Abstract: A rendering method, system and software for enforcing usage rights associated with digital content, including exchanging information with a first repository for storing the digital content and the associated usage rights and for processing a usage transaction specifying the usage rights to determine if access to the digital content can be granted; and exchanging information with a second repository for generating the usage transaction. The grammar includes one or more symbols to indicate the manner of use, which can be used to specify how an authorized party is able to render the digital content, use the digital content to create a new digital content, make a back-up copy of the digital content, conceal the digital content on a device on which the digital content is stored, and delete the digital content from a device on which the digital content is stored.

Abstract: A method, system and software for enforcing execution of executable code in accordance with usage rights, including receiving a request generated by a user computing device to execute the executable code, and determining by a repository included in the user computing device whether the request should be granted based on usage rights associated with the executable code. The usage rights include a manner of use indicating a specific instance of how the executable code can be executed. The executable code is executed on the user computing device in accordance with the manner of use, if it is determined that the request should be granted. The request and the executing are accomplished through an interface. The executable code is executed in an address space of the user computing device. The user computing device is permitted to access the executable code only through the interface.

Abstract: A method, system and software for controlling the number of times that a usage right associated with a digital work can be exercised, including creating a digital work; determining a usage right for the digital work, the usage right specifying a digital ticket, the digital ticket indicating a number of times the usage right may be exercised; requesting access to the digital work including an identification of the usage right; determining the validity of the usage right based on a number of times the digital ticket has been used; granting or denying access to the digital work based on the result of the determining step; and updating the digital ticket if access to the digital work is granted.

Abstract: A method, system and software for permitting use of digital works having rights associated therewith within a system having repositories configured to enable use of the digital work in accordance with the rights, including associating a transfer right with a digital work, the transfer right specifying that the digital work is transferred from a first repository to a second repository; transferring the digital work from the first repository to the second repository in accordance with the transfer right; and in response to the transferring, step updating transfer right information in respect of the digital work.

Abstract: A method, system and software for establishing a secure communications channel between repositories using a repository transaction protocol, including generating a registration identifier and registration message including an identification certificate, and an identifier of a master repository that encrypted the identification certificate; receiving the registration message and verifying the identity by verifying the identification certificate; validating the authenticity, including, generating a message to test the authenticity, sending the generated message, and verifying if upon receiving the generated message whether the generated message is correctly processed; and exchanging messages including a session key used for communications and transactions including generating a request for a digital work, associating usage rights information with the request for digital work, and determining if the usage rights information associated with the request corresponds to usage rights associated with the digital work.

Abstract: A client computer requests plural program parts from various servers. The plural parts are authorized in accordance with usage rights and combined to create a new computer program. The parts can be executed as the new computer program on the servers, on the client, or on both the servers and the client.

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 method and system for enforcing use of digital content, including electronically recording digital content and usage rights associated with the digital content and which can specify a manner of use of the digital content, and conditions for exercise of the manner of use. The usage rights and conditions can include symbols selected from a set of predetermined symbols which define a valid sequence of symbols that are interpreted by a non-centralized repository to indicate the manner of use for enforcing use of digital content and the conditions. The manner of use can specify how an authorized party is able to render, use, make a back-up copy, conceal or delete the digital content or create a new digital work on a device on which the digital content is stored.

Abstract: A digital work for enforcing use of digital content, including electronically recording digital content and usage rights associated with the digital content and which can specify a manner of use of the digital content, and conditions for exercise of the manner of use. The usage rights and conditions can include symbols selected from a set of predetermined symbols which define a valid sequence of symbols that are interpreted by a non-centralized repository to indicate the manner of use for enforcing use of digital content and the conditions. The manner of use can specify how an authorized party is able to render, use, make a back-up copy, conceal or delete the digital content or create a new digital work on a device on which the digital content is stored.

Abstract: A method, system and software for associating usage rights with digital content, including creating usage rights from a grammar, the usage rights specifying a manner of use indicating purposes for which the digital content is used and/or distributed by an authorized party; associating the usage rights with a digital content; processing a usage transaction specifying the usage rights to determine if access to the digital content is granted; and storing the usage rights in a distributed repository. The usage rights also specify one or more conditions which must be satisfied before the manner of use is exercised. The creating includes selecting symbols from a first set of predetermined symbols to define a valid sequence of symbols to indicate the manner of use, selecting one or more symbols from a second set of predetermined symbols to define a valid sequence of symbols to indicate the conditions.

