U.S. patent application number 13/282457 was filed with the patent office on 2015-06-18 for method for allowing a customer to preview, acquire and/or pay for information and a system therefor.
The applicant listed for this patent is ASHISH K. MITHAL, AMAD TAYEBI. Invention is credited to ASHISH K. MITHAL, AMAD TAYEBI.
Application Number | 20150170201 13/282457 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53369003 |
Filed Date | 2015-06-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150170201 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
TAYEBI; AMAD ; et
al. |
June 18, 2015 |
METHOD FOR ALLOWING A CUSTOMER TO PREVIEW, ACQUIRE AND/OR PAY FOR
INFORMATION AND A SYSTEM THEREFOR
Abstract
A method for controlling distribution and access to an
information product, said method comprising the steps of:
superposing a utility-reducing masking effect on said information
product; controlling the presence, absence and/or permanence of
said masking effects by the outcome of an interactive communication
between a provider and a receiver of said information product. The
term information product includes books, video recordings, audio
recordings, music, images and multimedia works. The masking effects
described in the present invention are of a generally interfering
nature and can be superposed on the information object as an
overlay, interruption, interference, discontinuity, disturbance or
disorientation. The purpose of imposing a masking effect is to
derive a masked version of the information product for preview
purposes that can be readily distributed to interested customers in
an unrestricted manner. The masking effect is removable after
conditions for purchase and/or other authorization criteria are
met.
Inventors: |
TAYEBI; AMAD; (WESTFORD,
MA) ; MITHAL; ASHISH K.; (CHELMSFORD, MA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
TAYEBI; AMAD
MITHAL; ASHISH K. |
WESTFORD
CHELMSFORD |
MA
MA |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
53369003 |
Appl. No.: |
13/282457 |
Filed: |
October 26, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12785460 |
May 23, 2010 |
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13282457 |
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11944628 |
Nov 25, 2007 |
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12785460 |
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10307832 |
Dec 2, 2002 |
7316032 |
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11944628 |
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60363989 |
Mar 14, 2002 |
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60339015 |
Dec 1, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.51 ;
705/14.4; 705/14.66 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 1/32149 20130101;
G06Q 30/0253 20130101; H04N 1/32352 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20120101
G06Q030/02; H04N 1/32 20060101 H04N001/32; G06T 1/00 20060101
G06T001/00 |
Claims
1. A method for providing an information product over a computer
network, the computer network connecting a user device to a
provider device of a provider of the information product, the
method comprising: receiving at the provider device from the user
device, over the computer network, a selection of an information
product; providing the user device access to a preview version of
the information product with the provider device; the preview
version comprising an original form of the information product with
a masking effect applied thereon; the masking effect comprising at
least one of an advertisement, a marketing information, and a
commercial message; wherein the masking effect is configured to
interfere with recreation of the information product in the
original form by the user device; and controlling, with the
provider device, at least one of: presence, absence, duration of
application, and permanence of the masking effect applied on the
original form of the information product in accordance with at
least one criterion, thereby controlling recreation of the
information product in the original form by the user device,
wherein the at least one criterion requires viewing and/or hearing
the at least one of the advertisement, the marketing information,
and the commercial message at the user device.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one
criterion further requires a fee-based subscription with the
provider.
3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one
criterion further requires purchase of the information product.
4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one
criterion requires viewing the at least one of the advertisement,
the marketing information, and the commercial message.
5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one
criterion requires hearing the at least one of the advertisement,
the marketing information, and the commercial message.
6.-11. (canceled)
12. A method as in claim 1, wherein the masking effect causes at
least an interruption of the original form of the information
product.
13. A method as in claim 1, wherein the masking effect causes at
least a discontinuity in the original form of the information
product.
14. A method as in claim 1, wherein the preview version is
generated in accordance with a user preference.
15. A method as in claim 1, wherein the preview version of the
information product is generated in accordance with an input
received from the user device over the computer network.
16. A method for providing an information product over a computer
network, the method comprising: receiving at a provider device from
a user device, over the computer network, a selection of an
information product; providing the user device access to a preview
version of the information product with the provider device over
the computer network; the preview version comprising an original
form of the information product with a masking effect applied
thereon; wherein the masking effect comprises at least one of an
advertisement, a marketing information, and a commercial message
and is configured to interfere with recreation of the information
product in the original form by the user device by causing a
discontinuity in the original form of the information product; and
controlling, with the provider device, at least one of: presence,
absence, duration of application, and permanence of the masking
effect applied on the original form of the information product in
accordance with at least one criterion, thereby controlling
recreation of the information product in the original form by the
user device, wherein the at least one criterion requires viewing
and/or hearing the at least one of the advertisement, the marketing
information, and the commercial message at the user device.
17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one
criterion further comprises requiring a fee-based subscription with
the provider.
18. A method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one
criterion further comprises requiring purchase of the information
product.
19.-21. (canceled)
22. A method as in claim 16, wherein the preview version is
generated in accordance with a user preference.
23. (canceled)
24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the at least one
criterion comprises viewing the at least one of the advertisement,
the marketing information, and the commercial message.
25. A method according to claim 23, wherein the at least one
criterion comprises hearing the at least one of the advertisement,
the marketing information, and the commercial message.
26. A method according to claim 16, further comprising creating the
preview version of the information product by applying the masking
effect on the original form thereof.
27. A method according to claim 1, further comprising creating the
preview version of the information product by applying the masking
effect on the original form thereof.
28. A tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored
thereon, the instructions configured to cause a computing device to
perform operations comprising: receiving at a provider device from
a user device a selection of an information product; providing the
user device access to a preview version of the information product
with the provider device; the preview version comprising an
original form of the information product with a masking effect
applied thereon; the masking effect comprising at least one of an
advertisement, a marketing information, and a commercial message;
wherein the masking effect is configured to interfere with
recreation of the information product in the original form by the
user device; and controlling, with the provider device, at least
one of: presence, absence, duration of application, and permanence
of the masking effect applied on the original form of the
information product in accordance with at least one criterion,
thereby controlling recreation of the information product in the
original form by the user device, wherein the at least one
criterion requires viewing and/or hearing the at least one of the
advertisement, the marketing information, and the commercial
message at the user device.
29. A tangible computer readable medium according to claim 28,
wherein the at least one criterion further requires a fee-based
subscription with the provider.
30. A tangible computer readable medium according to claim 28,
wherein the at least one criterion further requires purchase of the
information product.
31. (canceled)
32. A tangible computer readable medium according to claim 28,
wherein the masking effect causes at least an interruption or a
discontinuity of the original form of the information product.
33. A tangible computer readable medium according to claim 28,
wherein the preview version of the information product is generated
in accordance with an input received from the user device over the
computer network.
34. A tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored
thereon, the instructions configured to cause a computing device to
perform operations comprising: receiving at a provider device from
a user device a selection of an information product; providing the
user device access to a preview version of the information product
with the provider device; the preview version comprising an
original form of the information product with a masking effect
applied thereon; wherein the masking effect comprises at least one
of an advertisement, a marketing information, and a commercial
message and is configured to interfere with recreation of the
information product in the original form by the user device by
causing a discontinuity in the original form of the information
product; and controlling, with the provider device, at least one
of: presence, absence, duration of application, and permanence of
the masking effect applied on the original form of the information
product in accordance with at least one criterion, thereby
controlling recreation of the information product in the original
form by the user device, wherein the at least one criterion
requires viewing and/or hearing the at least one of the
advertisement, the marketing information, and the commercial
message at the user device.
35. A tangible computer readable medium according to claim 34,
wherein the at least one criterion further comprises requiring a
fee-based subscription with the provider.
36. A tangible computer readable medium according to claim 34,
wherein the at least one criterion further comprises requiring
purchase of the information product.
37. A tangible computer readable medium according to claim 34,
wherein the at least one criterion comprises viewing the at least
one of the advertisement, the marketing information, and the
commercial message.
38. A tangible computer readable medium according to claim 34,
wherein the at least one criterion comprises hearing the at least
one of the advertisement, the marketing information, and the
commercial message.
39. An apparatus comprising: a database device; and a processing
device, the processing device configured to: receive a selection of
an information product from a user device; provide the user device
access to a preview version of the information product; the preview
version comprising an original form of the information product with
a masking effect applied thereon; the masking effect comprising at
least one of an advertisement, a marketing information, and a
commercial message; wherein the masking effect is configured to
interfere with recreation of the information product in the
original form by the user device; and control at least one of:
presence, absence, duration of application, and permanence of the
masking effect applied on the original form of the information
product in accordance with at least one criterion, thereby
controlling recreation of the information product in the original
form by the user device, wherein the at least one criterion
requires viewing and/or hearing the at least one of the
advertisement, the marketing information, and the commercial
message at the user device.
40. An apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the processing
device is further configured to create the preview version of the
information product by applying the masking effect on the original
form thereof.
