Abstract:
A process for managing and authorizing rights in a computer system accounts for the dynamic, multi-dimensional, and granular nature of rights. A database structure divides works and rights into two related tables. A works table includes information sufficient to identify works managed by the system, while a rights table identifies a right associated with a work and includes one or more date fields delimiting the right. The rights table may also include type of use information. Additional tables, such as a work relation table, a party table, or an order table, may be provided. The process involves managing and querying the database structure and has broad applicability to intellectual, real, and personal property; contract management; and similar items. The process may be performed in a computer system operating in standalone mode, client/server mode, or over the Internet.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This is a divisional application of application Ser. No. 09/370,953 which was filed on Aug. 10, 1999 by Woodrow W. Johnson, Christine J. Adkins, Jon Yoh and Thomas M. Parece, entitled “Electronic Rights Management and Authorization System” which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/625,905, filed Apr. 1, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,876. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an electronic rights management and authorization system and, in particular, to a process for managing rights and authorizing uses of intellectual property rights, real property interests, contract interests, and similar  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Various organizations participate in the activity of rights management. Municipalities maintain title offices in which the ownership of real property is recorded. Federal and state governments maintain offices for the registration and recording of intellectual property rights, including rights in patents, trademarks, copyrights, and mask works. Collective rights organizations serve as clearinghouses for licensing various works. Two well-known collective rights organizations are the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI). The assignee of the present invention, Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), is a third collective rights organization. Several other similar organizations exist, including stock photography agencies and multimedia licensing groups.  
           [0004]    A variety of schemes for managing rights have been devised. An early technique, which continues to be used by many, is the use of index cards. Each card represents and identifies a unique item or work indexed by the system, such as a tract of land, a patent, or a publication. Information associated with each item or work may be added to the cards. Thus, for a tract of land, one may include the owner; for a patent, the assignee of the patent; and for a publication, its author. Other information is often associated with each card.  
           [0005]    With the advent of computing, most index card systems have been translated to electronic form. Electronic systems capture the information previously collected on index cards and organize this information into flat-file or relational databases. Flat-file databases consist of one file, which contains one record for each unique item or work. For example, prior art systems organize real property interests in systems that include one record for each tract of land within a county&#39;s boundaries. Other prior art systems for land management include one record for each transaction that has occurred within a county&#39;s boundaries.  
           [0006]    Relational databases contain at least two database files. For example, literary works are managed in prior art systems that include a first database file with an entry for each work, linked to a second database file with author information. To the extent that any author wrote multiple works, the use of the second database file saves storage space. However, these and other prior art electronic rights management systems do not offer functional advantages over the index card system other than in the time it takes to perform a search and in the physical storage constraints of the system.  
           [0007]    In particular, prior art systems fail to address three concerns that have become increasingly apparent in the context of digital and multimedia works. First, rights are dynamic. For example, a periodical may be published by a first publisher and later acquired by a second publisher. The second publisher may, for example, permit duplication of materials from the last twelve months for a base fee plus $1.25 per page, while materials from a prior year are at a lower base fee plus 25¢ per page. The first publisher may retain rights to materials prior to a particular date. An effective rights authorization system should recognize the different publishers as well as the time-based rate changes inherent in the second publisher&#39;s pricing. It should also permit this information to be altered over time.  
           [0008]    Second, rights are often not one dimensional. Several types of use may be permissible for different items or works. Some types of use may also foreclose others, such as a one-time grant of an exclusive right. For published works, rights include the traditional copyright rights, each of which is infinitely divisible. The reproduction right may be licensed at different rates for different customers (e.g., educational, not-for-profit, or commercial user rates), for different media of use (e.g., paper, CD-ROM, intranet, or Internet), for different volumes of use (e.g., one copy, several copies, or an unlimited number of copies), and for different times (e.g., a particular year). These types of use may further be subject to retained rights (attribution, reversion, “moral” and the like) of the author in certain jurisdictions. An effective rights authorization system should be capable of recognizing these types of use and/or restrictions.  
