An architecture for enforcement of usage contracts in distributed multimedia systems

ABSTRACT

Current distributed multimedia systems, including the World Wide Web. allow users access to vast amounts of media-rich information. Much effort has been put into providing browsing and querying tools, storing multimedia documents efficiently, and transporting the documents from a server to a client. The multimedia data in these systems is often protected by copyright and has other restrictions on its use. However, current systems, such as the Web, have limited support for document security.When an authorised user obtains a document, its use is no longer under the scrutiny of the system--the document's provider has no control over how it is used. In this paper we present a system designed to extend the system's control over documents. It determines precisely what the user may and may not do after the document has been transferred to the user's client machine. The basis of the system is the notion of a contract that describes the operations users may perform on the document. This contract is enforced by a tool that is dynamically produced, sent to the client, and used by the user to manipulate the document.

REFERENCES

• 1: {1} R. Velthuys, J. Wong, K. Lyons, G. von Bochmann, E. Dubois, N. Georganas, G. Neufeld, and T. Ozsu, "Enabling technologies for distributed multimedia applications." Working architecture paper for the CITR Broadband Services Major Project in Distributed Multimedia.
• 2: {2} J. Gehl and S. Douglas, "New york times web site," in Edupage, Educom, January 26 1996. See http://www.educom.edu/.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.7 DOCUMENT AND TEXT PROCESSING
      I.7.1 Document and Text Editing
          Subjects: Document management

Additional Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
      C.2.4 Distributed Systems
          Subjects: Client/server

  H. Information Systems
  H.2 DATABASE MANAGEMENT
      H.2.2 Physical Design
          Subjects: Access methods
      H.2.4 Systems
          Subjects: Multimedia databases
  H.3 INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL
      H.3.4 Systems and Software

          Nouns: World Wide Web (WWW)

  K. Computing Milieux
  K.5 LEGAL ASPECTS OF COMPUTING
      K.5.1 Hardware/Software Protection
          Subjects: Copyrights

General Terms:
Algorithms, Design, Security, Theory