Importance

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Abstract

The present invention is designed to improve distribution of electronic objects by permitting publishers to enforce the copyrights associated with their objects. In accordance with the present invention, respective unique publisher identification information (e.g., including publisher identity, account number, and copyright fees for a given document, etc.) is embedded by the system into respective conventional object data files. When a user initially downloads a given electronic file and seeks to access same (e.g., via viewing and/or printing), the user is required by the system to electronically purchase (e.g., via electronic finds transfer, Cybercash.TM., credit card transactions, or the like) an appropriate user access license for the object, based upon the publisher identification information embedded in the object. At the time of purchase of such license, the system requires the user to supply sensitive user information (e.g., the user's name, address, telephone number, occupation, credit card number, bank account number, Cybercash.TM. account, etc.) in order to obtain the license, which sensitive information is embedded by the system into the electronic object, and the system encrypts the object with the embedded sensitive information, using the sensitive information as an encryption password key. Subsequently, the system will only decrypt the encrypted object if (1) the sensitive information is supplied by the user or user's computer to the system at time of requested access, or (2) another user license for that document is purchased by the user from the system at time of requested access. The system also causes any printed hardcopy of any document contained in the object, as well as any electronic copy of those documents, to include fields containing the embedded sensitive information, terms under which the user's license for the document was granted, and, if desired, legal warnings concerning copyright infringement.

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First Claim