           [0009]    Third, items or works are granular. A journal contains many articles, each of which may have different ownership, use, and pricing parameters. A particular article may have subcomponents with different characteristics, such as embedded photographs, illustrations, and charts. For example, a potential licensee interested only in a photograph that appears in an article may find that rights to the photograph are retained by the photographer and are not available, or that rights to the photograph are available independent of, and on different terms than, rights to the entire article. A granter of rights may also combine various items or works into different packages. A publisher may price rights to a collection of ten journals at a reduced rate. A potential licensee interested in the two most-popular journals may find this pricing option attractive, while a potential licensee interested in two lesser-known journals (already priced at low individual rates) may find this option unattractive. In either case, an effective rights authorization system should be flexible and allow granularities.  
           [0010]    These concerns are not limited to new media works. Similar problems arise, for example, in the context of managing real property. The problem of time variability is reflected in the illustrative situation where the owner of a parcel of land offers the parcel for lease, with the subsequent lessee then offering the land for sublet at a first rate for commercial use and at a second rate for non-profit use, both rates escalating over time. Type of use and granularity may also be involved. The owner of adjoining beach-front properties may offer an easement to the set. This involves a type of use other than ownership, with a granularity of more than one parcel of land. An effective rights management and authorization system should recognize these complex arrangements.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    The present invention provides a process for managing and authorizing rights in a computer system. With the present invention, clearinghouse functions may be provided, while accounting for the problems of time variability, type of use, and granularity. The present invention provides for fully automated rights management and authorization.  
           [0012]    A data structure provided in accordance with the present invention divides works and rights. A first data file contains works. Each record in the works table includes information sufficient to identify one or more works managed by the system. A second data file contains rights. Each record in the rights table is associated with one or more works and may include up to three date fields, including a validity date field, an effective date field, and a permission date field. The function of these date fields is explained in the detailed description of the invention. In general, at least one date field is needed to account for the dynamic nature of rights.  
           [0013]    To account for different types of use, the rights table may include a type of use field. This field identifies a particular right for which authorization is given (or withheld). For example, in a system for copyright clearance, the type of use may be the right to reproduce in the context of a university coursepack. A right to reproduce for commercial purposes may be withheld. This field may further include price information for the type of use, have a separate field for such information, or be linked to a separate table that provides such information.  
           [0014]    To account for granularity, a work relation table may be added to show relationships between works. In a system for copyright clearance, this table could show, for example, that a photograph is embedded in an article, that a particular short story is printed in three different anthologies, or that a publisher offers a license to a collection of journals organized as a workset. The fields in this table and its functionality are explained in the detailed description of the invention.  
           [0015]    Many other enhancements may be added. One such enhancement is the inclusion of a party table to provide detailed data about parties in the system. While parties will generally include all rights holders, parties may include any other individual, group, or organization with a relationship to the rights and authorizations managed by the system. This information may be used for client management, billing and payment, and aggregation functions. A second enhancement is the inclusion of an order table to provide a dynamic log of right authorizations and denials. Those of ordinary skill in the art will conceive of other enhancements to the system herein described.  
           [0016]    A process for managing and authorizing rights according to the present invention manipulates this data structure with one or more software programs or tools for controlling and querying the data structure. Software is provided on the management side for performing work and right maintenance, such as adding, deleting, and editing entries. Software is also provided on the authorization side for querying the database to determine, for example, whether or not to authorize a particular use posed by a potential licensee.  
