Patent ID: 8543842
Filing Date: 2013-09-24
Classification: G06F,G06Q,G06T,G07F,H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: creating an electronic document at a first user's electronic appliance; at the first user's electronic appliance, securely associating first rule-based control information with the electronic document, the control information indicating that the electronic document may be used only by one or more designated users and only in one or more authorized ways, the control information being configured to be enforced by one or both of tamper-resistant software and hardware; distributing the electronic document and the first control information to a second user's electronic appliance, the second user's electronic appliance comprising one or both of tamper-resistant software or hardware configured to govern use of electronic documents in accordance with the first control information; determining that the second user is one of said one or more designated users; receiving a request at the first user's electronic appliance from the second user's electronic appliance, the request seeking a modification to the first control information, and providing second control information that alters the one or more authorized ways in which the electronic document may be used; and sending a modified set of control information based on the first and the second control information to the second user's electronic appliance in response to the request; wherein the second user's electronic appliance is configured to securely enable the second user to make at least one use of the electronic document in accordance with the modified set of control information.