Apparatus and method for storing and distributing encrypted digital content

A system for handling an expressive work of digital content that has been divided into a plurality of shreds, wherein each shred is a subset of the digital content, the subset having a predetermined size, and wherein each shred has been encrypted to form a piece of shredded and encrypted digital content, wherein the pieces of shredded and encrypted digital content are organized into a plurality of records that hold the shredded and encrypted digital content in a database associated with a server computer system, the system comprising:

• a client computer system that includes:
• a transmitter that sends a request to the server for the digital content that has been organized into the plurality of records in the database associated with the server;
• a receiver that receives the plurality of records that hold the shredded and encrypted digital content from the server into the client computer system;
• a decryptor that decrypts the received plurality of records that hold the shredded and encrypted digital content using a decryption algorithm to form a decrypted version of the expressive work;
• and
• wherein each of the plurality of records includes at least one first data structure that includes:
• (a descriptor that includes a unique value used to determine a record identity within a table;
• a descriptor including a join value;
• a descriptor that includes the number of chunks in each record;
• a descriptor representing a predetermined size for each chunk;
• and
• a descriptor that includes actual shredded and encrypted content derived based on the descriptor that includes the predetermined size for each chunk).

Computer-readable media having executable instructions stored thereon for causing a suitable programmed central processing unit perform a method to handle an expressive work of digital content that has been divided into a plurality of shreds, wherein each shred is a subset of the digital content, and wherein each shred has been encrypted to form a piece of shredded and encrypted digital content, wherein the pieces of shredded and encrypted digital content are organized into a plurality of records that hold the shredded and encrypted digital content in a database associated with a server computer system, the method comprising:

• sending a request to the server computer system for the digital content that has been organized into the plurality of records in the database associated with the server;
• based on a response from the server, receiving the plurality of records that hold the shredded and encrypted digital content from the server into a client computer system;
• decrypting the received plurality of records that hold the shredded and encrypted digital content using a decryption algorithm to form a decrypted version of the expressive work;
• and
• wherein each of the plurality of records includes at least one first data structure that includes:
• (a descriptor that includes a unique value used to determine a record identity within a table;
• a descriptor including a join value;
• a descriptor that includes the number of chunks in each record;
• a descriptor representing a predetermined size for each chunk;
• and
• a descriptor that includes actual shredded and encrypted content derived based on the descriptor that includes the predetermined size for each chunk).

A system for handling digital content that has been divided into a plurality of shreds, wherein each shred is a subset of the digital content, and wherein each shred has been encrypted to form a piece of shredded and encrypted digital content, wherein the pieces of shredded and encrypted digital content are organized into a plurality of records that hold the shredded and encrypted digital content in a database associated with a server computer system, the system comprising:

• means for decrypting and processing a first data structure, wherein the first data structure includes:
• (a descriptor that includes a unique value used to determine a record identity within a table;
• a descriptor including a join value;
• a descriptor that includes the number of chunks in each record;
• a descriptor representing a predetermined size for each chunk;
• and
• a descriptor that includes actual shredded and encrypted content derived based on the descriptor that includes the predetermined size for each chunk).