Method and apparatus for controlling the dissemination of digital information

Claim 2

In a system for controlling the dissemination of information by an information provider in an off-line manner including at least a storage medium and at least an access device at an information consumer's disposal, said information including both controlled information COIN and uncontrolled information, a method for providing enhanced control over the usage of controlled information comprising the steps of: a) encrypting said COIN and a header to produce a Sealed-COIN on said storage medium, said header further comprising at least a total number of legal accesses, number of legal accesses left, a plurality of encryption/decryption keys, and a medium signature for checking and validating the authenticity of said storage medium; b) decrypting said header of said Sealed-COIN and checking the values in said header with a controller disposed in said access device upon access of said storage medium by an information consumer; said controller disallowing access to information if any of the checks in a) and b) fails; c) decrypting said Sealed-COIN and presenting said information therein to an output unit disposed in said access device if all the checks in a) and b) with said controller succeeds, said header being modified to become modified header; and d) re-encrypting said COIN and said modified header after each access request by said information consumer until there is no legal access left, whereby said information provider exercises control of access by setting values for said header in accordance to the agreement between the information provider and the information consumer and the information consumer transparently accessing controlled and uncontrolled information.

Claim 3

The method as defined in claim 1, characterised in that said headerfurther comprises a plurality of access windows, the value of each said access window being checked by said controller to permit access to said information during a predetermined period of time.

Claim 4

The method as defined in claim 1 or claim 2 characterised in that said medium signature permits access to said information on said access device only if said controller matches the medium signature of said storage medium with the medium signature read by said access device.

Claim 5

In a system for controlling the dissemination of information by an information provider in an on-line manner over at least one transmission channel and at least one access device at an information consumer's disposal, said information including both controlled information COIN and uncontrolled information, a method for providing enhanced control over the usage of controlled information comprising the step of: a) encrypting said COIN and a header to produce a Sealed-COIN before sending said Sealed-COIN to said information consumer, said header further comprising at least a total number of legal accesses, number of legal accesses left, a plurality of encryption/decryption keys for encrypting said information, said header being encrypted by an encryption/decryption key K H maintained for the life of a predetermined distribution contract; b) encrypting a Seal Openerupon receiving access request from an information consumer and sending said Seal Opener to the information consumer, said Seal Opener comprising at least a plurality of access windows, and said key K H ; c) decrypting said Seal Opener with a controller disposed in said access device, said controller checking the value in said Sealed Opener upon access by the information consumer, said controller disallowing access to said information if any of the checks in a) and b) fails; d) decrypting said Sealed-COIN and presenting said information therein to an output unit disposed in said access device if all the checks in a) and b) with said controller succeeds, said header being modified to become modified header; and e) re-encrypting said COIN and said modified header after each access request by said information consumer until there is no legal access left, whereby said information provider exercises control of access by setting values for said header in accordance to the agreement between the information provider and the information consumer and the information consumer transparently accessing controlled and uncontrolled information.

Claim 6

In a system for controlling the dissemination of information by an information provider in an on-line manner over at least one transmission channel and at least one access device at an information consumer's disposal, said information including both controlled information COIN and uncontrolled information, a method for providing enhanced control over the usage of controlled information comprising the step of: a) encrypting said COIN and a header to produce a Sealed-COIN before sending said Sealed-COIN to said information consumer, said header further comprising at least a total number of legal accesses, number of legal accesses left, a plurality of encryption/decryption keys for encrypting said information, said header being encrypted by an encryption/decryption key K H maintained for the life of a predetermined distribution contract; b) encrypting a Seal Openerupon receiving access request from an information consumer and sending said Seal Opener to the information consumer, said Seal Opener comprising at least a plurality of access windows, and said key K H ; c) decrypting said Seal Opener with a controller disposed in said access device, said controller checking the value in said Sealed Opener upon access by the information consumer, said controller disallowing access to said information if any of the checks in a) and b) fails; d) decrypting said Sealed-COIN and presenting said information therein to an output unit disposed in said access device if all the checks in a) and b) with said controller succeeds, said header being modified to become modified header; and e) re-encrypting said COIN and said modified header after each access request by said information consumer until there is no legal access left, whereby said information provider exercises control of access by setting values for said header in accordance to the agreement between the information provider and the information consumer and the information consumer transparently accessing controlled and uncontrolled information.