41. An apparatus comprising: a database device; and a processing
device, the processing device configured to: receive from a user
device a selection of an information product; provide the user
device access to a preview version of the information product; the
preview version comprising an original form of the information
product with a masking effect applied thereon; wherein the masking
effect comprises at least one of an advertisement, a marketing
information, and a commercial message and is configured to
interfere with recreation of the information product in the
original form by the user device by causing a discontinuity in the
original form of the information product; and control at least one
of: presence, absence, duration of application, and permanence of
the masking effect applied on the original form of the information
product in accordance with at least one criterion, thereby
controlling recreation of the information product in the original
form by the user device, wherein the at least one criterion
requires viewing and/or hearing the at least one of the
advertisement, the marketing information, and the commercial
message at the user device.
42. An apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the processing
device is further configured to create the preview version of the
information product by applying the masking effect on the original
form thereof.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 12/785,460 filed on May 23, 2010, which is a
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/944,628, filed
10 Nov. 25, 2007, which is a Divisional Application of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/307,832, filed Dec. 12, 2002, now U.S. Pat.
No. 7,316,032, which in turns claims the benefit of the following
two (2) provisional applications identified by Ser. No. 60/339,015
filed on Dec. 1, 2001 and Ser. No. 60/363,989 filed on Mar. 14,
2002; said applications are incorporated herein, in their entirety,
by reference for all purposes.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to a method for distributing
information or electronic content. More particularly this invention
relates to a method for distributing an information product or an
electronic/digital work, of potential commercial value, to a
potential receiver, in a masked or reduced utility configuration
and rendering said information product in its original unmasked
configuration upon receipt of payment or due consideration.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The explosive growth of public and private information
networks has revolutionized the way information is stored, accessed
and used. The Internet, in particular, holds promise of becoming
the ultimate publishing medium and repository for all kinds of
information and electronic content.
[0004] Information products or electronically published materials
are typically distributed in a digital form and recreated on a
computer-based system having the capability to recreate (read,
display or playback) the electronic content. Information products
include books, multimedia works, audio and video recordings, and
software. Electronic content offers some inherent advantages over
traditional mediums of representation, such as: [0005] a)
Electronic content does not have physical weight. However, it needs
to be stored on physical media or computer hardware having storage
and/or memory capabilities. [0006] b) Multiple copies of a
published work need not be stored separately, for mass
distribution, and can be generated upon demand. [0007] c) The costs
of duplication, reproduction, dissemination and distribution of
electronic property or content are considerably reduced compared to
traditional methods of printing, publishing and recording. [0008]
d) No loss of fidelity or deterioration in quality of display or
playback across generations of copies. Almost impossible to
differentiate a digital copy from a digital original.
[0009] The fact that Intellectual Property (IP) can be embodied in
forms which can be copied while owner retains the original, and,
the increasing ease with which IP can be represented and stored
electronically and distributed in mass quantities, are issues of
great concern for content creators and distributors of intellectual
property. The inherent advantages and characteristics of electronic
content that has been stored in a digital format also pose some
formidable challenges in safeguarding the Intellectual Property
(IP) rights and other interests of creators, authors and publishers
of electronic content. These concerns and challenges primarily
arise as electronically stored data can be perfectly reproduced,
duplicated and disseminated without payment of due consideration to
the content providers, authors or publishers. Also, as digital
content can be replicated without a loss in quality from the
original, it becomes difficult if not impossible to distinguish
between a digital original and a digital copy.
[0010] Any unauthorized distribution of electronic content results
in loss of revenue to the content provider or publisher and an
unpaid royalty to the author or creator. A wide spread practice of
unauthorized copying and distributing of electronic content results
in a substantial loss of revenue to the content providers as well
as authors and creators. A wide spread duplication and unauthorized
dissemination of intellectual content through a widely used public
medium, such as the Internet, in fact jeopardizes enforceability of
the Intellectual Property (IP) ownership rights of the content
creators, authors, artists, publishers, studios and content
providers across a wide spectrum of industries.
[0011] Thus, despite the advantages of digital content in terms of
retrieving, accessing and disseminating, representing content or IP
in a digital form is not an end in itself; it can only serve the
broad interests when the digital representation does not undermine
or otherwise dilute the time-limited monopoly granted to the
authors or creators of the content by the US Constitution which
empowers the law-makers "to promote the progress of science and the
useful arts by securing to authors and inventors for limited times
exclusive rights in their respective writings and discoveries."
[0012] The problems associated with distributing electronic content
and deterring unauthorized and unaccounted distribution and usage
of such content have been described in the prior art. An excellent
review of technical mechanisms and other methods including business
models, intended for protecting intellectual property (IP) in
digital form, is provided in a published National Research Council
Report (NRC), titled The Digital Dilemma: Intellectual Property in
the Information Age (National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.,
2000), authored by the Committee on Intellectual Property Rights
and the Emerging Information Infrastructure, convened by the
Computer Science and Telecommunications Board (CSTB). This NRC
report, herein incorporated by reference, describes various
techniques, methods and technologies that have been employed in the
prior art for protecting and distributing electronic content.
[0013] Although, conventionally IP protection is typically
conceived in legal and technical terms, the NRC report underscores
the fact that business models can serve as effective means of
making digital content available in new ways that can be an
effective deterrent to illegitimate uses of IP.
[0014] The business models for addressing IP are important due to
the long history of dissemination of ideas, information and IP
works through public or private sale of information products which
enabled the content creators and publishers to be adequately
rewarded for their involvement in creative pursuits and the
dissemination process. The economic rewards to the content creators
and distributors provided the incentive for continuation of the
innovation cycle and fostering further creation of new ideas and
information products. The dissemination process customarily builds
upon a host of independent purchase decisions made by numerous
people for purchasing information product(s). Information stored or
represented by conventional methods is usually attached to an
artifact such as a book, a tape, a cassette or a CD. In order to
pass along the information the owner has to loan the artifact to
another individual, however, once represented in digital form
information can be readily copied and distributed. Digital IP, in a
non-protected form, which can be readily passed along while the
owner retains the original does not provide a commercial incentive
for distributing the same.
[0015] Another disincentive for dissemination of digital
information is that access is all or nothing. Even when access is
provided for examination purposes the same information can be
copied and distributed without rewarding the publisher or the
creator. Commercial distribution of information without thwarting
the economic interests of its creators and publishers is necessary
for preserving a vital public domain of ideas, information and
creative works for promoting the sciences, arts, humanities and
ongoing technological innovation. The difficulty of protecting
content that the distributor is trying to seek buyers for is
described in the prior art. The following quote from the NRC report
illustrates this well--" . . . in the commercial context, overly
stringent protection is as bad as inadequate protection: In either
extreme--no protection or complete protection (i.e., making content
inaccessible)--revenues are zero. Revenues climb with movement away
from the extremes; the difficult empirical task is finding the
right balance."
[0016] How can then a distributor offer an information product for
sale or invite a customer for a purchase evaluation when the
content once shared can be freely distributed or copied? This is
one of the questions that the present invention is directed at
answering.
[0017] A principal technology that has been used for managing IP
and the rights of content creators and distributors is
cryptography. Cryptography or "encryption" involves scrambling or
"encrypting" digital content and rendering it unusable until a
legitimate party can unscramble or "decrypt" it. Encryption
facilitates IP management by protecting content against disclosure
or modification during transmission and while it is stored. If
content is encrypted effectively, copying the files is nearly
useless because there is no access to the content without the
decryption key.
[0018] In "symmetric-key" encryption, the same key is used for both
encrypting and decrypting. Information products, such as movies,
songs, books, art and similar works can be distributed in an
encrypted form while the decrypting key is only provided to
authorized users (e.g. paying customers). This technique of
distributing content, in a protected form, is customarily employed
in cable television with pay-per-view programming where the
decrypting key is provided to the paying customers utilizing
special hardware (set-top cable box). The encrypted program can be
safely broadcast without fear of unauthorized access due to
decryption procedure required for viewing the specific pay-per-view
programming.
[0019] In public-key cryptography, two different keys or
"key-pairs" are used--a public key and a private key. Any message
encrypted with the public key cannot be decrypted by using the same
public key and requires a corresponding private key to decrypt it.
Private keys are kept private by individuals, while public keys are
made widely available or published. Secret messages intended for
the recipient can be encrypted using the recipient public key. Once
the message is encrypted, only the recipient, who knows the
corresponding private key, can decrypt the message. Software is
widely available to generate key pairs that have this property.
[0020] A combination of symmetric key and public-key encryption
schemes is also used wherein symmetric-key encryption is used to
encrypt the message, and then public-key encryption is used to
transmit the decryption key to the recipient. Other applications of
public key encryption are "digital signatures" and "identity
certificates." Digital signatures involve a private signing
key.
[0021] In the prior art, copy protection and access control schemes
rely principally on software-based encryption, hardware keys or a
combination thereof. In terms of specific controls these techniques
work by:
[0022] 1. Restricting a user to make additional copies.
[0023] 2. Requiring special purpose hardware to limit access to
digital information.
[0024] 3. Anchoring content to a single machine.
[0025] 4. Packaging content in an encrypted container.
[0026] 5. Attaching usage rights to the content via XML tags.
[0027] 6. Fingerprinting and Watermarking.
[0028] Software-based encryption techniques prevent conventional
copying programs from making unauthorized usable copies. Generally,
in these protection techniques, the execution of programs or
information stored on a storage medium involves the presence of
decryption key for display or execution of data. U.S. Pat. No.
