System, method and apparatus for controlling the dissemination of digital works
OwnerMark Nairinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system, business methodology and apparatus for facilitating controlled dissemination of digital works is disclosed. An audio and video organizer, entertainment, and communication unit that plays back audio and video media content received from a central storage server. The unit relies on a smartcard, which has a personalized key that unlocks encrypted content. Using the unit, a user can purchase music or other types of media using a appropriate ordering method. The central storage server then transmits a double-encrypted, compressed audio file to the unit, where it is decrypted based on the smartcard key, and available for listening.
Claims25
A system for facilitating and controlling the usage of digital media files, said system comprising:
- a player unit having a memory therein,
- said player unit having an analog output port,
- said player unit having a digital-to-analog converter;
- said digital-to-analog converter in said player unit converting a digital media file stored in said memory to an analog version thereof, and forwarding said analog version to said analog output port;
- and
- a network connector, said network connector connecting said player unit to a network,
- wherein a user of said player unit can only receive analog data through said at least one analog output port, said analog data being an analog representation of digital data for a given digital media file stored in said memory, and
- wherein said digital media file is downloaded to said memory via said network connector, but said digital media file stored in said memory is not digitally output from said player unit, said player unit having no output data port capable of digitally transmitting any digital media files external to said player unit,
- whereby the external transmission of digital data of said given digital media file from said player unit is prevented, thereby preventing digital copies thereof.
A method for controlling the playback of digital media files on a player unit, said method comprising:
- selecting, by a user, a digital media file within a memory in said player unit;
- converting said digital media file to an analog version thereof;
- and
- forwarding said analog version to an analog output port of said player unit,
- wherein said user of said player unit can only receive said analog version through said analog output port, and
- wherein said digital media file stored in said memory is not digitally output from said player unit, said player unit having no output data port capable of digitally transmitting said digital media file external to said player unit,
- whereby the external transmission of digital data of said digital media file from said player unit is prevented, thereby preventing digital copies thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.