Method and system for end to end securing of content for video on demand

(54) METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR END TO END SECURING OF CONTENT FOR VIDEO ON DEMAND

(76) Inventors: Glenn A. Morten, Bellevue, WA (US);

Reza P. Rassool, Stevenson Ranch, CA
(US); Tom E. Claeys, Clyde Hill, WA
(US); Brian Andrew Baker, Mercer
Island, WA (US)

Correspondence Address:
DARBY & DARBY P.C.
P.O. BOX 5257

NEW YORK, NY 10150-5257 (US)

(21) Appl. No.: 10/354,920

(22) Filed: Jan. 29, 2003

Related U.S. Application Data

(60) Provisional application No. 60/352,710, filed on Jan. 29, 2002.

Publication Classification (51) Int. CI.7 11041. 9 00

A system and method for providing end-to-end security of content over a heterogeneous distribution chain is provided. A content owner provides content to an aggregator that receives the content and processes the content. The processing may involve decrypting the content and associating at least one of a unique fingerprint and a watermark to the decrypted content. The unique fingerprint and a watermark to the decrypted content provide identifying characteristics to the content. Additional content-based fingerprints may be used to monitor quality of consumer experience for Video and Audio. The content may be sent in a decrypted state to a client or in an encrypted state. When the content is encrypted the aggregator wraps and encrypts the content with a signature such that an end-to-end flow of the content may be determined. Application Level encryption is used to provide network/distribution medium transparency as well as persistent encryption. When the content is transmitted from a consumer to another consumer the transmitting consumer loses rights to the content.