5,027,396 ('396) describes a technique for execution protection of
a floppy disk using an encrypted password located at an arbitrary
location within the data. Other examples of prior art teachings
discussed and referred to in '396, incorporated herein by
reference, are directed towards copy-protecting disks or storage
media in general see for e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,577,289; 4,462,078;
4,584,641; 4,734,796; 4,785,361; 4,849,836.
[0029] In the prior art a technique for restricting access and use
of digital information to a particular machine or "anchoring"
content to a single machine is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,140
assigned to IBM. This technique is also referred to as hardware
based authorization. U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,284 describes a hardware
authentication utilizing public-key encryption techniques. Other
examples of secure communication systems utilizing encryption or
controlled distribution are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,888,800
and 4,999,806.
[0030] Combinations of software based method and hardware key are
described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,866,769 and 4,903,296. A method for
preventing copying of a video program is described U.S. Pat. No.
4,907,093. A method of preventing unauthorized duplication of
information from one storage medium to another and further
restricting the use of information to one or more designated
devices is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,718.
[0031] U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,260 describes a method and apparatus for
copyright protection of various recording media such as compact
discs (CDs) utilizing a combination of symmetrical and asymmetrical
data encryption to permit the player to handle either
copy-protected or non-copy-protected media.
[0032] A method for invoking business operations and encouraging
purchase of executable and non-executable software for distribution
of digital information is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,070.
This method requires the user to obtain an ID unique to the user
for obtaining access to the advanced features.
[0033] Another method of protecting digital information
particularly software is making the software product available for
a pre-determined and limited time period such that the program is
rendered unusable after the expiry of the allowed time-period.
Methods and apparatuses for enabling trial period use of software
products are covered under U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,563,946, 5,598,470,
5,689,560 and 5,737,416. A limited trial period can be effective
for software products; however, it does not provide a solid
business model for delivering other digital content such as books,
music and movies due to several reasons. Firstly, even a singular
use of the content is disincentive enough for paying or purchasing
and secondly, once access is provided in a decrypted form it can be
readily stored, displayed and distributed after the trial period
has expired.
[0034] A method and apparatus to create, distribute, sell and
control access to digital documents using secure cryptographic
envelopes is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,316 assigned to IBM
Corporation. This technology has been commercialized under the
IBM's trademark CRYPTOLOPE. Cryptolope objects are used for secure,
protected delivery of digital content. Cryptographic envelopes can
be compared to the other major technical approach to the same
problem, secure servers. A cryptolope is a self-contained and
self-protecting object and may include a variety of content types
including text, images and audio. It can be delivered across a
network or placed on a CD-ROM or other storage media and ties the
usage conditions (for e.g. price) to the content itself. Commercial
information and detailed description of the cryptolope technology
can be obtained from the IBM website using the
link--http://www.ibm.com/software/security/cryptolope/about.html
[0035] Other technologies for controlling and distributing
electronic content have been developed by Content Guard, Inc. and
Xerox Corporation (http://www.contentguard.com) and have been
described in US patent Nos. listed below and herein included by
reference-- [0036] "Interactive Contents Revealing Storage Device"
(U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,235); [0037] "System for Controlling the
Distribution and Use of Digital Works" (U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,980);
[0038] "System for Controlling the Distribution and Use of Digital
Works Having a Free Reporting Mechanism" (U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,012);
[0039] "System for Controlling the Distribution and Use of
Composite Digital Works" (U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,443); [0040] "System
for Controlling the Distribution and Use of Digital Work Having
Attached Usage Rights Where the Usage Rights are defined by a Usage
Rights Grammar" (U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,403); [0041] "System for
Controlling the Distribution and Use of Rendered Digital Works
through Watermarking" (U.S. Pat. No. 6,233,684) [0042] "System for
Controlling the Distribution and Use of Digital Works Using Digital
Tickets." (U.S. Pat. No. 6,236,971);
[0043] Technologies to manage, secure, control and automate the
flow of content and the access to services over a network are
frequently referred to Digital Rights Management (DRM)
Technologies. Content Guard is a provider of Digital Rights
Management (DRM) technologies through XrML, eXtensible Rights
Markup Language. XrML is a language to specify rights. XrML is an
XML based usage grammar for specifying rights and conditions to
control the access to digital content and services. Using XrML, the
owners and distributors of digital resources (including content,
services or software) can identify the parties allowed to use those
resources, the rights available to those parties, and the terms and
conditions under which rights may be exercised. Other uses of XrML
and its application to development of business models for
distributing digital content and services over a network or
Internet are discussed in Content Guards's White Paper, "The Need
for a Rights Language", 2001 (also available on the web at:
http://www.xrml.org/reference.asp).
[0044] A system for controlling access and distribution of digital
property, herein included by reference, is disclosed in U.S. Pat.
No. 5,933,498. In this prior art teaching access to protected
portions of the data, in a useable form, is prevented. Access to
the protected portions of the data is only provided in accordance
with rules or access rights as enforced by a mechanism protected by
a tamper detection feature.
[0045] Once again developing a common language for describing
rights and rules for use, duplication and distribution of
electronic content is useful in a business context, however, the
mechanisms of protection rely on encryption. In addition to
encryption, other techniques for protecting digital content include
"watermarking and "fingerprinting" The use of watermarks for the
purpose of identifying the manufacturer and quality of a paper
discreetly is well known. Watermarking techniques have also been
employed for preventing forgery of banknotes and checks (see for
e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,122,754 and 5,538,290).
[0046] Analogous to paper making digital watermarks can be used to
mark each individual copy of a digitized work with information
identifying the title, copyright holder, and even the licensed
owner of a particular copy. A method and system for digital
watermarking is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,800 herein
incorporated in its entirety by reference. A method for applying a
digital watermark to a content signal is disclosed. The method
includes identifying a binary sequence watermarking key and
applying the binary sequence to the content signal. The digital
watermark is then encoded within the content signal at one or more
locations determined by the watermarking key.
[0047] Another prior art teaching U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,135 discloses
a method and apparatus for the automatic censorship of audio-video
programming at the receiver in accordance with a viewer-selected
censorship mode and classification data encoded in the audio-video
programming signal. The censorship classification data comprise
codes that classify the programming for several different subjects
and several different censorship levels. Censorship of the
audio-video programming is accomplished by automatically obscuring
the audio and/or video signal by blurring the audio or video
frame.
[0048] U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,228, herein incorporated in its entirety
by reference, describes a method and a system for automatically
controlling display of video or image data in accordance with
content classification information embedded in the form of digital
watermarks. A controller decodes the watermarked content codes and
then prevents displaying of certain material, by overlaying the
display with blanking data, if the codes match certain stored
codes, which the controller has been set to respond to. The use of
invisible digital watermark codes by a controller, which operates
in response to the watermark codes, provides reliable control since
the codes are more difficult for unauthorized persons to detect and
remove than other embedded codes would be. U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,228
is directed towards censorship and screening of sensitive, adult
and pornographic content. Other US patents that disclose similar
parental control features include for example, U.S. Pat. Nos.
4,930,158; 4,930,160; 5,253,066 and 5,387,942.
[0049] Digital watermarks are applied in a variety of ways and for
a variety of purposes. Watermarks can vary according to the type of
content they are affixed to: text, images, audio or video.
Watermarks may be visible or imperceptible to the user. The
embedded watermark may be a text, image, signal or a code.
Typically watermarks contain information about the provider or
publisher. The term fingerprinting is often used to connote marks
that carry information about the end user and are essentially
employed for tracing information about the user.
[0050] Typical uses of digital watermarking and fingerprinting are:
[0051] To confirm genuineness and integrity of the content. [0052]
To authenticate ownership of a digital work. [0053] To introduce an
electronic fingerprint for preventing or tracing piracy or
unauthorized duplication. [0054] To mark a digital work, when
digital watermark is keeping additional information about the
product itself such as time and date stamping of photographs.
[0055] For censorship of sensitive content.
[0056] The practical applications of watermarking are not so much a
deterrent for private copying as an aid to police wide scale
commercial pirating of digital content.
[0057] Thus, as described herein above, prior art techniques of
distributing digital content provide either "complete and open
access" or "complete prevention of access". In the former case the
content has little commercial value since it is freely distributed,
and in the latter case the consumer has to take the leap of faith
prior to making a purchase decision. In other words, the techniques
for protection against unauthorized use of digital content rely
primarily on preventing access to the published work or allowing
access to the published work only in an encrypted form and thereby
not allowing the customer to preview, display or use the published
work without paying for it. Thus, content protection technologies
provide mechanisms for Protection of digital data or Rights
Management for content creators and distributors; however, they do
not necessarily facilitate the purchase decision process for the
consumer. The consumer is only granted a very limited access to the
preview material for determining if the content under evaluation is
a worthwhile purchase.
[0058] FIGS. 1a and 1b show conceptual representations of the
distribution models based on unrestricted and restricted access
schemes respectively.
[0059] The unrestricted access scheme, shown in FIG. 1a, is
referred to as "Open-Box Model" and denotes free or unrestricted
access to the unencrypted content object. The content label on the
box analogically describes the contents of the box by--an abstract
of the content material or excerpts therefrom or preview of the
underlying content. Due to readily available unrestricted access to
the unencrypted content object the unencrypted content object has
an insignificant commercial value.
