Access files and transferable access right system for digital intellectual property

Abstract

A system and method of use for Access Files and Transferrable Access Right System for digital intellectual properties (IP). An IP-User gain paid, sponsored or free access of specific level of Access Right to remotely archived digital IP. Using the system's custodial software installed in the IP-User's access device, the IP-User downloads a copy of potentially large digital IP for local access and creates Overlays of value-added information for the digital IP. The Access Right and the Overlay information are stored in a small protected Access File. The large digital IP is deleted after each use, if desired, for security purposes or to save local memory space. The Access Files are stored in local protected folders and optionally stored securely in the remote IP archive system and they are indexed, searchable and retrievable by keywords and partial information. The IP-User opening the Access File will cause the applicable archived digital IP to be Access-Right-verified, accessed and downloaded again, the annotation overlay will be applied and then the composite IP is presented to the IP-User. The IP-User's Access Right is registered and can be securely transferred to another IP-User using the Transferable Access Right System.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a Continuation Application to the Utility patent application Ser. No. 10 / 102,663 filed on Mar. 22, 2002 which claimed the benefit of then co-pending US applications as follows: (1) U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 60 / 280,265, filed on Mar. 29, 2001; (2) U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 09 / 864,038 filed on May 22, 2001 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,194,490 on Mar. 20, 2007; (3) U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 60 / 333,760, filed Nov. 29, 2001; and (4) U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 60 / 341,214, filed Dec. 20, 2001; the entirety of each of which is incorporated herein by reference.[0002]The Utility patent application, Ser. No. 10 / 102,663, is currently allowed, issue-fee paid and pending issuance.COPYRIGHT NOTICE[0003]Portions of the disclosure of this patent document contain material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction of the patent ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0037]Preferably, for a plurality of IP, sustained economic viability of the plurality of small and discrete archival endowments is further ensured by pooling the discrete archival endowments into an archival endowment fund managed for the maintenance of all archived IP. Pooling minimizes management costs and allows the use of portfolio management to reduce investment risk. Separate trustee management, having a mandate which is distinguished and separate from those of the operating entity, can further protect the integrity and independence of the management of the archival endowment funds by providing credible and accountable management of the fund. For the first time, a system is available through which each contributor of IP can archive their IP at reasonable cost and be assured of its continuance for a fixed archival period which can extend into perpetuity as necessary. Additionally, preparedness in the unpredictability in changes to archival technology or technology migration, and to external events is preferably addressed by demanding from the IP-Owner a financial contribution which exceeds that minimum required alone for the discrete archival endowment. Further, portions of the financial contribution can be directed to a sinking fund and to an insurance mechanism.

[0040]A variety of preferred embodiments arise which are supportable once IP-Owners and the IP-Users are assured of the permanence of the IP and their access thereto. For the benefit of the IP-Owner, such embodiments include the ability to build a community of readers, reviewers and contributors which can assess the IP and a DRM system to ensure the IP-Owner receives proper compensation. Through management of the access and ownership of the IP, a variety of schemes for DRM and revenue generation can be applied. The integrated system also enables the precise receipt, management and distribution of appropriate financial compensation to stakeholders including authors, publishers and libraries, and to in turn realign the roles of publisher and libraries in the new information economy. In a further embodiment, a related facility utility enhancement system can further enhance the distribution of archived IP to a greater viewing audience by applying rights management to such IP and directed to facilities having underutilized capacity. This results in a corresponding increase in the utilization of exhibition facilities while continuing to assure the IP-Owner of compensation and adherence to the IP-Owner's rights by necessarily linking the archived data, access and DRM through the digital archival system.

[0044]The localized copy enables local access by the IP-User without needing to be online, improving access and reducing the tendency for loss-conscious IP-Users to immediately print a hard copy merely for optimizing its security and convenience of access.

[0045]Further, such localized storage enables the controlled and secured transfer of a first IP-User's purchased access rights of the digital IP to another IP-User under the copyright doctrine of first sale, such transferability typically previously available only in the environment of physically rendered forms of IP. As the local copies of the IP are encrypted in a secured folder, there is a need for the purchaser to also become a member and obtain the custodial application software. Then, through digital identification of the IP-Users, and any access rights granted thereto, enable one IP-User's rights to be transferred to another without concerns about creating duplicate copies with the resulting prejudice to the IP-Owner.

[0049]The system enables implementation of a broad methodology for storing of digital versions of IP comprising the steps of: establishing a digital archive system capable of receiving and storing IP contributed by an IP-Owner; receiving the IP contributed by the IP-Owner; assessing specific characteristics of the IP; receiving an initial financial contribution on behalf of the IP-Owner, at least a portion of which forms a discrete archival endowment having a minimum quantum sufficient to maintain the IP in the digital archive system for an archival period without the need for further financial contributions; archiving the IP with the digital archive system; and applying the discrete archival endowment to maintain the IP in the digital archive system for the archival period. Preferably, for a plurality of IP, the corresponding discrete archival endowments are pooled into an archival endowment fund for more efficient joint management and application. Further, the security and permanence of the archive system is enhanced by assigning a trustee for managing the archival endowment fund, the trustee having a mandate separate from management or entity responsible for operations of the archive system.

Problems solved by technology

Such a stream would include ongoing operating costs and may also include contingency provisions for the archive.

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