Patent ID: 8635709

Claim:
A method for operating a technical installation using data provided by a third party, the data being protected against unauthorized use, comprising: receiving data provided by the third party along with a first rights object and separately receiving a second rights object, the first and second rights objects for protecting the data, wherein the first rights object specifies an authorized use of the data except for at least one variable not defined in respect to its value such that the first rights object comprises an incomplete definition by missing a value for the at least one variable; and wherein the second rights object separately provides the value for the variable not defined in the first rights object in order to provide a full definition and to enable the authorized use; and wherein a relationship between the first rights object and the second rights object comprises a reference to the variable using an identifier for both rights objects; processing the first rights object and the second rights object by a processor by evaluating the identifier to recognize that the second rights object belongs to the first rights object and then replacing the variable in the first rights object with the value provided by the second rights object such that a combination of the first rights object and the value from the second rights object results in the full definition to enable the authorized use; generating a derived rights object from the combination that authorizes use of the data and defines a scope of use for the data with the full definition; providing access to the data by a service provider in accordance with the defined scope; and forwarding the data and the derived rights object by the service provider to one or more facilities according to forwarding rules for processing the data according to specification in the full definition.