System and method for managing access to digital content via digital rights policies

US7996503B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. · US

Inventors

• Paul Van Vleck · Austin, US
• Dinesh Nadarajah · Austin, US
• David Patron · Cedar Park, US
• Michael Grannan · Parker, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 10, 2002
• Grant date: Aug 9, 2011
• Expiry date: Mar 15, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q30/06
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A dynamic repository (either storing digital data content or pointers to stored digital data content) works in conjunction with a plurality of interfaces to manage digital content and digital rights policies associated with one or more users. Digital rights policies are unique to each user and such policies define access to digital content in the repository. The user's digital rights policy indicates the level of access a user has to digital content in the repository (e.g., the policy could indicate that the user has authorized access to a particular file for a period of seven days). The interfaces linked with the content repository are used to access and manipulate the digital data content (based upon each user's digital rights policy) and the digital rights policies stored in the content repository. The interfaces include: (a) one or more authentication interfaces for authenticating users, (b) one or more digital rights management (DRM) interfaces allowing users to add, delete, or edit the digital rights policies, (c) one or more data access interfaces allowing users to selectively access digital data content as defined by their individual digital rights policy, (d) one or more b…