TODAY’S PATENT – SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PERMITTING USE OF CONTENT

The present invention pertains to the field of distribution and enforcement of usage rights for digitally encoded works. The invention was conceived by Mark J. Stefik and Peter L.T. Pirolli and was granted a patent by the USPTO on July 9th, 2013 with the serial number US8484751B2.

One of the preferred embodiments of this invention is a digital work designed to be distributed within a system that controls the distribution and use of digital works. The digital work consists of digital content representing a portion of a digital work suitable for rendering by a rendering device and usage rights linked with the digital content. The usage rights specify the manner of use indicating one or more stated purposes for which the digital work can be used and distributed by an authorized party.

This invention helps prevent unauthorized usage of digital works and provides secure distribution by enforcing usage rights. It can be used for various purposes such as copyright protection, digital distribution of books and music, and secure sharing of digital works. The invention helps to prevent piracy and ensures the proper usage of digital works in a safe and controlled manner.