Steganographic techniques for securely delivering electronic digital rights management control information over insecure communication channels

A rights management method performed by an electronic appliance comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic appliance to perform the method, the method comprising:

• receiving, at an interface of the electronic appliance, from a communications channel, an information signal, the information signal comprising a first pointer, the first pointer indicating a location of first control information governing use of the information signal;
• retrieving the first control information using the first pointer;
• receiving a request to use the information signal;
• and
• governing use of the information signal based on the first control information.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor included in an electronic appliance, cause the electronic appliance to:

• receive an information signal from a communications channel, the information signal comprising a first pointer encoded in one or more first locations in the information signal where the communications channel has low available bandwidth, the first pointer indicating a location of first control information governing use of the information signal;
• retrieve the first control information using the first pointer;
• receive a request to use the information signal;
• and
• govern use of the information signal based on the first control information.