Piracy prevention in digital rights management systems

#The present disclosure relates generally to digital rights management (DRM), and more particularly to DRM in multimedia devices that operate in interoperable DRM systems.

#The interconnectivity of multimedia devices and the networks on which they operate along with the proliferation of digital rights management (DRM) systems make it likely that content protected by one DRM system will be distributed to, or used in, an environment where content is protected by some other DRM system. Interoperability among DRM systems will ensure that content protected in one DRM system may be translated into and protected by another system. While most DRM systems are neither standardized nor interoperable, several interoperability proposals have emerged. The Marlin Initiative is an industry sponsored specification that defines a common DRM architecture for the application, enforcement and exchange of rights in digital content among Marlin compatible client devices including portable media players, set-top boxes and mobile wireless communication devices. The Coral Consortium is an initiative backed by content owners, providers and hardware and software developers to develop a specification wherein client devices resolve interoperability issues among disparate DRM systems utilizing web-based and local services. Other interoperability proposals utilize a Domain Interoperability Manager (DIM) to manage the transfer of content and attending rights among different DRM systems.

#Interoperability among different DRM systems is vulnerable to the distribution of pirated content that is subsequently protected under another DRM system. Such piracy is often the result of a vulnerability of the DRM system from which the content originated. Unprotected content may also be DRM protected after pirating. The application of DRM protection to pirated content is sometimes referred to as “white washing”. Consumers often assume that DRM protected content is legitimate and are usually unaware that white washed content was pirated. Existing DRM interoperability proposals and systems operate under an assumption that the underlying source and destination DRM systems are uncompromised.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a content distribution system that includes multiple DRM systems.

#FIG. 2 illustrates a process flow diagram.

#FIG. 3 illustrates a process flow diagram.

#Content distribution systems are typically implemented as part of a communication network, for example, a cable system, a wireless communication network, the Internet, or other communication networks and combinations thereof. In such networks, content is generally distributed or otherwise provided by a content source, for example, from one or more content servers, to a multimedia device associated with a subscriber account or consumer. The content is generally protected by a DRM system that is implemented by a particular service provider or network operator. For example, a CATV service provider may implement a particular DRM for content provided or distributed over the cable system. Other content may be protected by a DRM system implemented by the content provider, for example, a content provider that distributes or otherwise provides content over an open network like the Internet. Exemplary DRM systems include but are not limited to OMA DRM, version 2, system and the OMA SCE version 1 system, among others.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a content distribution system or portion thereof 100 comprising a first DRM system 110 and a second DRM system 120. FIG. 1 also includes a multimedia device 130 that is capable of obtaining content from a content source via the content distribution system, which may protect its content by using a DRM system. As suggested above, the multimedia device may be implemented as a portable device like a wireless communication handset or a personal digital assistant or some other media playback or gaming device. Other multimedia devices are implemented as fixed base devices like a cable set-top box or a computer terminal.

#In FIG. 2, at 210, the multimedia device obtains content from a source. The content may be obtained from some source over a content distribution network. In FIG. 1, for example, the content is obtained via the DRM system 110. Alternatively, the content may be preloaded on the device at the time of manufacture or loaded onto the device manually by the user or at a point of sale of the device. In one embodiment, the content is protected and the protected content has associated therewith one or more exercisable rights. At 220, the user is thus free to exercise the right or rights associated with the content.