System and method for managing transfer of rights using shared state variables
View Patent ↗A method, system and device for transferring rights adapted to be associated with items from a rights supplier to a rights consumer, including obtaining a set of rights associated with an item, the set of rights including meta-rights specifying derivable rights that can be derived from the meta-; determining whether the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights; and deriving at least one right from the derivable rights, if the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights, wherein the derived right includes at least one state variable based on the set of rights and used for determining a state of the derived right.
1. A computer-implemented method for transferring rights adapted to be associated with items from a rights supplier to a rights consumer, the method comprising:
obtaining a set of rights associated with an item, the set of rights including a meta-right specifying a right that can be created when the meta-right is exercised, wherein the meta-right is provided in digital form and is enforceable by a repository;
determining, by a repository, whether the rights consumer is entitled to the right specified by the meta-right; and
exercising the meta-right to create the right specified by the meta-right if the rights consumer is entitled to the right specified by the meta-right, wherein the created right includes at least one state variable based on the set of rights and used for determining a state of the created right.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the state variable inherits a state thereof for content usage or rights transfer from the set of rights.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the state variable shares a state thereof for content usage or rights transfer with the set of rights.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the state variable inherits a remaining state for content usage or rights transfer from the set of rights.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the state variable is updated upon exercise of a right associated with the state variable.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein exercising the meta-right creates a plurality of rights, wherein the state variable is shared by the created rights.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the state variable represents a collection of states.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of state variables that determine the state of the created right.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one state variable is unspecified in the created right, is created during a rights transfer, and is assigned to the created right.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the state variable is transferred from the right specified by the meta-right to the created right.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a license including the created right, if the rights consumer is entitled to the right specified by the meta-right.
12. A system for transferring rights adapted to be associated with items from a rights supplier to a rights consumer, the system comprising:
means for obtaining a set of rights associated with an item, the set of rights including a meta-right specifying a right that can be created when the meta-right is exercised, wherein the meta-right is provided in digital form and is enforceable by a repository;
means for determining whether the rights consumer is entitled to the right specified by the meta-right; and
means for exercising the meta-right to create the right specified by the meta-right if the rights consumer is entitled to the right specified by the meta-right, wherein the created right includes at least one state variable based on the set of rights and used for determining a state of the created right.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the state variable inherits a state thereof for content usage or rights transfer from the set of rights.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the state variable shares a state thereof for content usage or rights transfer with the set of rights.
15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the state variable inherits a remaining state for content usage or rights transfer from the set of rights.
16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the state variable is updated upon exercise of a right associated with the state variable.
17. The system of claim 12 , wherein exercising the meta-right results creates a plurality of rights, wherein the state variable is shared by the created rights.
18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the state variable represents a collection of states.
19. The system of claim 12 , including a plurality of state variables that determine the state of the created right.
20. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one state variable is unspecified in the created right, is created during a rights transfer, and is assigned to the created right.
21. The system of claim 12 , wherein the state variable is transferred from the right specified by the meta-right to the created right.
22. The system of claim 12 , further comprising means for generating a license including the created right, if the rights consumer is entitled to the right specified by the meta-right.
23. The system of claim 12 , wherein the means for obtaining, the means for determining, and the means for exercising comprise at least one of computer-executable instructions, and devices of a computer system.
24. A device for transferring rights adapted to be associated with items from a rights supplier to a rights consumer, the device comprising:
means for obtaining a set of rights associated with an item, the set of rights including a meta-right specifying a right that can be created when the meta-right is exercised, wherein the meta-right is provided in digital form and is enforceable by a repository;
means for determining whether the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable right specified by the meta-right; and
means for exercising the meta-right to create the right specified by the meta-right if the rights consumer is entitled to the right specified by the meta-right, wherein the created right includes at least one state variable based on the set of rights and used for determining a state of the created right.
25. The device of claim 24 , wherein the state variable inherits a state thereof for content usage or rights transfer from the set of rights.
26. The device of claim 24 , wherein the state variable shares a state thereof for content usage or rights transfer with the set of rights.
27. The device of claim 24 , wherein the state variable inherits a remaining state for content usage or rights transfer from the set of rights.
28. The device of claim 24 , wherein the state variable is updated upon exercise of a right associated with the state variable.
29. The device of claim 24 , wherein exercising the meta-right results creates a plurality of rights, wherein the state variable is shared by the created rights.
30. The device of claim 24 , wherein the state variable represents a collection of states.
31. The device of claim 24 , including a plurality of state variables that determine the state of the created right.
32. The device of claim 24 , wherein the at least one state variable is unspecified in the created right, is created during a rights transfer, and is assigned to the created right.
33. The device of claim 24 , wherein the state variable is transferred from the right specified by the meta-right to the created right.
34. The device of claim 24 , further comprising means for generating a license including the created right, if the rights consumer is entitled to the right specified by the meta-right.
35. The device of claim 24 , wherein the means for obtaining, the means for determining, and the means for exercising comprise at least one of computer-executable instructions, and devices of a computer system.
36. The device of claim 24 , wherein one or more of the means for obtaining, the means for determining, and the means for exercising are specified in a license.