Patent ID: 8468341

Claim:
A content distribution method with broadcast encryption in a content distribution network, comprising: executing a setup process by one or more computer server processors presiding at the content distributor, wherein the setup process comprising: receiving a clear content to be encrypted and distributed; creating a content specific public value based on the clear content received; generating a content specific public key using the content specific public value; generating one or more content specific private keys using the content specific public value; and assigning the content specific public key and the one or more content specific private keys to the clear content; wherein the content specific public key and the one or more content specific private keys are specific to the clear content; recording one or more new subscribers' payment transactions by one or more computer server processors; adding the one or more new subscribers to a subscriber set, wherein the subscriber set being a list of user identifiers of those users in the content distribution network who subscribe to the clear content; authenticating and authorizing subscribers in the subscriber set and assigning one of the one or more content specific private keys to each of successfully authenticated and authorized subscribers by one or more computer server processors presiding at the content distributor, wherein content entitlement information is used in authenticating and authorizing the subscribers, wherein the authenticating and authorizing of subscribers being performed before content distribution; executing an encryption process by the one or more computer server processors presiding at the content distributor, wherein the encryption process comprising: generating a first message encryption key and a broadcast ciphertext using the content specific public key and the subscriber set; and encrypting the clear content into an encrypted content using the first message encryption key; distributing the broadcast ciphertext, the subscriber set, the content specific public key, and the encrypted content to the users via the content distribution network; and executing a decryption process on the encrypted content by one or more processors presiding at each of the subscribers, wherein the decryption process comprising: generating a second message encryption key using the broadcast ciphertext and the subscriber set received, and the content specific private key of the subscriber; and decrypting the encrypted content received using the second message encryption key.