[0060] The restricted access scheme, shown in FIG. 1b, is referred
to as the "Closed-Box Model" and denotes restricted or conditional
access to the encrypted content object. The restricted access model
referred to as "closed box model" requires certain obligations to
be met prior to release or decryption of the encrypted content
object. It is worth noting that even if, unrestricted access can be
provided to the encrypted content object, it would have little or
no utility until it is decrypted.
[0061] Consistent with the above Closed-Box Model, the primary
method of distribution of commercially valuable electronic or
digital content is providing no access to the "content object" or
"the body of the document or digital work" unless some form of
payment has been received from the user. Generally, an abstract or
a few excerpts of the published work are provided to the customer
for making a purchase decision and the published work is released
in its entirety only after payment has been received from the
customer. For example, in offering a book or similar subject matter
for sale which, has been published electronically, the content
provider or publisher generally provides any one or more of the
following items--excerpts from the book, a few chapters of the
book, a brief description of the contents, the complete Table of
Contents, and/or testimonials of other readers.
[0062] However, this method of controlling access to electronic
content, prior to a commitment of purchase by the consumer, affects
the quality of information available to the user or consumer for
making a purchase decision. Thus, in the previous example, the
electronic information received or previewed by the reader is of an
inferior quality compared to that obtained by the reader during a
physical trip to the local bookstore and actually examining the
printed book, in its entirety, prior to its purchase.
[0063] Developing a system for providing a consumer with electronic
content that--is substantially representative of the electronic
publication or electronically published content, prior to its sale
by the content provider or its purchase by the consumer; and that
in addition, does not compromise the commercial value of the
electronic content or publication (or render it worthless) offers
several challenges: [0064] a) Any attempt at increasing the
relevancy between the preview material or "pre-sale electronic
content made available for purchase decision" and the "post-sale
published electronic content", such that the former is
substantially and truly representative of the latter, almost
immediately compromises the value of the published electronic
content or removes the necessity and the incentive or motivation
for its purchase. [0065] b) Relevancy between the "pre-sale
electronic content made available for purchase decision" and the
"post-sale published electronic content" is dependant on the type
of electronic content. Thus, for instance, some relevancy may be
attached to pre-sale and post-sale versions of a video recording
wherein a muting effect has been applied to the pre-sale video
version; applying the same muting effect to a song or an audio
recording provides no relevancy at all. It will be recognized by
those of ordinary skill that relevance is not absolute but is
dependent on the knowledge, interest and motive of the user. A more
knowledgeable user can determine relevancy quite readily, while a
motivated buyer who for instance needs a textbook recommended by a
course-instructor would make a purchase decision without the
publisher-supplied information. [0066] c) Other fundamental
difficulties in dealing with electronic content are realized in the
seemingly endless variety of formats and file structures for
representing a given type of electronic content. Virtually, all
information that can be represented by words, numbers, graphics, or
system of commands and instructions can be formatted into
electronic digital information but the final representation,
display, or playback devices can vary by the type of data-handling
capacity or the quality of output. [0067] d) Electronic content is
delivered by various mediums such as Television, Cable, Satellite
Transmissions, and On-line services transmitted, over public and
private networks including broad distributed network such as the
Internet, via telephone lines or through wireless transmissions.
The electronic content providers include media and software
companies such as AOL Time Warner, Microsoft, Yahoo etc, local and
long distance telephone companies such as AT&T, Verizon, Cable
companies, Cellular telephone companies, E-mail services, etc.
which by their very nature of their enterprises are competitively
positioned and adopting a universal standard of content delivery is
difficult if not impossible.
[0068] From the above, it can be readily established that there is
a need for a system, which: [0069] Provides an improved method for
offering, displaying and distributing electronic content that
provides adequate and relevant exposure to the published electronic
content for potential purchase purposes; [0070] Provides the
consumer with an improved purchase decision framework regarding the
electronically published materials; [0071] Provides increased
fidelity or relevance between before-sale and after-sale electronic
content by allowing customers to preview the original published
electronic content in a substantially deterministic way for making
purchases; [0072] Does not compromise the value of the for-sale
electronic content by premature disclosure of for-sale electronic
publication in its entirety or full-utility configuration.
[0073] As will become clear from the ensuing detailed description,
in its simplest form the present invention provides for a "Mask" or
"Masking Effect" that is superposed on the original content as an
"interruption", "discontinuity" and/or "disorientation" with the
sole-purpose of providing a preview of the underlying original
content but in manner that only suffices for purchase-evaluation
purposes and detracts from the wholesome utilization or enjoyment
of the digital content. The masking effect is readily removed or
removable, once customer meets the obligations or conditions for
purchase of the content.
[0074] Superposition or overlays have been described in the prior
art. A digital Image Overlay System and Method for overlaying one
digital image on another digital image is described in U.S. Pat.
No. 5,283,867. More particularly this method describes transferring
and reformatting a block of image data from a bit-planar organized,
source memory and overlaying it onto an image stored in a display
target memory. This prior art teaching is particularly directed at
image overlays in presentations and picture-to-picture transitions
and does not teach a method of physically masking digital content
for the purpose of distributing digital content.
[0075] A device for distribution of a digital music information
object is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,276. The digital music
information object is composed of a core and a number of additional
layers; wherein, the core includes an encryption table, for
interacting with encryption and decryption modules of the system.
The additional layers may include audio layer class, score layer
class, text layer class and video layer class. Again, this prior
art teaching does not describe a masking effect or a masking layer,
which is removable at the time of purchase.
[0076] A system and method for providing annotation overlays from
diverse sources of commentary for World-Wide Web document is
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,025. Again, this prior art
teaching does not discuss removable masking or overlays as a part
of the distribution process.
[0077] In the present invention, the problems associated with free,
open and uncompensated distribution of electronic content to users
or consumers without thwarting the motivation for subsequent
purchase are addressed. A system is provided for distributing
information or products thereof in a fashion which supports both
modes--a payment based mode which makes the electronic content
available for paying users and a non-payment based mode for
providing content to users for previewing and making a purchase
decision.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0078] An object of the present invention is to provide for and
facilitate previewing and distribution of information products and
electronic content.
[0079] Another object of the present invention is to facilitate
protection of intellectual property distributed in an electronic
format through a variety of distribution mediums, devices or
networks including a multi-node distributed computer network such
as the Internet.
[0080] Another object of the present invention is to balance the
conflicting aspects of--ease of accessibility for preview, by the
user, for a purchase determination of given electronic content; and
the need of the owners and distributors of information products for
protecting and guarding against illegal duplication/proliferation
of the same.
[0081] An additional object of the present invention, is to provide
free and uncompensated access to information products, having a
finite commercial value, in a lower or reduced-utility
configuration for previewing and enabling the consumer to make
meaningful purchase decisions regarding said information
products.
[0082] According to one of the embodiments of the present
invention, these objects are met by superposing a masking layer on
an original information product, which reduces its utility. Thus,
when a consumer retrieves electronic content for making a decision
about purchasing an information product, the consumer encounters a
masked version of the for-sale information product which, provides
substantial preview access to the original information product
albeit in a fashion which deters the user from deriving full
utility, education, enjoyment or entertainment from it. By
providing preview access to digital data in a lower utility
configuration, the distributor preserves the commercial value of
the original information product while providing the consumer with
decision-enabling content at the same time. The masking layer
characteristics are relevant to the type of electronic
content--text, audio, video, or a combination thereof--being
masked. The masking effect itself can be tangible or intangible, it
may contain textual data or audio or video signals that are
superposed over the for-sale electronic content. It may be static
or dynamic.
[0083] Thus, the information product is rendered in a
reduced-utility configuration, for previewing, by applying a mask
or masking effect that interferes with the original configuration
of the information product. The purpose of representing the
information product in a reduced-utility configuration is to allow
the customer a preview of the electronic work for making a purchase
decision; while the original information product in its
full-utility configuration is released upon receipt of payment or
monetary consideration.
[0084] In one specific embodiment of the invention the masking
effect is in the form of a plurality of overlays that are displayed
at various locations of the information product during its
recreation or playback. The overlays are adapted to either static
or dynamic. The overlays can themselves be mini-information objects
carrying electronic content in the form of written text, drawings,
images, animation, audio-visual content etc.
[0085] In another embodiment of the invention the masking effect is
in the form of a "noise signal" or an interruptive waveform that is
applied to audio or video content portions of the information
product. The interruptive waveform can be continuous so that it
appears throughout the playback of the information product or it
may be discontinuous and appearing only at pre-selected intervals
for pre-selected durations with specific frequency.
[0086] In still another embodiment of the invention the masking
effect is in form of a perceptible interference wave that traverses
through a portion of the display screen during recreation of an
information product.
[0087] In a further embodiment of the invention the masking effect
is in the form of a blurring effect that is randomly, arbitrarily
or selectively applied to the various portions of the information
product.
[0088] In another embodiment of the invention the masked version of
an information product obtained by superposing a masking effect is
rendered the default version of the information product. The
information product persists in its masked state until a
mask-removal procedure is carried out on the information product.
After playback or display the information product reverts to its
default masked state and re-access to the information product again
requires an authentication or approval by the distributor.