           [0017]    A process according to the present invention may permit rightsholders themselves to add, delete, and edit rights through direct access to the rights management side of the system. A process according to the present invention may additionally or alternatively permit potential licensees to obtain (or be denied) authorizations through direct access to the rights authorization side of the system. Thus, unlike prior art systems, the present invention enables automated rights management and authorization. This process may be performed over a proprietary network, the Internet, or other suitable means.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    The above and further advantages of the invention may be better understood by referring to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 shows an illustrative computer system to which the present invention applies;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the components of a computer system to which the present invention applies;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3 shows a diagram of a first embodiment of a data structure contemplated by the present invention;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4 shows a diagram of a second embodiment of a data structure contemplated by the present invention;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 5 shows an illustrative user interface for performing work management functions;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 6 shows an illustrative user interface for performing right management functions; and  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 7 shows an illustrative user interface for performing an authorization inquiry. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0026]    1. Computer System  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 1 shows an illustrative computer system  100  to which the present invention applies. Computer system  100  contains data storage devices, a central processing unit, a power source, and connections for external devices. External devices typically connected to computer system  100  include one or more output devices, such as video monitor  102 , and one or more input devices, such as keyboard  104  and pointing device  106 . Computer system  100  may be any of several commercially available computer systems available from Apple, Compaq, Digital, Hewlett Packard, IBM and others. A successful prototype of the system has been developed using Digital Equipment Corporation&#39;s Alpha 2100 system, but initial commercial implementation of the system is anticipated to be on DEC&#39;s Alpha 8200 system. Those of ordinary skill in the art may select and implement the present invention on other computer systems.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the components of a computer system to which the present invention applies. Central processing unit  200  contains one or more microprocessors for executing the computer software programs necessary to implement the present invention. Central processing unit  200  is typically connected to primary storage  202  and system bus  204 . Primary storage  202  is typically volatile storage, such as RAM. The programs and data for implementing the present invention are stored on a temporary basis in primary storage  202  during execution. Typically, only a portion of the programs and data fit in primary storage  202  at any particular time. Cache memory may also be included with central processing unit  200  or primary storage  202  to speed program execution.  
         [0029]    System bus  204  connects the components of the computer system, and may be based on an open architecture, such as Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), or on a proprietary design. Several devices are connected to system bus  206 . Secondary storage  206  is typically nonvolatile storage, such as an optical or magnetic disk drive. The programs and data for implementing the present invention are stored on a permanent basis in secondary storage  206 . Input device  208  may include keyboard  104  or pointing device  106 , and output device  210  may include video monitor  102 . In some computer systems, input device  208  and output device  210  are connected directly to central processing unit  200 , rather than through system bus  204 .  
         [0030]    While the computer system may be limited to the previous elements, the addition of network interface  212  and client  214  adds flexibility to the system and enables operation under the client/server model of computing. Network interface  212  may be a local-area or wide-area network card, a modem, a gateway to the Internet or an Internet service provider, or a similar interface. Client  214  may be a computer system similar to the one used to implement the present invention, or more typically, a low-cost personal computer of the type used in homes or offices.  
         [0031]    2. First Illustrative Data Structure  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 3 shows a diagram of a first embodiment of a data structure contemplated by the present invention. This data structure may be used, for example, in a system for clearing rights to photographs. In this embodiment, it is assumed that all of the works are photographs and that the only right available for authorization is the right to duplicate. It is further assumed that some rights are held by photographers, while some rights are held by others. This embodiment of the invention could be used over a network service to offer and obtain rights to photographic images.  
         [0033]    Works table  300  contains information about the works managed in the system. Here, these works are photographs. Information about each photograph is contained in one record in works table  300 , where each record includes work_instance field  302 , work_title field  304 , and work_author field  306 . Work_instance field  302  contains an identifier for a photograph. This identifier may be software generated or based on a standard classification scheme like the ISBN numbering scheme for written works. The identifier is generally numeric, but may also be symbolic or alphanumeric. Each identifier should be unique, so as to distinguish similarly titled and authored works. Work_title field  304  is an alphanumeric field that contains the title of the photograph. Work_author field  306  contains a reference or link to a party_instance field  320  of party table  318 . This link identifies the work&#39;s photographer. In alternative embodiments, work_author field  306  may contain the name of the author if complete party information does not need to be maintained. This may arise, for example, with regard to works now in the public domain. For efficiency, works table  300  may be indexed or keyed on work_instance field  302  and other fields. In addition, works table  300  may include other fields, such as a field containing a bit-map or similarly-coded image of the photograph that may be viewed through an on-line service. Table 1 shows an illustrative works table containing two photographs titled, “Early Sunrise,” and two other photographs.  
