Dropbox. has been granted a patent for a link service that manages links to objects within a content management system. The service allows for shared administration, supports legacy link logic, and integrates with file systems to enhance link management and access control through authentication tokens. GlobalData’s report on Dropbox gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Dropbox, File server virtualization was a key innovation area identified from patents. Dropbox's grant share as of June 2024 was 74%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Link service for managing and accessing objects in file systems
The patent US12039068B2 outlines a method and system for managing access to objects within a file system through a link service. The process begins with the file system receiving a request from a link caller to access a specific object, which is identified in a file system access message. This message includes an authentication token issued to the link caller after a prior request, confirming the validity of the link. The file system then verifies whether the authentication token corresponds to a subject ID that has been granted access permissions for the object. Additionally, the file system receives access restrictions directly from the link service, ensuring that these restrictions do not pass through the link caller. If the subject ID is authorized, the object is sent to the link caller in accordance with both the access permissions and the access restrictions.
Further claims detail the functionality of the system, including the use of a link_sID as a subject ID that identifies the link as an actor within the file system. This allows access rights to be determined based on the link's permissions rather than the identity of the user account that initiated the request. The method also includes updating an identity table to associate user accounts with the link_sID, thereby enhancing access management. The system is designed to evaluate permission statements relevant to the object access and can request additional permissions from the link service as needed. Overall, the patent presents a structured approach to secure object access in a file system, leveraging authentication tokens and link services to streamline the process while maintaining strict access controls.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
