/or presentation facilities that present the owner's intellectual property on a one-time basis.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an elapsed playback time associated with a digital playback device is determined and compared to an allotted playback time for the device. In the event the elapsed and allotted playback times satisfy a predetermined relationship with respect to one another, further content playback on the device may be denied or otherwise regulated until content playback rights intrinsic to the device are renewed or “recharged”.

Abstract: A method and system for using an indexing identifier (such as, e.g., a tracking ID or the combination of a postage vendor ID, user account, and piece count) to decrease the size of the postage indicium transmitted to an end user computer, or eliminate transmission of the postage indicium altogether, is provided. When the postage indicium for the end user computer is generated, it is stored, and the indexing identifier, rather than the postage indicium, is transmitted to the end user computer. The indexing identifier is applied to a mail piece, which is then scanned by the postal authority. The postal authority can obtain the stored postage indicium by reference to the indexing identifier. In this manner, the postal authority has access to the postage indicium without having to apply it to the mail piece. The indexing identifiers can optionally be used to index sender identification information for verifying that the sender of a mail piece is a trusted individual or entity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for marketing an un-owned composition to a user and acquiring an un-owned composition for a user's collection of compositions. A customized sequence of compositions is generated for a user. The customized sequence may be based upon the user's history or other compositions familiar to the user or other compositions in the user's collection. Portions of one or more compositions that are un-owned by the user may be interleaved for free and/or for multiple times in the sequence, in-order to interest the user in acquiring the composition. While an un-owned composition is active or playing, the user may take action to acquire the composition or add the composition to the user's collection. Usage-rights for an acquired composition may be stored at a network repository and may be automatically usable at one or more user-devices, whenever the user is active at such a user-device.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are provided for carrying out a transaction. Initially, a transaction pattern reflecting a transaction is stored in memory. Thereafter, the transaction pattern is executed to carry out the transaction in an automated manner.

Abstract: A technique for establishing usage control over digital assets such as computer files. The system model not only tracks authorized users' access to files, but monitors passage of such files to uncontrollable removable storage media or through network connections and the like which may indicate possible abuse of access rights. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, an autonomous independent agent process running at a point of use, such a background process in a client operating system kernel, interrupts requests for access to resources. The agent process senses low level system events, filters, and aggregates them. A policy engine analyzes sequences of aggregate events to determine when policy violations occur.

Abstract: An Intellectual Property Archive (IPA) dedicated to archiving, verifying, referencing, gating, and consummating the transfers of digitized Intellectual and Copyrighted Properties within digital media. Said IPA containing the legal requirements of sale, transfer and proliferation of digitized Intellectual and Copyrighted Properties, and further providing Transaction Code Identifiers (TCI's), which serve to notify responsible third parties that transmissions within their domains contain digitized Intellectual and Copyrighted Properties, wherein said TCI's initiate protocols within said third party domains to inspect, halt, validate and transfer digitized Intellectual and Copyrighted Properties within said third party domains.

Abstract: A licence ticket 6 obtained by a user 12, such as by purchase from a retail outlet 4, bears a licence key 12 behind a scratch off panel 10. This licence key when entered into a webpage dialog with a download server 16 is validated by that download server 16 as legitimate and used to trigger download and installation of a computer program product onto the user's computer 14.

Abstract: A system and method for conducting a financial transaction using an integrated circuit device issued by a card issuer and capable of conducting off-line and on-line transactions with a payment card network. The method includes utilizing the card for conducting a transaction and reading from the card a pre-authorized balance, a pre-authorized limit, and an account number. The method also includes requesting on-line authorization in the event the value of the transaction is greater than the difference between the pre-authorized limit and the pre-authorized balance. Finally, the method includes receiving authorization to conduct the transaction and updating by the card the pre-authorized balance and the pre-authorized limit, wherein the card issuer, through the integrated circuit device, is able to continually update the pre-authorized limit based on various factors including the transaction and account activity.