                       TABLE 1                       Work_Instance   Work_Title   Work_Author                   W_1   Early Sunrise   P_1       W_2   Fall Foliage   P_3       W_3   Spring Flowers   P_1       W_4   Early Sunrise   P_2                  
 
         [0034]    Rights table  308  contains information about the rights managed in the system. In this example, the only managed right is a duplication right, so this type of use is assumed (rather than specified in a separate field). Information about each right is contained in one record in rights table  308 , where each record includes right_instance field  310 , right_holder field  312 , related_work field  314 , and validity_date field  316 . Right_instance field  310  contains an identifier for a right. This identifier will generally be assigned by the software and will generally be numeric. It is possible, though, to have other assignment protocols and to have symbolic or alphanumeric identifiers. Each identifier should be unique, so as to distinguish each right. Right_holder field  312  contains a reference or link to a party_instance field  320  in party table  318 . This link identifies the right holder. Here, the right holder may be a photographer or some other party. Related_work field  314  contains a reference or link to a work_instance field  302  in works table  300 . This link identifies the work to which the right pertains. Validity_date field  316  is a date field (or fields) setting forth the time period in which authorization is given to grant the right. For efficiency, rights table  308  may be indexed or keyed on right_instance field  310  and other fields. In addition, rights table  300  may include other fields, including those discussed in the second embodiment of this invention. Table 2 shows an illustrative rights table for the works shown in Table 1.  
                           TABLE 2                       Right_Instance   Right_Holder   Related_Work   Validity_Date                   R_1   P_1   W_1   1996-98       R_2   P_3   W_2   1996-99       R_3   P_1   W_3   1996-98       R_4   P_2   W_4   1996-99       R_5   P_4   W_1   1996-97       R_6   P_4   W_4   1996-97                  
 
         [0035]    In Table 2, six rights are available. These rights include duplication rights from the photographers for the four works managed in the system. These rights are recorded in the records identified as R — 1 through R — 4. Two other rights are available. Record R — 5 is for the first photograph titled, “Early Sunrise,” and record R — 6 is associated with the other photograph with this same name. Rights to both of these photographs are available from another right holder, identified as P — 4. As shown later in Table 3, this right holder is Jones&#39;Gallery, which acquired authorization rights to these photographs for 1996-97 in connection with an exhibition of “Early Sunrise” photographs.  
         [0036]    Party table  318  contains information about the parties associated with the system. In alternative embodiments, the information in party table  318  may be stored directly in works table  300  and rights table  308 . A separate table is used to conserve storage space where multiple records are associated with the same party. Information about each party is contained in one record in party table  318 , where each record includes party_instance field  320 , party_name  322 , and party_address  324 . Party_instance field  320  contains an identifier for a party. This identifier will generally be assigned by the software and will generally be numeric. It is possible, though, to have other assignment protocols and to have symbolic or alphanumeric identifiers. Each identifier should be unique, so as to distinguish each party. Party_name field  322  is an alphanumeric field that contains the party&#39;s name. Party_address field  324  is an alphanumeric field that contains the party&#39;s address. Party table  318  may include other fields pertinent to the parties. For efficiency, party table  318  may be indexed or keyed on party_instance field  320  and other fields. Table 3 shows an illustrative party table for the parties associated with Tables 1 and 2.  
                       TABLE 3                       Party_Instance   Party_Name   Party_Address                   P_1   Lopez, David   Winter Street               Anytown, USA 10000       P_2   Connor, Julie   Spring Street               Anytown, USA 10000       P_3   Gregory, Eileen   Fall Drive               Anytown, USA 10000       P_4   Jones&#39; Gallery   Commerce Park               Anytown, USA 10001                  
 
         [0037]    3. Second Illustrative Data Structure  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 4 shows a diagram of a second embodiment of a data structure contemplated by the present invention. This data structure may be used in a system for clearing rights to any type of work. These works may include anything subject to copyright or any similar right. A non-exclusive list of works includes written works, such as books, periodicals and their component parts; visual works, such as photographs and sculpture; audio works, such as music; audiovisual works, such as movies; and computer works, such as software programs and database compilations. This data structure may also be adapted for use with other types of interests, such as those in patents, trademarks, trade secrets, mask works, real property, personal property, contracts, or any other item that may be subject to conveyance, license, sale, or similar transaction.  