[0089] Further objects and advantages of this invention will become
apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and
ensuing description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0090] FIG. 1a is a conceptual representation of Prior Art showing
the Unrestricted Access Information Distribution Model (Open Box
Model).
[0091] FIG. 1b is a conceptual representation of Prior Art showing
the Restricted Access Information Distribution Model (Closed Box
Model).
[0092] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the various elements
of a Selective Information Distributing, Downloading and Browsing
System (SIDDBS) in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention.
[0093] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of SIDDBS
in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
[0094] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of SIDDBS
in accordance with another illustrative embodiment of the
invention.
[0095] FIG. 5a illustrates an information product in its original
and unmasked configuration.
[0096] FIGS. 5b through 5f are examples of information products
shown in masked or reduced utility configurations with various mask
variants.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0097] A method and a system for distributing, downloading and
browsing or previewing information products or electronic content
is disclosed.
[0098] In the following description, various functional aspects of
the present invention will be described. However, it will be
apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention has
much broader field of application than the exemplary embodiments
set forth hereinafter.
[0099] Specific examples of digital property distribution-chain
configurations; masking effects used for re-representing digital
content; and, electronic devices used for connecting, accessing,
displaying, reading or playing back electronic content, information
or products thereof are provided by way of illustration, in order
to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention, and
not by way of limitation.
[0100] The term computer system is used broadly as a device capable
of processing, storing, accessing, and/or displaying information
and includes a general purpose as well as special purpose data
processing machines and computer systems, that are standalone,
adjunct or embedded. The computer system may be programmable using
various computer programming languages such as "C++", "Visual
Basic" etc. or may be implemented using specially programmed
hardware.
[0101] Information related terms, such as--data, data packets,
files, programs, text, graphics, music, video, flags, bits, values,
characters, strings, numbers--describing specific information
types, products, representations or elements thereof are used in
consistency with their common-use. It will be recognized by those
skilled in the art that these data or information representations
and other electronic content representations including superimposed
masks and masking effects take the form of electrical, magnetic, or
optical signals capable of being stored, accessed, copied,
transferred, deleted, modified, combined, reproduced, captured,
and/or otherwise manipulated through mechanical, electrical and
operational components of a computer system.
[0102] Various operational elements of the system for distribution
of Information and products thereof will be described in a
particular order. However, the order of presentation is not
necessarily the functional order for accomplishing the invention.
All examples of commercial products and reference to them by their
respective trade names is done for illustration and clarification
purposes; it will be readily recognized by those of ordinary skill
that these trade names are the property of their respective
owners.
[0103] For a comprehensive discussion of the methodology and
embodiments of the present invention it will be beneficial to
define the various concepts, phrases and instrumentalities utilized
in the present invention.
[0104] "Information" or "Information Products" or "Electronic
Content" are terms that refer broadly to all data that can be
represented and transmitted electronically or digitally. A brief
list of terms used for describing information and information
products is shown in Table I. Strictly speaking an information
product is an assembled package that contains information or
electronic content.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE I Terms Used For Describing Information
Products "INFORMATION PRODUCTS" or "ELECTRONIC CONTENT" Electronic
Content Digital Content Information Products Electronic Works
Digital Works Multimedia Works Electronic Publications Digital
Publications Multimedia Content Electronically Published Digital
Property Information Works Electronically Published Data
Information Object Materials
[0105] An information product may include commercial or
non-commercial electronic content including books, drawings,
images, photographs, audio recordings, songs, video recordings,
movies, software programs, multimedia works or interactive
games.
[0106] Table II shows a simple classification of various electronic
content types, in context of this invention. Information products
are typically recreated on a computer based-system.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE II Classification of Information Products By
Content Type CLASSIFICATION BY CONTENT TYPE AND EXAMPLES Printable
Books, E-Books, Magazines, Newspapers, Catalogs, Matter Journals,
Research Papers and other Published Materials; Generally, content
containing - Alphabets, Letters, Words, Text, Images, Artwork,
Figures, Drawings, Graphics, Photographs, Data, Formulas,
Equations, Symbols, Spreadsheets, Tables, etc. Audio Songs, Music,
Audio Recordings, Speeches, Radio Programs, Audio Books, Messages;
In general - Auditory Content. Video Movies, Films, Video
Recordings, TV Programs, Entertainment, Dance, Animation, Games,
Audio- visual Presentations etc. Software and Databases,
Algorithms, Programs, Executable Related Data Applications,
Software Templates, CAD Data, 3D Models and Geometry, Electronic
Signals, Interactive Content etc. Combinations of Multimedia Works,
Cable, Satellite Transmissions, the Above On-line Content, Digital
Works Containing Heterogeneous Digital Elements Or Content
Types;
[0107] The term "recreation of an information product" used in this
application refers broadly to "print, render, read, display,
interpret or playback of an information product" using appropriate
means or devices for such recreation. It will be readily understood
by those skilled in the art that a recreation of printable matter
requires a display device such as a monitor or a printer, however,
the reading of a digital file requires a computer system and an
interpretive program such as a word processor. Similarly, audio
recordings, video recordings and multimedia works require specific
hardware and read, interpret, display and/or playback devices for
accessing and playing back the same.
[0108] "Superposing a masking effect on an information product", or
"applying a masking effect or mask on an information product" or
simply "masking an information product"--refer to--applying a
tangible or an intangible effect on an information product which
limits the utility of the information product and renders the
information product or at least a portion of the information
product, being masked, incomplete, inconvenient, and/or lacking
information, data, features, functionality, resolution, clarity,
text, graphics, images, audible content or video content.
[0109] Masking effects can be seen and/or heard by a user during
recreation of an information product, which has a masking effect
superposed thereupon. Masking effects are adapted to cause at least
one of the following when superposed on an information product--an
interruption, a discontinuity, an interference, a distortion, a
disorientation and/or a combination thereof. Additionally, masking
effects can be superposed in the form of an overlay, an overlay
window, a screen, a veil, a noise signal and/or a combination
thereof. Masking effects can be adapted to be static or stationary
and attached to at least a specific portion of the information
product. Masking effects can also be dynamic wherein they are not
necessarily attached to a specific portion of the information
product but are adapted to appear with random or specific
frequency. Masking effects can also adapted to be interference
waveforms or noise signals. A masking effect or "a mask" may itself
contain electronic content including audio content, video content,
written text, pictures, graphics and/or commercial messages which
either merges with, overwrites, suppresses, conceals or modifies
the information product or portions thereof.
[0110] In generic terms, the masking effect generally interferes
with the recreation of the information product in its "original and
intended form". The "original and intended form" of an information
product refers to the original, unmasked information product that
was intended for distribution by its creators.
[0111] A primary reason for superposing a masking effect or a mask
on an information product is for distribution control purposes.
Superposition of a mask or masking effect on an information product
creates a "reduced utility version" or "masked" version of the
information product. Such a masking effect is referred to as a
"utility-reducing masking effect". The masked version of the
information product provides a preview of the original and intended
information product albeit in a form that detracts from wholesome
utilization or enjoyment of the information product. Thus, the
masked version or a preview version remains substantially
representative of the original information product and enables a
user in evaluating the information product for making a purchase
decision. "Reduced-utility configuration" or "reduced-utility
representation" of an information product refers to its preview or
masked state in which, the information product is
characteristically represented in a fashion that disables its
utilization to the fullest degree.
[0112] In a typical distribution scheme the distributor of an
information product controls the superposition or application of
the masking effect. The characteristics of the masking effect
including the level, type, content and extent of masking are
controllable by the distributor. A distributor of an information
product can prescribe criteria for controlling the permanence,
absence, removal or duration of the masking effect on the
information product.
[0113] A utility-reducing masking effect can be adapted to be
removable or reversible when a customer meets the prescribed
criteria for gaining access to the information product in its
original and intended form. Prescribed criteria may include a
purchase of the information product or buying a subscription or
being an authorized customer of the distributor. Once a customer
meets the prescribed or pre-established criteria, access can be
granted to the customer.
[0114] Alternately, a utility-reducing masking effect can be
permanently superposed on an information product to create an
irreversible masked version of the information product. Once a
masked or preview version is created, the preview version can be
freely distributed to a large audience for marketing and offering
for sale the original information product.
[0115] Terms such as "Content Layering", "Mask Layering" or
"Layered Masking" generally connote that masking effects have been
imposed on an information product the form of overlays or a
plurality of layers. The net effect provided by plurality of layers
may be accretive (content addition) or depletive (content hiding)
or both--showing content as an overlay which hides the content in
the layer below it.
System:
[0116] As mentioned hereinabove, various distribution systems for
information products have been described in the prior art.
Particularly, the commonly used Unrestricted Access and Restricted
Access distribution models are shown in FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b,
respectively. A key feature of the Restricted Access Information
Distribution Model, shown in FIG. 1b, is that information products
of commercial value are typically made available only upon exchange
of monetary consideration between the user and the distributor or
content provider, and as such the user, more often than not,
receives little or insufficient information about the product being
considered for purchase. This controlled access to the point of
prohibiting the user from seeing, hearing or reading what he/she
intends to purchase is exercised because of the fact that access to
digital information and its subsequent use invariably involves
making a copy. In fact, computer programs are run by copying them
from disk/storage to memory (RAM, or random access memory); and,
web pages are viewed by copying them from a remote computer to a
local machine or other display/playback device(s). Thus, the very
act of providing access involves copying.
