Digital Object Identifier

Abstract: A method of managing digital objects in a network is presented. The objects are stored at locations accessible in the network using a storage technique which renders the digital objects secure against unauthorized access. Pointer information which associates each digital object identifier with a pointer indicating the location of the stored digital object is also stored in the network. For each digital object validation information is stored, separately from the digital object, and is sufficient to permit a determination whether a purported instance of a digital object is identical to the original. Other aspects include storing validation information which is substantially smaller in size than the corresponding digital object; storing validation information separately from the digital object; providing multiple servers each of which accepts identifiers of a subset of the digital objects and returns corresponding pointers to the locations of the digital objects in the network; registering rights in digital objects by submitting an application including the validation information and the unique identifier of a digital object; enabling holders of rights in digital objects to control terms and conditions under which they are accessed by users in a network; enabling holders of rights in digital objects to control terms and conditions under which rights in the digital objects may be granted to others; maintaining a record of information concerning digital objects stored on a network; providing a repository service; tracking events in the system; cataloging digital objects, and handling payment for access to digital objects and for obtaining rights using a network-based payment mechanism or compensation.

Abstract: The Digital Object Identifier (DOI®) System is a managed system for persistent identification of content on digital networks. It can be used to identify physical, digital, or abstract entities. The identifiers (DOI names) resolve to data specified by the registrant, and use an extensible metadata model to associate descriptive and other elements of data with the DOI name. The DOI system is implemented through a federation of registration agencies, under policies and common infrastructure provided by the International DOI Foundation which developed and controls the system. The DOI system has been developed and implemented in a range of publishing applications since 2000; by early 2009 over 40 million DOIs had been assigned. The DOI system provides identifiers which are persistent, unique, resolvable, and interoperable and so useful for management of content on digital networks in automated and controlled ways

Abstract: Digital rights management (DRM) and content distribution systems need to reference unique works of autorship to facilitate distribution, access control, and usage tracking and reporting of the works. The apparatus, method, and system disclosed herein is a DRM and content distribution system that uses the digital object identifier (DOI) (401, 402, 403, 404) as a unique identifier for the works of authorship that are the subject of transactions within the system and that travel with the instantiations of the works of authorship. A method of accessing a digital work from a computer is disclosed. The method associates at least one usage right with the digital work to create a protected digital work. The usage rights include displaying the digital work, copying the digital work, fowarding the digital work to another computer, or printing the digital work. The method selects a unique identifier such as a DOI for the digital work and stores the protected digital work and the unique identifier in a directory (411) such as a library of digital works of autorship or a portion of a peer-to-peer network. The method issues a query from the computer to the directory to generate a result set that includes the unique identifier. The method uses the unique identifier to retrieve the protected digital work from the directory. Furthermore, a method is taught to employ multiple resolution capabilities for the super-distribution of DOI referenced content via E-mail and otherwise.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and system to track information access over a communications network. The present disclosure teaches how to associate access credentials with content accesser in a global and persistent manner. Both content and people are registered with a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) handle system (1603). Furthermore, security and other information such as certificates, personal records, encryption keys, and all other objects involved in such transactions may also be registered with a DOI in the handle system and/or may be associated with another DOI as one of the multiple-resolution pointers contained in a DOI record. A right clearinghouse (1604) then maintains a rights database associated content rights with content accessers by DOIs. The association of people, i.e., content accessers, with digital object identifiers further ensures that content and accessers may be mapped in a manner allowing for the secure tracking of content access.