         [0039]    The second embodiment of the data structure includes elements from the first embodiment of the data structure. Works table  400  and its work_instance field  402 , work_title field  404  and work_author field  406  are similar in content and function to works table  300  and its three constituent fields. Works table  400 , though, will typically include a larger variety of works. Party_table  428  and its party_instance field  430 , party_name field  432  and party_address field  434  are similar in content and function to party table  318  and its constituent fields. Party table  400 , though, will typically include a more diverse set of parties.  
         [0040]    The second embodiment of the data structure includes several elements not found in the first embodiment of the data structure. While rights table  408  and its right_instance field  410 , right_holder field  412 , related_work field  414 , and validity_date field  422  have similar content and serve a similar function as rights table  308  and its similarly-named fields, there are several new fields in rights table  408 .  
         [0041]    Type_of_use field  416  sets forth the type of use associated with the right. This field may be numeric or alphanumeric, linked to a separate table, or defined in some other way. This field captures, for example, the fact that a right concerns different customers (e.g., educational, not-for-profit, or commercial users), different media of use (e.g., paper, CD-ROM, intranet, or Internet), and different volumes of use (e.g., one copy, several copies, or an unlimited number of copies). Right_fee field  418  sets forth the fee associated with the right and type of use. This field may be a numeric field, contain a formula, or be defined in some other way. Righ_grant field  420  is a boolean field that records whether or not a right may be granted. This field is used in response to inquiries for rights previously denied, to indicate that a denial is firm and not merely a new inquiry. This field is also used for archival purposes, to substantiate switches over time between authorization and denial for essentially identical rights.  
         [0042]    In the second embodiment of the invention, two date fields in addition to validity_date field  422  are included in rights table  408 . Effective_date field  424  is a date field (or fields) setting forth the time period for which a right is effective. The effective date may differ from the validity date. For example, a right may be effective as to material published in a periodical from 1985 through 1990, although this right is only valid to grant during 1995. A third date field, permission_date field  426 , is a date field (or fields) setting forth the time period in which a potential licensee may exercise a right. In the above example, the rights holder may permit a license to be granted during 1995 for the 1985-90 material, which license may be exercised during the three year period from 1995 through 1997. The validity date is 1995; the effective date is 1985-90; and the permission date is 1995-97.  
         [0043]    Table 4 shows a portion of a rights table for an illustrative authorization scheme. A right holder (record P — 5 in party table  430 ) has a two year contract, entered Jan. 1, 1996,with an organizer of a rights management and authorization system. Under the contract, the organizer may grant three year licenses to make paper photocopies (designated as “R”) of right holder&#39;s magazine (record W — 9 in works table  400 ). During the first year of the contract, rights are offered at a base fee (designated as “B”) of $1.00 plus a per page copy fee (designated as “P”) of 5¢ per page. During the second year of the contract, rights are offered at a base fee of $1.10 plus 6¢ per page. If rights are obtained during the first year, the price is locked in at the first-year rate. Commercial entities (designated as “Com”) are charged twice the fee of educational entities (designated as “Ed”).  
                                               TABLE 4                       Right_Instance   Right_Holder   Related_Work   Type_of_Use   Right_Fee   Right_Grant   Validity_Date   Effective_Date   Permission_Date                   R_10   P_5   W_9   REd   B1000P005   Yes   1996   All   1996-98       R_11   P_5   W_9   REd   B110P006   Yes   1997   All   1997-99       R_12   P_5   W_9   RCom   B200P010   Yes   1996   All   1996-98       R_13     —— 5   W_9   RCom   B220P012   Yes   1997   All   1997-99                  
 
         [0044]    The second embodiment of the data structure adds work relation table  436 .Work relation table  436  accounts for granularity, where each record in the table includes parent_work instance  438  and child_work_instance  440 . Each of these fieds contains a reference or link to a works_instance field  402  in works table  400 . For efficiency, work relation table  436  may be indexed or keyed on either or both fields. In alternative embodiments, the data contained in work relation table  436  may be included directly in works_table  400 .  
