Application software protection method and stream edit processing system

A method for protecting application software transmitted from a server to a client over a network, the method comprising:

• determining an edit operation for an input stream using a first program;
• embedding, at positions included in the input stream, characteristic information indicating a characteristic of the input stream and edit information;
• transmitting transmission information from the client to the server, the transmission information including position information indicating the position at which the characteristic information is embedded and the position at which the edit information is embedded;
• receiving a second program for executing the edit operation on the input stream, the second program including the transmission information;
• and
• acquiring the embedded characteristic information and the embedded edit information on a basis of the position information included in the transmission information;
• and
• executing, on the input stream, an edit based on the edit information by using the second program, when the characteristic of the input stream and a characteristic indicated by the embedded characteristic information match,
• wherein in the embedding, part of the characteristic information and the edit information is embedded at the positions included in the input stream;
• wherein, in the transmitting the transmission information to the server, the transmission information includes the edit information that is not embedded in the input stream, the characteristic information that is not embedded in the input stream, and the position information;
• and
• in the executing the edit based on the edit information, when the characteristic of the input stream matches a characteristic indicated by the embedded characteristic information embedded in the input stream or included in the transmission information in the second program, the edit based on the edit information is executed on the input stream through use of the second program.

A stream edit processing system comprising:

• a client;
• and
• a server operable connected over a network;
• wherein the client includes
• a first memory;
• and
• a first processor executing instructions stored in the first memory to implement,
• an information unit including an input stream, and
• a first transmitting unit to transmit transmission information from the client to the server, the transmission information including characteristic information indicating a characteristic of the input stream and edit information indicating an edit operation to be performed on the input stream;
• the server includes
• a second memory;
• and
• a second processor executing instructions stored in the second memory to implement,
• a program generating unit to generate a second program for executing the edit operation on the input stream, the second program including the transmission information, and
• a second transmitting unit to transmit the second program to the client;
• and
• the first processor executing further instructions stored in the first memory to implement,
• a second editing unit for executing, on the input stream, an edit based on the edit information by using the second program, when the characteristic of the input stream and a characteristic indicated by the characteristic information included in the transmission information in the second program match,
• wherein the first processor executes further instructions stored in the first memory to implement an embedding unit to embed part of the first characteristic information and the edit information at positions included in the input stream;
• wherein, in transmission information transmitted to the server, the transmission information includes the edit information that is not embedded in the input stream, the first characteristic information that is not embedded in the input stream, and position information indicating the position at which the first characteristic information is embedded and the position at which the edit information is embedded;
• and
• in the executing the edit based on the edit information, implemented by the first processor, the embedded first characteristic information and the embedded edit information are acquired based on the position information included in the transmission information, and when the characteristic of the input stream matches a characteristic indicated by the embedded first characteristic information or the second characteristic information included in the transmission information in the second program, the edit based on the edit information is executed on the input stream through use of the second program.

A client of a stream edit processing system including a server and the client, wherein application software including a first program and a second program are transmitted from the server to the client over a network, the client comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor executing instructions stored in the memory to implement,
• a first editing unit to determine an edit operation for an input stream by using the first program;
• an embedding unit to embed, at positions included in the input stream, characteristic information indicating a characteristic of the input stream and edit information;
• a first transmitting unit to transmit transmission information from the client to the server, the transmission information including position information indicating the position at which the characteristic information is embedded and the position at which the edit information is embedded;
• a receiving unit to receive a second program for executing the edit operation on the input stream, the second program including the transmission information;
• and
• a second editing unit to acquire the embedded characteristic information and the embedded edit information on a basis of the position information included in the transmission information and to execute, on the input stream, an edit based on the edit information by using the second program when the characteristic of the input stream and a characteristic indicated by the embedded characteristic information match,
• wherein the embedding unit embeds, part of the characteristic information and the edit information at the positions included in the input stream;
• wherein the transmission information transmitted by the first transmitting unit includes the edit information that is not embedded in the input stream, the characteristic information that is not embedded in the input stream, and the position information;
• and
• the second editing unit executes the edit based on the edit information, when the characteristic of the input stream matches a characteristic indicated by the embedded characteristic information embedded in the input stream or included in the transmission information in the second program, the edit based on the edit information is executed on the input stream through use of the second program.