[0117] Therefore, regardless of the mechanisms of distribution or
information type, the Restricted Access Distribution Model has been
based on NO PAYMENT, NO ACCESS (NPNA). The Restricted Access Model
does not allow the user to gain access to the main body of the
Information product, even for preview or purchase decision
purposes. This shortcoming of the restricted access model
frequently leads to the consumer behavior of NO PREVIEW ACCESS, NO
PURCHASE (NPANP). Thus, in effect both the distributor and the
consumer are adversely affected by the restricted access system;
the distributor looses revenue due to being unable to attract a
sale, while the consumer is prohibited from deriving pleasure or
value from the information product. It may be argued that it is
such restrictive systems, for distribution of digital content, that
have encouraged services like NAPSTER to be created.
[0118] The present invention is directed at providing access to
digital information or electronic content without compromising its
sale value and enabling the user or consumer to make a better
purchase decision, and, from the content providers standpoint, to
entice the user by providing a controlled access to the information
product. In accordance with the present invention access control is
exercised by applying a masking effect to an information product so
that it can be readily distributed as a preview material, however,
complete access can only be provided upon completion of an
authentication or purchase procedure established by the
distributor.
[0119] FIG. 2 shows a Selective Information Distributing,
Downloading and Browsing System (SIDDBS) 10, for distribution of
information products or electronic content, in accordance with this
invention. It will be recognized by those of ordinary skill that
information products may be distributed by content creators,
authors, musicians, movie directors, sports organizations, singers,
paper publishing companies, recording companies, movie studios, TV
studios, or other individuals and organizations. SIDDBS 10 has
three basic elements comprising of--on the supplier side, an
Information Distribution Center (IDC) 11; on the consumer side, an
Information Downloading and Previewing Center (IDPC) 12; and an
Interactive Information Transmission Link (IITL) 13
therebetween.
[0120] IDC 11 has several functions including storage,
authentication, payment processing, access management and
transmission of information products. These functions can be
performed by a singular multi-functional computing device or a
computer system. Alternately, the functionalities can be divided
between a plurality of computing and storage devices or servers
connected together in accordance with known network protocols.
[0121] The functions performed by IDC 11, include: [0122] Storing
information products or electronic content provided by publisher(s)
and/or author(s). [0123] Authenticating users per pre-established
criteria including payment confirmation, membership status, and/or
account history, etc. [0124] Processing payments and customer
purchase requests. [0125] Managing access to information products
per user privileges as different users and/or groups may have
different privilege rights. [0126] Distributing information
products in original or masked form in accordance with
authentication and access rights. Thus, for instance a non-paying
user will only receive a masked or reduced-utility version of an
information product, while a paying user will receive the
information product in its original and intended form.
[0127] The essential functionalities of IDC 11 are performed by
logic processing sub-systems or units as shown in FIG. 2.
Specifically, these sub-units include an Information Storage
Warehouse (ISW) 110, which acts as an information storage facility
or data bank; a Preview Access Mechanism (PAM) 111, for processing
and distributing derived or masked information products; a Payment
Based Access Mechanism (PBAM) 112, for processing and distributing
information products in their original and intended form; and a
User Authorization Mechanism and Commerce Interface (UAMCI) 113 for
authorizing users, processing commerce transactions, and issuing
permissions for distribution of information per pre-established
criteria such as user-authorization status, account authentication,
payment confirmation, digital signature, consumer consent or other
qualifying actions established by the distributor.
[0128] As shown in FIG. 2 the connection between Information
Distribution Center, IDC 11 and the Information Downloading and
Previewing Center, IDPC 12 is through an Interactive Information
Transmission Link, IITL 13. IITL 13 can be a link via the Internet
or the World Wide Web or other communication network(s) including
Cable, Telephone, DSL, ADSL, and Modem or Satellite links. Also, in
FIG. 2, IDC 11 is shown connected or linked via IITL 13 to a single
IDPC 12. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that IDC
11 can be concurrently and independently connected to a multitude
of users having their own Downloading and Preview devices via a
variety of interactive communication links operating at various
transmission or information-exchange speeds.
[0129] At the consumer end, the Information Downloading and
Previewing Center, IDPC 12, is a typical computer system and may be
a general-purpose computer, which is programmable using a
programming language or may use specially programmed hardware.
[0130] The IDPC 12 includes an Information Receiving and Processing
Unit (IRPU) 120; an Information Rendering, Display, or Playback
Unit (IRDPU) 121; and, an Information Input, Selection and
Authorization Unit (IISAU) 122.
[0131] IRPU 120 is analogous to the central processor and memory
devices of a Personal Computer (PC). On most commonly used PCs,
commercial processors used include Pentium.RTM. and Celeron.RTM.
processors supplied by Intel Corporation and Athlon.RTM. Processors
supplied by AMD Corporation. Many other processors are also
available. Such processors execute an operating system program such
as Windows 95 or Windows 98 provided by Microsoft Corporation, or
OS/2 provided by IBM Corporation, or other commercial operating
systems. The communication functions are generally accomplished by
a communication device such as a modem which provides the conduit
or link to the world wide web (WWW) or the Internet or other
private network(s).
[0132] IRDPU 121 is analogous to output devices may be connected to
the computer system such as a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Display or
monitor, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen, Speakers or Audio
outputs and Printers.
[0133] IISAU 122 is analogous to input devices on a PC. Examples of
input devices include a keyboard, keypad, trackball, mouse, pen and
tablet, barcode scanners, MICR scanners, OCR scanners, cameras and
sensors. These input devices may be connected to the IRPU 120 via
wire based interconnect system or through a wireless connection. It
will be recognized that other cursor control and input systems such
as voice activated command controls may be used in lieu of or in
addition to the keyboard and mouse.
[0134] It will be readily realized by those skilled in the art that
a PC may contain additional device such as auxiliary storage
devices such as Zip disks, DVD disk drive, CD-ROM drive, scanners,
cameras, attached to it.
[0135] The IDPC 12 has been described herein above as a
general-purpose personal computer system having individual
sub-components or units including Information Receiving and
Processing Unit (IRPU 120), an Information Rendering, Display or
Playback Unit (IRDPU 121), and, an Information Input, Selection and
Authorization Unit (IISAU 122). It would be realized by those
skilled in the art that IDPC 12 can be a special purpose computer
system with the sub-components IRPU 120, IRDPU 121 and IISAU 122
corresponding to the processing, output and input modules of the
system respectively.
[0136] A few examples of IDPCs and subcomponents IRPU, IRDPU and
IISAU are shown in Table III.
[0137] It is noteworthy that IDPC 12, does not necessarily need to
be modular having the above identified sub-components; IDPC 12 can
be an integrated device for receiving, ordering and rendering
electronic content such as a portable hand-held device like the
type sold under popular trade names Palm, Pocket PC, iPaq etc.
[0138] A special computer system might have pre-programmed
command-button input choices presented on a command console or
through a remote-control type command console. It should be
understood that the invention is not limited to the particular
input or output devices used in combination with the computer
system or to those mentioned herein neither is this exemplary list
meant to be exhaustive. In addition to input-output devices, the
computer system architecture or operating system can be varied and
may be implemented in a standalone, networked or embedded
configurations.
TABLE-US-00003 TABLE III Examples of Information Downloading and
Previewing Centers (IDPCs) System: IDPC IRPU IRDPU IISAU 1 Personal
CPU, Memory Monitors, Keyboard, Mouse Computer with upstream
Display, or other cursor System communication Speakers, control
device (PC) device such Printers. such as voice as a modem or
activated DSL/ADSL link. software. 2 Personal Processing, display
and input units are Digital integrated into one device. Assistant
(PDA) 3 Digital Video DVD Player Television Command button Disk
System and Speaker console or remote (DVD) system control 4 Cable
TV Cable Box or Television Command button TV signal de- and Speaker
console or remote coder with system control Coaxial cable link
[0139] Referring now to FIG. 3 there is shown, in a flow-chart
format, a method for distributing, downloading and previewing
information. Essentially FIG. 3 illustrates the basic operation of
the present invention and interaction between the user and the
distributor through a communication link established between their
respective computer systems. For clarity and consistency like parts
bear the same reference numerals as FIG. 2. Thus, the distributor's
computer system is referred to as the IDC 11 (Information
Distribution Center) while the customer's computer system is
referred to as IDPC 12 (Information Downloading and Previewing
Center).
[0140] As detailed hereinabove IDC 11 and IDPC 12 are connected
through an interactive communication link IITL 13 (Interactive
Information Transmission Link). The communication link itself can
be wire based or wireless and utilize telephone, coaxial cable,
fiber optics or satellite communication links or networks. It will
be apparent to those skilled in the art, that a secure, reliable
and trustworthy communication network link, channel or connection
is required for effective distribution of digital content and
Information Products. The present invention presupposes that such a
secure and trusted communication link can be established between
IDC 11 and IDPC 12.