         [0045]    Table 5 shows a works table, Table 6 shows a work relation table, and Table 7 shows an abridged rights table, which collectively illustrate the concept of granularity. The work titled, “The Golden Parakeet,” is a children&#39;s story that is published on its own and contained in an anthology titled, “The Best Bedtime Stories of 1994.” The story also includes an illustration titled, “The Winding River,” by an artist other than the author of the story. The works table includes a second anthology of stories titled, “The Best Bedtime Stories of 1995.” The publisher of the two anthologies offers a blanket license to the works, designated as “Bedtime Stories Work Set.” As shown in Table 7, the only right available to the works in Table 5 is a right to reprint “The Bedtime Stories Work Set” on a per page fee.  
                       TABLE 5                       Work_Instance   Work_Title   Work_Author                   W_20   The Golden Parakeet   P_10       W_21   The Winding River   P_11       W_22   The Best Bedtime Stories of 1994   P_12       W_23   The Best Bedtime Stories of 1995   P_12       W_24   Bedtime Stories Work Set   P_12                  
 
         [0046]    [0046]                           TABLE 6                                   Parent_Work_Instance   Child_Work_Instance                           W_20   W_21           W_22   W_20           W_24   W_22           W_24   W_23                        
         [0047]    [0047]                       TABLE 7                       Right_Instance   Right_Holder   Related_Work                   R_30   P_12   W_24                    
         [0048]    If a potential licensee seeks a right to reprint the illustration, “The Winding River,” the following steps may be executed in authorization software. The work “The 5 Winding River” is identified as record W — 21 in Table 5. A search of the related_work field in Table 7 for W — 21 finds no available rights. The software then moves up one level, to determine whether W — 21 is contained in another work to which rights are available. A search of the child_work_instance field in Table 6 for W — 21 finds that it is contained in W — 20, the short story. A second search in Table 7 for W — 20 again finds no available rights. Moving up another level, a search of Table 6 for W — 20 finds that it is contained in W — 22, the first anthology. A third search in Table 7 for W — 22 again finds no available rights. Moving up another level, a search of Table 6 for W — 22 finds that it is contained in W — 24, the work set. A fourth search of Table 7 for W — 24 finds that R — 30 provide the necessary rights. Of course, depending on the rights inquiry, the search process may work in the opposite direction or through alternative but equivalent steps.  
         [0049]    The second embodiment of the data structure includes order table  442 .  
         [0050]    This table provides a dynamic log of right authorizations and denials, where each record includes several fields. Order_instance field  444  contains an identifier for an order.  
         [0051]    This identifier may be software generated or linked to a paper reference like a purchase order number. While the identifier may be numeric, symbolic, or alphanumeric, each identifier should be unique. Order by field  446  contains a reference or link to a party_instance field  430  of party table  428 . This link identifies the party placing the order. Order_date field  448  is a date field for recording the date of the order. Order_right field  448  contains a reference or link to a right_instance field  410  of rights table  408 . This link identifies the right ordered. Order_status field  452  may be used to track the status of an order. For efficiency, order table  442  may be indexed or keyed on order_instance field  444  and other fields. Typically, order table  442  will include other fields and structures to accommodate more complex transactions, such as multiple rights under a single purchase order.  
         [0052]    4. Computer Software Programs  
         [0053]    The data structure from above is combined with one or more software programs or tools for controlling and querying the data structure. Software is provided on the management side for performing work and right maintenance, such as adding, deleting, and editing entries. Software is also provided on the authorization side for querying the database to determine, for example, whether or not to authorize a particular use posed by a potential licensee. The computer software programs for controlling and querying the data structure may or may not be on the same physical data storage space as the data structure, and often will not be.  
