IP Library Granted Patent US 12,524,684
Granted Patent B2
US 12,524,684 · App. 18/300,149 · Granted Jan 13, 2026

Systems and methods for real-time digital video piracy monitoring

Inventor: Andrea Fanfani (London, GB)
Assignee: Discovery.com, LLC
G06N5/022G06F21/1014G06F21/16H04L63/1425
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,524,684
App. No.
18/300,149
Granted
Jan 13, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods for performing video piracy monitoring are disclosed. One computer-implemented method may include: detecting, at a digital media platform associated with a piracy monitoring system, a request to transmit a video stream to a user computing device associated with a user; transmitting the video stream to the user computing device and responsive to determining that the user is a subscriber to the digital media platform; retrieving activity data associated with the video stream using a content delivery network (CDN) associated with the piracy monitoring system; providing, responsive to the retrieving, the activity data to a trained machine-learning model configured to recognize a video piracy pattern; and performing a mitigating action to address piracy of the video stream responsive to receiving an output result from the trained machine-learning model indicating that the activity log data shares a predetermined level of similarity with the video piracy pattern.

Claims (44)

1 . A computer-implemented method of performing digital media piracy monitoring, the computer-implemented method comprising operations including:

detecting, at a digital media platform associated with a piracy monitoring system, a request to transmit a video stream to a user computing device associated with a user;

transmitting the video stream to the user computing device responsive to determining that the user is a subscriber to the digital media platform, wherein the transmitting the video stream comprises transmitting to the user computing device a video URL identifying the video stream, wherein the video URL is tagged with a token that is linked to the user and configured to track activity of the video stream;

retrieving, from the token, activity data associated with the video stream using a content delivery network (CDN) associated with the piracy monitoring system, wherein the activity data is derived from one or more access logs that are correlated to use of the token identifying the video stream;

providing, responsive to the retrieving, the activity data to a trained machine-learning model configured to recognize a video piracy pattern, wherein the video piracy pattern corresponds to an identification that the video stream is being consumed from a time zone that is different than a designated time zone, wherein the time zone is determined based on geographic data extracted from the one or more access logs; and

performing a mitigating action to address piracy of the video stream responsive to receiving an output result from the trained machine-learning model indicating that activity data shares a predetermined level of similarity with the video piracy pattern.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

compiling the retrieved activity data in an activity data log at the CDN;

transmitting the activity data log from the CDN to a log collector component of the piracy monitoring system; and

normalizing, prior to the providing and using a processor associated with the piracy monitoring system, the activity data log.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the video piracy pattern corresponds to at least one of: an excessive user-consumption pattern, an excessive temporal consumption pattern and an incompatible geographical location consumption pattern.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the performing the mitigating action comprises transmitting an alert notification to an operator associated with the piracy monitoring system.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the alert notification provides an indication of at least one of: the output result, a user profile associated with the user, and an action recommendation based on the output result.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the performing the mitigating action comprises instituting a streaming block on the user, wherein the streaming block prevents the video stream from being transmitted to the user computing device.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein a length of the streaming block is based on a degree of the piracy indicated in the output result.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the instituting of the streaming block comprises automatically instituting the streaming block, without additional user input, upon receiving the output result.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein a length of the streaming block is based on a number of prior piracy offenses.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the CDN comprises a plurality of CDNs positioned proximate to the user computing device.

11 . A computer system for performing digital media piracy monitoring, the computer system comprising:

a processor;

a database; and

a server in network communication with the database, the server configured to perform operations including:

detecting, at a digital media platform associated with the computer system, a request to transmit a video stream to a user computing device associated with a user;

transmitting the video stream to the user computing device responsive to determining that the user is a subscriber to the digital media platform, wherein the transmitting the video stream comprises transmitting to the user computing device a video URL identifying the video stream, wherein the video URL is tagged with a token that is linked to the user and configured to track activity of the video stream;

retrieving, from the token, activity data associated with the video stream using a content delivery network (CDN) associated with the computer system, wherein the activity data is derived from one or more access logs that are correlated to use of the token identifying the video stream;

providing, responsive to the retrieving, the activity data to a trained machine-learning model configured to recognize a video piracy pattern, wherein the video piracy pattern corresponds to an identification that the video stream is being consumed in a time zone that is different than a designated time zone, wherein the time zone is determined based on geographic data extracted from the one or more access logs; and

performing a mitigating action to address piracy of the video stream responsive to receiving an output result from the trained machine-learning model indicating that activity data shares a predetermined level of similarity with the video piracy pattern.

12 . The computer system of claim 11 , further comprising:

compiling the retrieved activity data in an activity data log at the CDN;

transmitting the activity data log from the CDN to a log collector component of the computer system; and

normalizing, prior to the providing and using a processor associated with the computer system, the activity data log.

13 . The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the video piracy pattern corresponds to at least one of: an excessive user-consumption pattern, an excessive temporal consumption pattern, and an incompatible geographical location consumption pattern.

14 . The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the performing the mitigating action comprises transmitting an alert notification to an operator associated with the computer system.

15 . The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the performing the mitigating action comprises instituting a streaming block on the user, wherein the streaming block prevents the video stream from being transmitted to the user computing device.

16 . The computer system of claim 15 , wherein a length of the streaming block is based on a degree of the piracy indicated in the output result.

17 . The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the instituting of the streaming block comprises automatically instituting the streaming block, without additional user input, upon receiving the output result.

18 . The computer system of claim 15 , wherein a length of the streaming block is based on a number of prior piracy offenses.

19 . The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the CDN comprises a plurality of CDNs positioned proximate to the user computing device.

20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a server in network communication with at least one database, cause the server to perform operations comprising:

detecting, at a digital media platform associated with a piracy monitoring system, a request to transmit a video stream to a user computing device associated with a user;

transmitting the video stream to the user computing device responsive to determining that the user is a subscriber to the digital media platform, wherein the transmitting the video stream comprises transmitting to the user computing device a video URL identifying the video stream, wherein the video URL is tagged with a token that is linked to the user and configured to track activity of the video stream;

retrieving, from the token, activity data associated with the video stream using a content delivery network (CDN) associated with the piracy monitoring system, wherein the activity data is derived from one or more access logs that are correlated to use of the token identifying the video stream;

providing, responsive to the retrieving, the activity data to a trained machine-learning model configured to recognize a video piracy pattern, wherein the video piracy pattern corresponds to an identification that the video stream is being consumed in a time zone that is different than a designated time zone, wherein the time zone is determined based on geographic data extracted from the one or more access logs; and

performing a mitigating action to address piracy of the video stream responsive to receiving an output result from the trained machine-learning model indicating that activity data shares a predetermined level of similarity with the video piracy pattern.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2025
From: WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY, INC.; WARNER MEDIA, LLC; TURNER BROADCASTING SYSTEM, INC.; HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.; DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; WARNERMEDIA DIRECT LLC; DISCOVERY.COM LLC; WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC.; CNN INTERACTIVE GROUP, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072995/0858 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 25, 2023
From: FANFANI, ANDREA
To: DISCOVERY.COM, LLC
Reel/Frame 063426/0266 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240346336A1 · Oct 17, 2024
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