Abstract: A system, apparatuses and methods are provided to download and process data and other content streamed over a wide area network using one or more dynamically fetched, material specific, data handlers (e.g., download assistants). A download assistant fetches a data stream from a remote location and processes the streamed data iteratively using buffers and multi-threaded processes through the decoder (e.g., codec), allowing source material-specific processing of the data as it is streamed from one or more download sources as well as content-indifferent and platform-indifferent decoding. To minimize versioning issues, payload construction for secure delivery is simplified to packing and encrypting a directory tree containing any number of files or other digital media into an archive and, when needed, dividing a payload into multiple files or archives with a descriptor that lists the archives.

Abstract: A system, apparatuses and methods are provided to download and process data and other content streamed over a wide area network using one or more dynamically fetched, material specific, data handlers (e.g., download assistants). A download assistant fetches a data stream from a remote location and processes the streamed data iteratively using buffers and multi-threaded processes through the decoder (e.g., codec), allowing source material-specific processing of the data as it is streamed from one or more download sources as well as content-indifferent and platform-indifferent decoding. To minimize versioning issues, payload construction for secure delivery is simplified to packing and encrypting a directory tree containing any number of files or other digital media into an archive and, when needed, dividing a payload into multiple files or archives with a descriptor that lists the archives.

Abstract: A system, apparatuses and methods are provided to download and process data and other content streamed over a wide area network using one or more dynamically fetched, material specific, data handlers (e.g., download assistants). A download assistant fetches a data stream from a remote location and processes the streamed data iteratively using buffers and multi-threaded processes through the decoder (e.g., codec), allowing source material-specific processing of the data as it is streamed from one or more download sources as well as content-indifferent and platform-indifferent decoding. To minimize versioning issues, payload construction for secure delivery is simplified to packing and encrypting a directory tree containing any number of files or other digital media into an archive and, when needed, dividing a payload into multiple files or archives with a descriptor that lists the archives.

Abstract: A system, apparatuses and methods are provided to download and process data and other content streamed over a wide area network using one or more dynamically fetched, material specific, data handlers (e.g., download assistants). A download assistant fetches a data stream from a remote location and processes the streamed data iteratively using buffers and multi-threaded processes through the decoder (e.g., codec), allowing source material-specific processing of the data as it is streamed from one or more download sources as well as content-indifferent and platform-indifferent decoding. To minimize versioning issues, payload construction for secure delivery is simplified to packing and encrypting a directory tree containing any number of files or other digital media into an archive and, when needed, dividing a payload into multiple files or archives with a descriptor that lists the archives.

Abstract: A system, apparatuses and methods are provided to download and process data and other content streamed over a wide area network using one or more dynamically fetched, material specific, data handlers (e.g., download assistants). A download assistant fetches a data stream from a remote location and processes the streamed data iteratively using buffers and multi-threaded processes through the decoder (e.g., codec), allowing source material-specific processing of the data as it is streamed from one or more download sources as well as content-indifferent and platform-indifferent decoding. To minimize versioning issues, payload construction for secure delivery is simplified to packing and encrypting a directory tree containing any number of files or other digital media into an archive and, when needed, dividing a payload into multiple files or archives with a descriptor that lists the archives.

Abstract: A system and method of dynamically altering the encoding, structure or other attribute of a cryptographic key, typically a license activation key, to render useless keys that have been created by illegal key generation “cracks”. An encoding/decoding engine provides a plurality of key obfuscation algorithms that may alter the structure, encoding or any other attribute of a given key. A changeable combination code is supplied to the encoding/decoding engine that specifies a subset of the algorithms to apply during the encoding or decoding phase. The encoding engine is used during key generation and the decoding engine used during key usage. The same combination code must be used during decoding as was used during encoding to recover the original key or a valid key will not be recovered. Thus, a system can be rapidly re-keyed by selecting a new combination of encoding/decoding algorithms. The selection of algorithms comprises a combination code.

