Electronic content delivery system

A method of securely providing data to a user's system, the data being encrypted so as to only be decryptable by a data decrypting key, the data decrypting key being encrypted using a first public key, and the encrypted data being accessible to the user's system, said method comprising the steps of:

• transferring the encrypted data decrypting key to a clearing house that possesses a first private key, which corresponds to the first public key;
• decrypting the data decrypting key using the first private key;
• re-encrypting the data decrypting key using a second public key;
• transferring the re-encrypted data decrypting key to the user's system, the user's system possessing a second private key, which corresponds to the second public key;
• and
• decrypting the re-encrypted data decrypting key using the second private key.

A method of operating a clearinghouse to provide integrity in a channel of commerce that includes a provider, a distributor, and a purchaser, the provider producing data and encrypting the data so as to only be decryptable by a data decrypting key, the encrypted data being accessible to the purchaser, said method comprising the steps of:

• encrypting the data decrypting key using a public key of the clearinghouse;
• sending the encrypted data decrypting key from the provider to the distributor;
• when the purchaser desires to purchase the data or a license to use the data, sending the encrypted data decrypting key from the distributor to the purchaser;
• sending the encrypted data decrypting key from the purchaser to the clearing house;
• decrypting the data decrypting key using a private key of the clearinghouse and re-encrypting the data decrypting key using a public key of the purchaser;
• and
• sending the re-encrypted data decrypting key from the clearinghouse to the purchaser.

A system for securely providing data to a user's system, the system comprising:

• a content system;
• a first public key;
• a first private key;
• which corresponds to the first public key;
• a data encrypting key;
• a data de-encrypting key for de-encrypting data encrypted using the data encrypting key;
• first data encryption means for encrypting data so as to be decryptable only by a data decrypting key;
• second data encryption means, using the first public key, for encrypting the decrypting key;
• a clearing house;
• first transferring means for transferring the data decrypting key which has been encrypted to the clearing house, wherein the clearinghouse possesses the first private key;
• first decrypting means for decrypting the data decrypting key using the first private key;
• a second public key;
• a second private key;
• which corresponds to the second public key;
• re-encryption means for re-encrypting the data decrypting key using the second public key;
• second transferring means for transferring the re-encrypted data decrypting key to the user's system, wherein the user's system possesses the second private key;
• and
• second decrypting means for decrypting the re-encrypted data decrypting key using the second private key.