Abstract: A trusted rendering system for use in a system for controlling the distribution and use of digital works. A trusted rendering system facilitates the protection of rendered digital works which have been rendered on a system which controls the distribution and use of digital works through the use of dynamically generated watermark information that is embedded in the rendered output. The watermark data typically provides information relating to the owner of the digital work, the rights associated with the rendered copy of the digital work and when and where the digital work was rendered. This information will typically aid in deterring or preventing unauthorized copying of the rendered work to be made. The system for controlling distribution and use of digital works provides for attaching persistent usage rights to a digital work. Digital works are transferred between repositories which are used to request and grant access to digital works.

Abstract: A digital content rendering apparatus. A request is made to render stored digital content. The request is processed by a repository coupled to a rendering engine to permit rendering only for authorized request.

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 method, system and software for enforcing use of digital works in accordance with usage rights associated therewith, including receiving a request to use a digital work; and determining at a non-centralized repository, whether the request should be granted based on usage rights associated with the digital work, wherein the usage rights include a manner of use for indicating how the digital work can be used, and status information relating to the state of the usage of the digital work; enforcing use of the digital work on a computing device in accordance with the manner of use if the result of the determining step is that the request should be granted; and accomplishing one or more transactions with respect to the digital work, including copy, transfer, loan, play, print, backup, restore, delete, directory, folder, extract, embed, edit, execute, authorization, install, and uninstall transactions.

Abstract: A method, system and software for securely rendering digital documents, including storing a digital document in a document platform; storing a usage right associated with the digital document and specifying a manner of use indicating the number of times the digital document can be rendered; determining whether the digital document may be rendered based the usage right; and if the usage right allows the digital document to be rendered on the document platform, rendering the digital document by the document platform. The digital document includes plural sections of digital content and the usage right includes plural usage rights respectively associated with each of the plural sections of content. The plural sections of digital content and the plural usage rights are a composite digital work. Each of the sections and corresponding usage right are separately accessible.

Abstract: A rendering method, system and software for use in a distributed system for managing use and rendering of content in accordance with usage rights associated therewith, and including a rendering device that renders the content; and a distributed repository coupled to the rendering device and including a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation. The first mode of operation receives content from another distributed repository and enforces usage rights associated with the content and permits the rendering device to render the content in accordance with a manner of use specified by the usage rights. The second mode of operation requests the rendering of content received from another distributed repository. The distributed repository permits the content to be rendered only if a manner of use specified in the request corresponds to a manner of use specified in the usage rights.

Abstract: A digital work and data structure for use within a system for enforcing usage rights associated with digital content, including a description tree file including descriptor blocks organized in a hierarchical manner. The descriptor blocks include usage rights associated with the digital content, and specifying a manner of use of the digital content, a content identifier including a unique identifier of the digital content, and a usage rights portion including the usage rights. The digital content includes plural content portions, and the usage rights portion includes a rights code field including a code indicative of the manner of use of the digital content and a status information field including information relating to a state of the manner of use.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling execution of a computer program in accordance with usage rights, including receiving, by a server repository, a request from a requester repository to execute the computer program; determining, by a server repository, based on usage rights associated with the computer program, whether the request should be granted, the usage rights including a manner of use; granting the request of the requester repository, by the server repository, if the determined result is that the request should be granted; and executing the computer program in accordance with the granted manner of use. The manner of use included in the usage rights specifies how the associated computer program can be used. The request from the requestor repository specifies a particular manner of use and whether the particular manner of use specified in the request corresponds to a manner of use included in the usage rights also is determined.

Abstract: A trusted system having at least one repository for controlling use of digital works in accordance with usage rights associated with the digital works. The system comprises means for receiving a request to access a digital work in accordance with usage rights associated with the digital work, the usage rights specifying a manner of access and indicating a security class, means for determining a security level of a repository controlling the requested access, and means for granting the request and permitting exercise of the manner of access specified in the usage rights associated with the digital work in accordance with the usage rights if the security level of the repository corresponds to the security class specified in the usage rights associated with the digital work. The security class indicates a security level of a repository that can access the digital work, and the usage rights are expressed with a grammar.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling use of digital works in accordance with usage rights associated with the digital works. The method includes the steps of receiving a request to use a digital work, and determining whether the request should be granted based on usage rights associated with the digital work. The usage rights include a manner of use for the digital work, conditions that must be satisfied in order to exercise the manner of use, and status information relating to the state of the usage. Use of the digital work is granted in accordance with the manner of use if the result of the determining step is that the request should be granted.