Patent ID: 7529929
Filing Date: 2009-05-05
Classification: G06F,G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
1. A processor-implemented method comprising: receiving content and at least one voucher identifying digital rights management (DRM) rules at a terminal that provides on-demand authentication of an operating terminal application which is seeking access to the content via secure communications between a DRM engine and an operating system augmented with a security manager adapted to conduct the secure communications, wherein the terminal application comprises a rendering program running on the operating system concurrently with and independently of the DRM engine, and wherein the terminal application is already running prior to being authenticated; issuing a request to the security manager by the DRM engine to provide a connection to a process whose program text matches a hash provided by the DRM engine, wherein the process corresponds to the terminal application; returning a handle to the connection to the DRM engine; invoking an authentication request at the DRM engine to retrieve at least a portion of program text of the process identified by the handle; receiving the authentication request by the security manager and identifying the process corresponding to the connection; providing the portion of program text to the DRM engine from the security manager; verifying, by the DRM engine, the legitimacy of the terminal application by verifying a certificate of the terminal application based on the program text; if the terminal application is authenticated, applying the DRM rules to determine whether the terminal application may access the content; and accessing the content by the terminal application if access is allowed in response to applying the DRM rules.