Abstract: In accordance with other aspects, the present invention relates to a system for identifying a license for a first software product of a first type installed on a computer system having at least one other software product of the first type installed on the computer system. The system includes a first license associated with the first software product; at least one second license associated with the at least one other software product installed on the computer; and a license module that compares the first license and the at least one second license and selects one of the first and second licenses based on predetermined criteria. Methods for identifying and displaying a license for a first software product of a first type installed on a computer system are also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a digital work protection system enabling a content distributor to flexibly define usage patterns of content permitted for users. The system is composed of a recording device and a playback device. The recording device acquires a digital work, range information showing a permission range within which the digital work is permitted to be used, and a subrange key for each subrange, generates an encryption key using all the acquired subrange keys, encrypts the digital work based on the encryption key to generate encryption information, and writes the encryption information and the range information to a recording medium. The playback device reads the range information and the encrypted information from the recording medium, acquires a subrange key for each subrange, generates a decryption key using all the acquired subrange keys, decrypts the encrypted information based on the decryption key to generate a digital work, and plays the digital work.

Abstract: A product distribution and payment system for limited use or otherwise restricted digital software products. Digital content data comprising a software product to be rented is made available to customers through a detachable local storage medium, such as a DVD or CD-ROM disc, or over a network connection. The product digital content is capable of being accessed and played back through a computer or game console at the customer site. The software product may comprise a limited use product that is restricted in the number of plays or duration of use. The customer is allowed to download and purchase the product using his computer or playback console. The product purchase information is encoded and transmitted to the content distributor. When the preset time or number of plays has elapsed the software program is frozen and access to the program is not allowed.

Abstract: Access to a content selection may be regulated by accessing a medium associated with the content selection, identifying a profile associated with the medium, using the profile to analyze a content request with a multitiered rule base that includes two or more of a medium rule base, a media player rule base, and a host rule base, and enabling access to the content selection in accordance with one or more results of the analysis.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for purchasing an item via a self-service checkout at a merchant store. The item is associated with a bar code and an anti-theft device. A customer uses their phone to establish communication with the store's transaction host. The phone includes a camera and a programmable memory. The memory includes customer account data. The camera is used to capture and transmit an image of the bar code to the host. The host determines the item's cost from the received bar code image. The customer can wirelessly transmit their account data from the phone to an in-store terminal. The terminal can transmit the account data to the host. The host can accept and use the account data in payment for the item. After customer payment for the item, the host causes the anti-theft device to be neutralized.

Abstract: An administrative system receives unique ID information of disk from an orderer for ordering manufacture of the disks and provides the unique ID information for a disk maker. The maker stores on the disk unique attribute information of the disk including identification information for the disk maker side. The administrative system obtains normal recording information generated if normal recording is carried out when recording on the disk the unique attribute information of the disk. Alternatively, the administrative system obtains abnormal recording information generated if abnormal recording is carried out. Disk administrative information, for example, number of pieces of the disks delivered from the factory, is generated from the obtained normal and abnormal recording information.

Abstract: A method, system and software for securely rendering digital documents, including storing a digital document in a document platform; and storing a usage right associated with the digital document. The usage right specifies a manner of use indicating the manner in which the digital document can be rendered by the document platform. The digital document comprises plural parts of digital content. The usage right includes plural usage rights respectively associated with each of the plural parts of digital content. Whether one of the parts of the digital document may be rendered by the document platform is determined based a respective usage right. If the respective usage right allows the digital document to be rendered on the document platform, the corresponding part of the digital document is rendered by the document platform.

Abstract: A server device is connected to at least one client device over at least one network. The server device hosts a website having entry controller logic that accesses a cookie on a client device that is seeking access to the hosted website. The entry controller logic is configured to: (1) initiate authenticating logic if there is a registered user cookie; (2) grant the client device entry to the hosted website if there is no cookie and provide the client device with a new guest user cookie; (3) grant the client device entry to the hosted website if there is a valid guest user cookie; or, (4) initiate validating logic if the guest user cookie is invalid for some reason.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for a digital rights management system which enforces license rights by incorporating a decryption key in a license rights package that further includes an account number associated with a primary consumer. The digital rights management system also includes a mechanism for renewing/updating the license by charging the account number associated with a primary consumer. This way, the consumer may transfer the license rights package along with the digital content to any personal devices he likes but he is discouraged from freely disseminating the license package as uses by other consumers will be debited against his package or, if renewed/extended, charged against his account.