         [0054]    On the server side of the system for rights management, favorable results have been achieved with a prototype system based on Oracle Version 7.1.3 database software running under Open VMS on a DEC Alpha 2100.An initial commercial system is contemplated in which Oracle 7.2 is used on a DEC Alpha 8200. On the client side of the system for rights authorization, favorable results have been achieved using personal computers with Intel microprocessors and Microsoft operating systems running object-oriented applications built under PowerBuilder Version 4.0. Those of ordinary skill in the art may select and implement the present invention on other computer systems, and could quickly and easily construct a single-user model from a database system such as Access, dBase, FoxPro, or Quattro. It is contemplated that clients may connect to the server side of the system through Internet connections or some other type of on-line link, and communicate with the system through, for example, TCP/IP and/or DCE protocols, or their equivalent.  
         [0055]    [0055]FIG. 5 shows an illustrative user interface  500  on the management side for performing work maintenance functions. User interface  500  includes a view of a constructive index card  502  on which information stored or associated with a record in the works table is recorded. Here, card  502  includes title field  504 , author name field  506 , and author address field  508 . These fields store or control the data suggested by their names. Card  502  further includes continue button  510  for alerting the system that operations on a card have been completed. Typically, interface  500  would include drop down menus for, among other things, entering modes to find, add, delete, and edit records.  
         [0056]    [0056]FIG. 6 shows an illustrative user interface  600  on the management side for performing right management functions. User interface  600  includes a view of a constructive index card  602  on which information stored or associated with a record in the rights table is recorded. Here, card  602  includes related work field  604 , right holder field  606 , type of use field  608 , grant field  610 , fee formula field  612 , validity date field  614 , effective date field  616 , and permission date field  618 . These fields store or control the data suggested by their names. Card  602  further includes continue button  610  for alerting the system that operations on a card have been completed. Typically, interface  600  would include drop down menus for, among other things, entering modes to find, add, delete, and edit records.  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 7 shows an illustrative user interface  700  on the authorization side for performing authorization inquiries. User interface  700  includes a view of a constructive index card  702  to specify a particular right for which authorization is sought. Here, a potential licensee must identify himself, herself, or itself in customer field  704 , specify a particular work for which authorization is sought in title field  706  and author field  708 , and specify a type and volume of use, respectively, in type of use field  710  and number of copies field  712 . After this information has been provided, a search may be performed upon activation of continue button  714 . This search would determine whether or not authorization may be given, which information typically would be reported to the potential licensee along with price information and an order option. An illustrative search sequence is provided with the example given with Tables 5, 6, and 7, but those of ordinary skill in the art will devise other search sequences. A more sophisticated interface on the authorization side may change dynamically to require more or less information based on a potential licensee&#39;s input.  
         [0058]    5. Other Embodiments  
         [0059]    Although the invention has been shown and described in terms of two illustrative data structures and three user interfaces, those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that other data structures and interfaces may be constructed within the meaning of the present invention. Alternative data structures may be designed around rights similar to those considered in the two illustrative data structures, or for different rights. For example, in a patent, trademark, trade secret, or mask work licensing system, the equivalent of a works table may be used to record patents, trademarks, trade secrets, mask works, and related sets, while a rights table may store license, assignment, field of use, geographical scope, and similar rights and limitations for these items. In a real property management and authorization system, the equivalent of a works table may be used to record parcels of land, while a rights table may store interests in these parcels, such as leaseholds, mineral rights, riparian rights, air rights, easements, and other real property rights. In a general system for contract management and authorization, the equivalent of a works table may be used to record each contract or related set of contracts, while a rights table may store individual interests, rights, licenses, and sublicenses under the contracts. Those of ordinary skill in the art will also apply the teachings of the present invention to different data types, including database files, linked lists, multi-dimensional arrays, and other forms of data organization. Based on the software and system used, the specific rights management and authorization problem addressed, and design choices made by the programmer, alternative user interfaces will also be used. The key feature of the present invention is that a first data structure records the item or work, while a separate data structure records rights that are available in or to the items and works. Within this constraint, several embodiments of the invention may be constructed without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed below.