Computer data object modification based on data types in a networked environment
View Patent ↗A network server may discourage inappropriate use. Files may be altered in such a way as to not noticeably affect acceptable, desired file types, but to substantially corrupt undesirable file types. Every file copied to or from a memory of a server may be affected, or the method may be applied only to selected files or types of files. In particular, files that may be corrupted by alternation include executable software files and compressed files, which may be fault intolerant. Fault tolerant files, which may include text and graphics files, may not be noticeably affected. In some cases, copyrighted files, media files, and/or other files are altered to prevent undesirable distribution.
1. A method, comprising:
a computer system inhibiting usage of data objects having a first data type that is a prohibited data type, including accessing a data object having a characteristic of a second data type, wherein the first data type is distinct from the second data type; and
based at least in part on the second data type, the computer system using a data modification algorithm to create a modified data object by modifying at least one bit of information in the data object;
wherein the modified data object is usable as the second data type, but is unusable as the first, prohibited data type.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data object is a media object, and wherein the computer system is configured to serve media transmissions via a network.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the computer system transmitting the modified data object to a user computing device in response to a request.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the at least one bit of information includes inserting tracking information into the data object.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the at least one bit of information in the data object comprises identifying one or more specific portions of the data object and modifying information in the one or more specific portions.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating the modified data object includes overwriting the data object.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second data type is an audio or video data type, and wherein the first, prohibited data type is an executable data type.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said accessing comprises analyzing one or more data patterns in the data object in order to determine the second data type.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving an upload of the data object from a network and using the data modification algorithm in response to the upload, wherein the data object is a file.
10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that are executable to cause the computer system to perform operations to inhibit usage of data objects having a first data type that is a prohibited data type, comprising:
receiving a transmission request for at least a first data object;
analyzing a characteristic of the first data object to determine a second data type of the first data object; and
based at least in part on the determined second data type, using a data modification algorithm to cause modified information to be included in a transmitted version of the first data object, wherein the modified information allows the transmitted version of the first data object to be usable as the second data type, but unusable as the first, prohibited data type, wherein the first data type is distinct from the second data type.
11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the second data type includes compressed media data.
12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein analyzing the first data object is performed in response to receiving the transmission request.
13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise, in response to the transmission request, transmitting a data stream that includes the transmitted version of the first data object to a remote client via a network.
14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the data modification algorithm modifies the at least one bit of information based on a size of the first data object.
15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise analyzing file system data for the first data object to determine the second data type.
16. A system, comprising:
a processor;
a network interface device; and
a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the system to perform operations to inhibit usage of data objects having a first data type that is a prohibited data type, comprising:
accessing a data object in response to a request;
analyzing a characteristic of the data object to determine a second data type of the data object; and
based at least in part on the determined second data type, using a data modification algorithm to create a modified data object by modifying at least one bit of information in the data object, wherein the modified data object is usable as the second data type, but is unusable as the first, prohibited data type, wherein the first data type is distinct from the second data type.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise, in response to the request, transmitting the modified data object to a remote client via the network interface device.
18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the data modification algorithm modifies the at least one bit of information based on a file type associated with the data object.
19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the data modification algorithm includes identifying a portion of the data object that has a greater fault-tolerance for being modified than another portion of the data object.
20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise determining that a second data object has already been modified in accordance with the data modification algorithm, and in response, making no further modification to the second data object.