Abstract: A system and method of dynamically altering the encoding, structure or other attribute of a cryptographic key, typically a license activation key, to render useless keys that have been created by illegal key generation “cracks”. An encoding/decoding engine provides a plurality of key obfuscation algorithms that may alter the structure, encoding or any other attribute of a given key. A changeable combination code is supplied to the encoding/decoding engine that specifies a subset of the algorithms to apply during the encoding or decoding phase. The encoding engine is used during key generation and the decoding engine used during key usage. The same combination code must be used during decoding as was used during encoding to recover the original key or a valid key will not be recovered. Thus, a system can be rapidly re-keyed by selecting a new combination of encoding/decoding algorithms. The selection of algorithms comprises a combination code.

Abstract: A system, apparatuses and methods are provided to download and process data and other content streamed over a wide area network using one or more dynamically fetched, material specific, data handlers (e.g., download assistants). A download assistant fetches a data stream from a remote location and processes the streamed data iteratively using buffers and multi-threaded processes through the decoder (e.g., codec), allowing source material-specific processing of the data as it is streamed from one or more download sources as well as content-indifferent and platform-indifferent decoding. To minimize versioning issues, payload construction for secure delivery is simplified to packing and encrypting a directory tree containing any number of files or other digital media into an archive and, when needed, dividing a payload into multiple files or archives with a descriptor that lists the archives.

Abstract: A system, apparatuses and methods are provided to download and process data and other content streamed over a wide area network using one or more dynamically fetched, material specific, data handlers (e.g., download assistants). A download assistant fetches a data stream from a remote location and processes the streamed data iteratively using buffers and multi-threaded processes through the decoder (e.g., codec), allowing source material-specific processing of the data as it is streamed from one or more download sources as well as content-indifferent and platform-indifferent decoding. To minimize versioning issues, payload construction for secure delivery is simplified to packing and encrypting a directory tree containing any number of files or other digital media into an archive and, when needed, dividing a payload into multiple files or archives with a descriptor that lists the archives.

Abstract: A system and method of dynamically altering the encoding, structure or other attribute of a cryptographic key, typically a license activation key, to render useless keys that have been created by illegal key generation “cracks”. An encoding/decoding engine provides a plurality of key obfuscation algorithms that may alter the structure, encoding or any other attribute of a given key. A changeable combination code is supplied to the encoding/decoding engine that specifies a subset of the algorithms to apply during the encoding or decoding phase. The encoding engine is used during key generation and the decoding engine used during key usage. The same combination code must be used during decoding as was used during encoding to recover the original key or a valid key will not be recovered. Thus, a system can be rapidly re-keyed by selecting a new combination of encoding/decoding algorithms. The selection of algorithms comprises a combination code.

Abstract: A system, apparatuses and methods are provided to download and process data and other content streamed over a wide area network using one or more dynamically fetched, material specific, data handlers (e.g., download assistants). A download assistant fetches a data stream from a remote location and processes the streamed data iteratively using buffers and multi-threaded processes through the decoder (e.g., codec), allowing source material-specific processing of the data as it is streamed from one or more download sources as well as content-indifferent and platform-indifferent decoding. To minimize versioning issues, payload construction for secure delivery is simplified to packing and encrypting a directory tree containing any number of files or other digital media into an archive and, when needed, dividing a payload into multiple files or archives with a descriptor that lists the archives.

Abstract: A system and method of dynamically altering the encoding, structure or other attribute of a cryptographic key, typically a license activation key, to render useless keys that have been created by illegal key generation “cracks”. An encoding/decoding engine provides a plurality of key obfuscation algorithms that may alter the structure, encoding or any other attribute of a given key. A changeable combination code is supplied to the encoding/decoding engine that specifies a subset of the algorithms to apply during the encoding or decoding phase. The encoding engine is used during key generation and the decoding engine used during key usage. The same combination code must be used during decoding as was used during encoding to recover the original key or a valid key will not be recovered. Thus, a system can be rapidly re-keyed by selecting a new combination of encoding/decoding algorithms. The selection of algorithms comprises a combination code.

