Digital rights framework

A computer-implemented method for establishing legal rights and limitations regarding the use of electronically distributed intellectual property, said method comprising:

• storing information describing said legal rights and limitations in a memory unit of a computer system, wherein said legal rights and limitations are particular to a type of distribution;
• assigning to said intellectual property a unique digital identifier comprising a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) that points to an instantiation of said intellectual property;
• enabling an executable link between said digital identifier and another URI that points to an intellectual property element that describes said legal rights and limitations;
• storing information identifying an individual or party with a legal interest in said intellectual property in a memory unit of a computer system;
• establishing relationships between said intellectual property, said legal rights and limitations and said individual or party with another individual or party;
• offering said intellectual property for distribution;
• and
• upon acceptance of an offer, reaching an agreement governing distribution of said intellectual property.

A computer system comprising:

• a bus;
• a processor coupled to said bus;
• and
• a memory unit coupled to said bus, said memory unit containing instructions that when executed implement a computer-implemented method for establishing legal rights and limitations regarding the use of electronically distributed intellectual property, said method comprising:
• storing a model of said intellectual property in said memory unit, wherein said intellectual property is assigned a unique digital identifier comprising a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) that points to an instantiation of said intellectual property;
• enabling executable links between said digital identifier and other URIs that point to intellectual property elements that describe characteristics of said intellectual property said executable links pointing to said intellectual property elements and automatically accessing said intellectual property elements when executed, said intellectual property elements comprising at least one of a digital feature element that describes features of said intellectual property, a digital rights element that describes legal rights and limitations associated with said intellectual property and a digital license element that provides a license for said intellectual property;
• offering said intellectual property for distribution;
• receiving a request for access to and use of said intellectual property;
• in response to said request, providing an electronic version of said legal rights and limitations according to descriptions in said intellectual property elements;
• receiving agreement to said legal rights and limitations;
• and
• storing said agreement in said memory unit.

A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform a method for controlling intellectual properties, said method comprising:

• storing a model of said intellectual property in a memory unit of a computer system, wherein said intellectual property is assigned a unique digital identifier comprising a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) that points to an instantiation of said intellectual property;
• enabling executable links between said digital identifier and other URIs that point to intellectual property elements that describe characteristics of said intellectual property, said executable links pointing to said intellectual property elements and automatically accessing said intellectual property elements when executed, said intellectual property elements comprising at least one of a digital feature element that describes features of said intellectual property, a digital rights element that describes legal rights and limitations associated with said intellectual property and a digital license element that provides a license for said intellectual property;
• offering said intellectual property for distribution;
• receiving a request for access to and use of said intellectual property;
• in response to said request, providing an electronic version of said legal rights and limitations according to descriptions in said intellectual property elements;
• receiving agreement to said legal rights and limitations;
• and
• storing said agreement in a memory unit of a computer system.