Patent ID: 8051473

Claim:
Method for operating networks of devices (d), in particular for audio-video content protection and copy management, wherein at least a part of said networks in each case forms and is referred to as a domain (D) in particular being assigned to or belonging to one household or entity, wherein each domain (D) is logically or physically formed by one or by a plurality of sub-networks (n) of devices (d), wherein each device (d) is assigned to at least one authorized domain (AD) of said domains (D) by: assigning or storing in each case at least one type of authorized domain identifier (ADI) to/by said respective device (d), wherein each type of authorized domain identifier (ADI) is descriptive or characteristic for said authorized domain (AD) and its type as well as for a membership of said respective device (d) to said respective domain (D), in a first device (d 1 ) of a first authorized domain (D 1 ), a primary authorized domain identifier (PADI) is set as one of said authorized domain identifiers (ADI) and used in the first device (d 1 ) in order to identify the first authorized domain (D 1 ) as a primary authorized domain (PAD) and the first device (d 1 ) as a primary member thereof, in order to have access to protected content which is associated with or bound to said primary authorized domain (PAD), in the first device (d 1 ), a secondary authorized domain identifier (SADI) is set as one of said authorized domain identifiers (ADI), the secondary authorized domain identifier (SADI) being set in accordance with a primary authorized domain identifier (PADI) of and received from a second device (d 2 ) of a second authorized domain (D 2 ) in order to identify the second authorized domain (D 2 ) as a secondary authorized domain (SAD), in order to have temporary access to protected content which is associated with or bound to the second device (d 2 ) as long as the second device (d 2 ) is connected or merged to said first authorized domain (D 1 ), and an access to, a provision of, or a transmission of data with respect to audio/video content by each device (d) is in each case ruled only on the basis of the respective assigned or stored authorized domain identifiers (ADI).