Abstract: A system, apparatuses and methods are provided to download and process data and other content streamed over a wide area network using one or more dynamically fetched, material specific, data handlers (e.g., download assistants). A download assistant fetches a data stream from a remote location and processes the streamed data iteratively using buffers and multi-threaded processes through the decoder (e.g., codec), allowing source material-specific processing of the data as it is streamed from one or more download sources as well as content-indifferent and platform-indifferent decoding. To minimize versioning issues, payload construction for secure delivery is simplified to packing and encrypting a directory tree containing any number of files or other digital media into an archive and, when needed, dividing a payload into multiple files or archives with a descriptor that lists the archives.

Abstract: A system, apparatuses and methods are provided to download and process data and other content streamed over a wide area network using one or more dynamically fetched, material specific, data handlers (e.g., download assistants). A download assistant fetches a data stream from a remote location and processes the streamed data iteratively using buffers and multi-threaded processes through the decoder (e.g., codec), allowing source material-specific processing of the data as it is streamed from one or more download sources as well as content-indifferent and platform-indifferent decoding. To minimize versioning issues, payload construction for secure delivery is simplified to packing and encrypting a directory tree containing any number of files or other digital media into an archive and, when needed, dividing a payload into multiple files or archives with a descriptor that lists the archives.

Abstract: A system, apparatuses and methods are provided to download and process data and other content streamed over a wide area network using one or more dynamically fetched, material specific, data handlers (e.g., download assistants). A download assistant fetches a data stream from a remote location and processes the streamed data iteratively using buffers and multi-threaded processes through the decoder (e.g., codec), allowing source material-specific processing of the data as it is streamed from one or more download sources as well as content-indifferent and platform-indifferent decoding. To minimize versioning issues, payload construction for secure delivery is simplified to packing and encrypting a directory tree containing any number of files or other digital media into an archive and, when needed, dividing a payload into multiple files or archives with a descriptor that lists the archives.

Abstract: A system and method of dynamically altering the encoding, structure or other attribute of a cryptographic key, typically a license activation key, to render useless keys that have been created by illegal key generation “cracks”. An encoding/decoding engine provides a plurality of key obfuscation algorithms that may alter the structure, encoding or any other attribute of a given key. A changeable combination code is supplied to the encoding/decoding engine that specifies a subset of the algorithms to apply during the encoding or decoding phase. The encoding engine is used during key generation and the decoding engine used during key usage. The same combination code must be used during decoding as was used during encoding to recover the original key or a valid key will not be recovered. Thus, a system can be rapidly re-keyed by selecting a new combination of encoding/decoding algorithms. The selection of algorithms comprises a combination code.

Abstract: A data encryption/decryption system is provided which maintains in encrypted form one or more critical data elements required by a software program. A user must obtain a license key in order to decrypt the critical data elements before the software program can use them. The data elements can be chosen such that their contents provide a control mechanism for the correct operation of the executable software program. The system allows for the inclusion of different data elements with or within a single version of the software program. The different data elements are encrypted for different license keys to allow for different license options and corresponding levels of control and flexibility in the delivery of the software program.

Abstract: A data encryption/decryption system is provided which maintains in encrypted form one or more critical data elements required by a software program. A user must obtain a license key in order to decrypt the critical data elements before the software program can use them. The data elements can be chosen such that their contents provide a control mechanism for the correct operation of the executable software program. The system allows for the inclusion of different data elements with or within a single version of the software program. The different data elements are encrypted for different license keys to allow for different license options and corresponding levels of control and flexibility in the delivery of the software program.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for the distribution of digital licenses through a multi-level distribution chain using one or more clearinghouses. The system supports content providers, distributors, and end users. Content providers create and provide licenses. Distributors acquire licenses from content providers and upstream distributors, and can modify them in accordance with the terms of the original licenses. Distributors digitally sign modified licenses before providing to other users. Distributors optionally extend licenses to create new licenses and distribute them. End users acquire, download and activate licenses. Content providers and distributors can obtain tracking reports from clearinghouses detailing transactions (e.g., purchases, acquisitions, activations, and license compliance) associated with licenses as they progress down the distribution chain and are finally activated.