[0141] The computer systems IDC 11 and IDPC 12 or components
thereof are operable in requester and provider modes or
functionalities. Thus, for instance, in the requester mode IDPC 12
will request access to a specific Information Product or digital
work from the IDC 11; IDC 11, in the provider mode, will process
the user's request and thereafter itself switch to the requester
mode and request the user for a specified payment amount in
exchange of value for the Information Product; IDPC 12 will now, in
the provider mode, supply a credit card number for payment of the
digital work and so on. This is frequently referred to as
client/server architecture, in which, the client (personal computer
or workstation) is the requesting machine and the server is the
supplying machine, both of which are connected via a local area
network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN). In other words, a client
is defined as a requester of services and a server is defined as
the provider of services. A single machine can be both a client and
a server depending on the software configuration.
[0142] As listed in Table I and Table II herein above, information
products or digital representations of Intellectual Property can
take the form of books, graphics, images, music, audio, video,
animation, 3D geometry, multimedia works or software. Also, the
composition of an information product can be either homogeneous
(consisting of a single data type) or heterogeneous (consisting of
a plurality of data elements or content types). As will also be
realized by those skilled in the art the information product can be
any combination of binary data arranged or structured in a format
dependent on data-type, size, content, compression level or other
technical criteria.
[0143] All information or information products are stored in the
Information Storage Warehouse, ISW 110 and are accessed from the
ISW in a pre-controlled manner. ISW 110 can be regarded as the
"information bank or "data bank." Exchange or distribution of
information from ISW 110 occurs in accordance with the "exchange
rate or value" assigned to a given "information product" and under
specific guidelines or criteria established by the distributor.
Exemplary criteria are shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, wherein the
customer can gain access to the original content stored in ISW 110
by paying for it through a Payment Based Access Mechanism, PBAM
112. Alternately, the customer can acquire content from ISW 110
using a Preview Access Mechanism, PAM 111. PAM 111 ensures that the
customer receives the original content from ISW 110 in a masked or
reduced utility configuration for purchase decision purposes.
[0144] The Interactive Information Transmission Link IITL 13 is
used to establish a connection with the User Authorization
Mechanism and Commerce Interface, UAMCI 113. Once a successful link
has been established with UAMCI 113, the user proceeds to request a
specific information product or title from IDC 11. The commerce
interface module of UAMCI 113 processes the information request in
accordance with predetermined conditions that must be met for
specific access type. Thus, UAMCI 113 acts as the gateway to the
ISW 110. The functionalities of the UAMCI 113 may include
processing information requests and payment transactions,
generating billing information, confirming that the credit card
information provided by the user is genuine by confirmation of
billing address associated with a credit card number or other third
party authentication mechanisms. Upon successful completion of the
authorization step and confirmation of payment conditions, the user
is provided access to the information product request through the
Payment Based Access Mechanism, PBAM 112 and receives the original,
paid-for version of the information or digital work requested.
[0145] In case of failure of the Payment transaction or the user's
interest in a preview version of the requested information, the
user is directed through Preview Access Mechanism, PAM 111 and
receives a masked version of the information product.
[0146] It will be recognized by those skilled in the art, that the
primary purpose of providing free access to information or products
thereof in a "masked" or "reduced-utility" configuration is to NOT
diminish or compromise its sale value. The level of "utility
reduction" or "masking" for preserving the sale value of
information or products thereof is dependent on: [0147] Type of
information product (movie, music, book etc.) [0148] Selective
superposition of masking effects on the various body elements of an
information product; wherein, certain portions or regions of the
information product or specific data elements in the information
product are selectively masked or disabled for reading, display or
playback. [0149] The composition of the digital content (text,
graphics, photographs, audio and/or video).
[0150] FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the distribution,
downloading and previewing system. Once again, like parts bear like
reference numerals. In this embodiment, the Interactive Information
Transmission Link IITL 13 is used to establish a connection with
the User Authorization Mechanism and Commerce Interface, UAMCI
113.
[0151] In the most generic terms, UAMCI 113 is the mechanism
whereby the user interacts with the IDC 11 and invokes monetary
transactions and gains access to Information or products thereof.
At a minimum, the UAMCI 113 will process alpha numeric input
provided by the user and provide transaction status feedback and
then initiate access in accordance with the user's request for
information and user's transaction status. The implementation and
appearance of UAMCI 113 will vary according to the design and
functionality preferred by the distributor.
[0152] A typical UAMCI may include various interactive facilities
for various functions or user-approach conditions, which may be
organized as interface modules. In the current illustrative
embodiment the interface modules or facilities are:
[0153] a Log-on facility (LF);
[0154] a Registering Facility (RF)
[0155] an Information Request and Selection Facility (IRSF);
[0156] a Transaction Processing and Feedback Facility (TPFF);
[0157] In addition, the UAMCI 113 will most likely be capable of
storing, retrieving and checking against stored User Profiles,
Log-on Information and Demographic Data.
[0158] The Log-on Facility may be the primary session initiation
procedure that the user encounters for confirming his/her
registration status. Session initiation procedures and requirements
may be established by the distributor and implemented through the
Log-on Facility in the UAMCI 113. Session initiation procedure
might have a registration pre-requisite, requiring the user to have
a pre-assigned "USER ID" and "PASSWORD" or "Access Code".
[0159] If the USER ID and/or PASSWORD input is incorrect the user
gets an error message and is directed to retrieving USER ID and
PASSWORD data by alternate methods. If the user is not a registered
user, the user is directed to the Registering Facility (RF).
[0160] Once the UAMCI 113 receives matching "USER ID" and
"PASSWORD" information, the customer is cleared to proceed to the
Information Request and Selection Facility (IRSF). The IRSF
provides functionality for the user to search for Information and
Information Products using the search and browsing functions. The
content can be organized by Titles such as name of movies, books,
audio albums and the like; by content type such as text, audio,
video, software etc.; or by product type such as movies, books,
music-audio, music video, news etc. Alternately, the user may input
alphanumeric data for requesting a particular Information Product.
Thus, the user has various options for choosing and selecting
content to purchase or receive. The information request is
initiated by the selection of an information product and receipt of
a verifying signal from the user which may be a mouse-click on a
command button or a key-board stroke or an audio-command.
[0161] Next the user is sent to the Transaction Processing and
Feedback Facility (TPFF) where the user chooses a variety of
payment options or a non-payment option.
[0162] The user may choose one of his/her preferred method of
paying and input the required credit card, bank a/c or other data
depending on the payment option selected. Upon clearance of funds
and receipt of payment, the user is notified and allowed the option
of printing a record of the transaction. Thereafter, the user is
cleared to proceed to Payment Based Access Mechanism whereby the
user downloads the item(s) purchased.
[0163] A non-payment Information Request diverts the user to the
Preview Access Mechanism PAM 111 and the user is allowed to
download a masked version (reduced-utility version) of the items
selected free of charge.
[0164] It will be realized that having a masked version for free
and uncompensated distribution purposes relieves the IDC 11 of
payment processing and monetary transactions for delivery of masked
or reduced-utility electronic content and a simplified version of
IDC 11 can be set-up for delivering only masked content while
Payment Based Transactions can be assigned to a separate computer
system or distribution unit.
[0165] Also, in addition to the free and uncompensated primary
distribution of masked content from one Information Distribution
Center (IDC), the publisher(s) or distributor(s) may choose to
allow unrestricted secondary distribution of the masked content
between users, secondary distributors and other content providers
(while retaining rights for authentication, selling and unmasking
of electronic content). This limits the load on the IDC for
Information requests as the same digital work or content can be
accessed and downloaded in a masked configuration from a variety of
content providers. This is a considerable advantage, as those
skilled in the art would realize that the speed of accessing or
downloading content (bits downloaded per unit time) is inversely
proportional to the number of users requesting access and the
information carrying capacity of the link. Thus, if all downloaded
requests are routed through a single unit, downloads will be lot
slower compared to routing them through multiple connection
points.
[0166] Representing electronic content in a lower-utility masked
configuration directly yields the advantage of freely available
content for purchase evaluation purposes from multiple access
locations and sources without relinquishment of control by the
original source, for purchase or authorized and unmasked rendering
of Information and products thereof.
[0167] Referring now to FIG. 5a through FIG. 5f, there is shown a
representative information product 50 in various unmasked and
masked configurations wherein like reference numerals represent
like parts.
[0168] It will be recognized by persons skilled in the art, that
information product 50 will typically be in the format of a file or
a similar logical entity which is capable of being recreated,
accessed, called, read, displayed or played-back through an
interpretive software program, installed on suitable hardware, and
will be displayed through standard computer peripheral display and
playback devices, such as, a monitor and speakers. For the purposes
of this discussion, information product 50 can be assumed to be
stored on a remote computer server and being accessed via a network
connection. It will be readily recognized that it may as readily be
stored locally or on a CD-ROM or similar storage media.
[0169] FIG. 5a shows information product 50 being displayed on a
display peripheral 51 in its unmasked, original and intended form.
The display peripheral 51 has a screen 52 where the actual
electronic content is displayed. Screen 52 is essentially an
electronic content display window. It will be readily apparent that
the display peripheral 51 can be a monitor, a CRT terminal or
similar display device and may in addition be equipped with
speakers or other voice output devices. The display peripheral 51
is connected to a suitable computing device or computer that has
the ability of storing, processing and displaying information
product 50. Although, as displayed information product 50 contain
written text, it would be recognized that the representative data
elements making up information product 50 can be characters,
strings, arrays, text, graphics, video or any other data form.
