A New DRM Architecture with Strong Enforcement

Abstract

We propose a new DRM architecture that utilizes a two-step enforcement process to enable strong security even in the case of a compromised DRM viewer. This is achieved by using novel cryptographic techniques of attribute-based encryption that make it possible to limit access to media to a subset of users that has to fulfill certain properties which are specified during the encryption process. We call these properties static rules. Static rules add an additional layer to the dynamic DRM enforcement framework that has to be overcome by potential attackers even if a DRM media operates in an unprotected environment. Finally, we demonstrate the practicability of this architecture by describing how static rules can be automatically extracted from licenses formulated in the standardized Open Digital Rights Language (ODRL).