Patent ID: 7580988
Filing Date: 2009-08-25
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of distributing from a sender's site to a receiver's site a first original electronic work, the first original electronic work having a securely and persistently associated first electronic attribute indicating that it is an original, the method comprising the steps of: (a) establishing communication between the sender's site and the receiver's site; (b) exchanging authentication information between the sender's site and the receiver's site; (c) creating, at the sender's site, a first copy of the first original electronic work and securely and persistently associating with the first copy a second electronic attribute indicating that it is a copy; (d) transmitting the first copy from the sender's site to the receiver's site; (e) sending a first acknowledgement from the receiver's site to the sender's site, the first acknowledgement indicating the receipt of the first copy by the receiver's site; (f) receiving, at the sender's site, the first acknowledgement, and, responsive thereto, changing the first electronic attribute to indicate that it is a copy, thereby creating a second copy of the first original electronic work; (g) sending an authorization from the sender's site to the receiver's site authorizing the receiver's site to change the second electronic attribute to indicate that it is an original; and (h) receiving the authorization at the receiver's site, and, responsive thereto, securely changing the second electronic attribute to indicate that it is an original, thereby creating a second original electronic work, wherein the first and second copies are prevented from being successfully passed off as original electronic works and the second electronic attribute associated with the first copy of the electronic work is configured to be authenticated independently by the receiver's site after receipt of the first copy by the receiver's site.