Various areas of the information product 50 can be accessed and
displayed on the screen 52 by using the scroll bar 53.
[0170] In FIG. 5a, the information product 50 is shown in the
original and intended form and in its full-utility or unmasked
configuration. The content as shown in FIG. 5a, is the intended
content that the user will receive or connect-to upon payment of
due consideration. The means for exchanging payments and conducting
money/financial transactions electronically over a secure network
environment are well know in the art and are commonly encountered
at various websites accessible throughout the World Wide Web or the
Internet. Such websites, which accept credit cards and other
payment means, are frequently referred to as e-commerce enabled
websites.
[0171] FIG. 5b through FIG. 5f show illustrative examples of
various masks or masking effects, which are superposed over
original information product 50 to render same in reduced utility
configuration(s). These illustrative masks interfere generally with
the exhibition, display, printing, and/or playback of the
information product 50 that appears on the screen 52.
[0172] In FIG. 5b, information product 50 is shown in a masked
configuration carrying a mask 54. Mask 54 is superposed over the
displayed portion of the information product 50 on screen 52. Mask
54 acts as a masking overlay and partially hides a portion of the
information product 50 that is displayed on screen 52. As shown in
FIG. 5b, Mask 54 is opaque, has a sharply defined boundary and
shows a graphic centrally located within the boundary. Mask 54 may
be superposed on the information product 50 in a stationary manner
and generally masking a pre-determined area or display region of
screen 52. Alternatively, Mask 54 can be devised to be dynamic and
in constant motion throughout the various areas of display screen
52 on which the electronic content is displayed.
[0173] In FIG. 5c, information product 50 is shown in a masked
configuration carrying a "content overlay" or mask 55. Mask 55 is
superposed on the displayed region of information product 50 and
also displays additional electronic content. The electronic content
displayed by Mask 55 may be either related to or completely
unrelated to the information product 50. Thus, for example the mask
55 can contain marketing information about information product 50,
which touts for e.g. the bestseller status of the document, or
reviews by other readers, or information about the author, editor
or publisher. Other examples of meaningful marketing content would
be an HTML link to the order page for rapid access to the purchase
page should the user decide to purchase information product 50 at
any given time while reviewing a masked version of information
product 50. The mask could also contain very targeted advertising
or commercial material that relates directly to the underlying
content, for example information product 50 might be available in
various multi-media formats, which can be purchased in an
integrated or separate manner at user's option. Thus, all the
peripheral buying decision information can be made available
through a content mask. In the above examples, the content mask
acquires a dual functionality of masking information product 50
while at the same time providing information about the document and
its purchase to the user.
[0174] In FIG. 5d a plurality of masking elements are employed for
masking information product 50. Specifically, masking elements 56
and 57 are shown disposed at separate locations on screen 52.
Masking elements can have varying characteristics, whereas mask 56
is shown as a semi-transparent mask, and mask 57 is shown as
opaque.
[0175] In FIG. 5e there is shown a masking element or mask 58
superposed over information product 50. Mask 58 is characterized by
alternating opaque and semi-transparent regions.
[0176] In FIG. 5f there is shown a masking effect 59, which
distorts the displayed information product 50 at certain region(s)
of screen 52. Alternately masking effect 59 can be rendered as a
waveform wherein a content-distorting wave or ripple propagates
through the displayed content on screen 52 at a certain frequency.
Again, the purpose of distorting-waveforms is to interfere with the
wholesome enjoyment of information product 50.
[0177] From the above it is readily seen that a variety of
embodiments and distribution control schemes can be devised by
utilizing masking effects for controlling distribution.
[0178] In general, masks or masking effects are applied or
superposed over an information product and adapted to cause an
interference, interruption, distortion, discontinuity,
disorientation, blurring, screening, veiling and/or hiding of at
least a portion of the displayed electronic content. Masking
effects are superposed for providing a preview of the underlying
original content but in manner that only suffices for
purchase-evaluation purposes and detracts from the wholesome
utilization or enjoyment of the digital content. Masks or masking
effects reduce the utility of the original electronic content and
yet allow the user to make a purchase decision. The masking effect
is readily removed or removable once the customer has met the
pre-determined criteria or conditions for access and/or purchase of
the content.
[0179] Alternately, the masking effects can be applied in a
permanent manner to derive a masked information product. The masked
information product can be used for marketing and generating sales
for the original information product. The masked information
product can be distributed in an unrestricted manner and made
readily accessible.
[0180] The presence, absence, permanence or duration of application
for a masking effect is controllable in accordance with the outcome
of interactions between the distributor and the receiver. In one
embodiment of the invention the removal of a superposed masking
effect requires purchase of an information product. In another
embodiment of the invention the masking effect can be turned
permanent when tampering with the masking effect is detected.
[0181] The level, extent or degree of masking can be controlled by
the distributor. In one embodiment of the invention the masking
effect is in the form of a plurality of masking layers which can be
switched ON of OFF to provide light or heavy masking.
[0182] According to another embodiment of the invention a plurality
of masking effects may be separately superposed on a main
information product to provide a plurality of masked information
products. The plurality of masked information products are adapted
for previewing by a plurality of audience group in accordance with
their preview preferences. The superposition of a specific masking
effect corresponding to a specific audience group renders a
specific masked information product specifically targeted and
tailored for that specific audience group for making a purchase
decision. For instance, when considering purchase of movie
potential buyers would be motivated to purchase based on their
subjective content preferences such as action, comedy, drama, music
and special effect etc. Tailoring a preview version for a specific
audience group will result in more-informed decision by the
potential buyer.
[0183] In one specific embodiment of the invention the masking
effect is in the form of a plurality of overlays that are displayed
at various locations of the information product during its
recreation or playback. Overlays are essentially "perceptible
masking objects" displayed over electronic content. Overlays can be
in the form of continuous overlay or a plurality of overlay objects
dispersed throughout the information product. The overlays are
adapted to either static or dynamic. The overlays can themselves be
mini-information objects carrying electronic content in the form of
written text, drawings, images, animation, audio-visual content
etc.
[0184] In another embodiment of the invention the masking effect is
in the form of an "interruptive waveform" or an "interference" or a
"noise signal" that is applied to audio or video content portions
of the information product. The interruptive waveform can be
continuous so that it appears throughout the playback of the
information product or it may be discontinuous and appearing only
at pre-selected intervals for pre-selected durations. The frequency
with which the interruptive waveform or pattern repeats itself on
the information product, and the duration of the interruption
period during which such interruptive waveform is present on the
information product are variables that can be controlled by the
distributor and adapted for a particular type of content.
[0185] Masking effects in the form of "interruptive or distortive
waveforms" or "noise signals" that propagate through the displayed
content at pre-determined frequency are particularly suitable for
audio or video content and can appear at pre-selected intervals for
pre-selected durations. Thus, the masking effect as an interruptive
waveform can be also controlled chronologically during a playback
of a movie, an audio recording, a video recording or a multi-media
work. An interruptive waveform or interference can have an
audio-interference component and a visual-interference component,
which can be respectively superposed over audio and visual
components of an information product.
[0186] In still another embodiment of the invention the masking
effect is in form of a perceptible interference wave that traverses
through a portion of the display screen during recreation of an
information product. It will be recognized by those skilled in the
art that masking effects can be general or selective. In other
words the masks or masking effects may be displayed at an arbitrary
region of the display window or terminal or they may be selectively
attached to pre-determined portions of the electronic content.
Masks are adapted to be stationary or dynamic. In other words,
masks can cause interference at a specific stationary location
relative to the displayed content or actually move around the
display window.
[0187] Masks can have a variety of shapes and sizes having sharply
defined or undefined boundaries. Masks can be white, colored, hued,
opaque or transparent. Masks can have regions that have varying
even opposing features, colors, opacity or behavior.
[0188] Masking effects or masks can be considered as
mini-information objects superposed over the information product
and containing electronic content in the form of text, images,
graphics, photos, audio and/or video. Masks can serve additional
functions by carrying/displaying additional content related to the
original electronic content such as marketing information, purchase
information, links to the order page, links to selected areas in
the electronic content, special sale offers, very-targeted
advertising media etc.
[0189] Masking effects can be in the form of micro signatures that
are added to the content to keep track of transmission history and
record the transmission and distribution process and that gets
updated every time a document is transferred, retrieved and
transmitted from one computer system to another.
[0190] In another embodiment of the invention the masked version of
an information product, obtained by superposing a masking effect,
is rendered the default version of the information product. The
information product persists in its masked state until a
mask-removal procedure is carried out on the information product.
The mask-removal procedure may require authentication or approval
by the distributor prior to the recreation of the information
product in its original and intended form. Once an authentication
or mask-removal procedure has been successfully carried out the
user can read, watch or listen to the information product but
cannot store the information product in its original and intended
form; thereafter the information product reverts to its default
masked state and re-access to the information product again
requires an authentication or approval by the distributor.
[0191] It would be readily apparent to those skilled in the art
that various alterations, modifications and adaptations can be made
to this invention without departing from the spirit and scope of
the invention.
* * * * *
References