A method for controlling the release of an as-rendered configuration of a digital work, comprising the steps of presenting said digital work as a composite of a plurality of layers comprising at least a first layer and a second layer; providing a rendering protocol interface which is adapted for defining said as-rendered configuration of the digital work by specifying a first rendering status of said first layer and a second rendering status of said second layer; providing a rendering protocol facility adapted for storing and controlling the release of said first and second rendering status of said first and second layers respectively in accordance with said as-rendered configuration; restricting unauthorized access to the rendering protocol interface, thereby preventing unauthorized modification of said as-rendered configuration; and releasing said digital work with said as-rendered configuration. The method has application in selling books, movies, software, music and other information products. A method of selling a preview version of an information product along with an option of purchase of the original version is described.

A method, computer program product and computing device for selecting at least one playlist for transfer, the at least one playlist being stored on a first personal media device. The at least one playlist is converted to a common format, thus generating a first common format playlist. Communication is established with a second personal media device. The first common format playlist is transferred to the second personal media device.

A user device may strengthen the protection level of a digital content by dividing the security and normal modes and performing an operation. In order to further strengthen the protection level of the digital content, the user device may determine whether the main operating system is hacked or not, and blocks the operation in the secure mode. Otherwise, the device authorization information indicating the device security level of the user device is authorized by the content service server, and the user device blocks the operation in the secure mode according to the result.

A game identifier of an encrypted streaming electronic game to be streamed to a playback device may be received. The game identifier may comprise a title of the encrypted streaming electronic game. An electronic ticket for access by the playback device to a secured portion of the encrypted streaming electronic game may be gathered. The electronic ticket may specify a first gameplay state. The electronic ticket may be used to access the secured portion of the encrypted streaming electronic game at the first gameplay state. One or more gameplay actions to transform the encrypted streaming electronic game to a second gameplay state may be received. The second gameplay state may be provided to a state server, where the state server configured to instruct a license server to modify the electronic ticket to specify the second gameplay state for the encrypted streaming electronic game.

Systems and methods for sharing content between devices are disclosed. To request a shared piece of media content, a playback device generates and sends a request to content server. The playback device includes information in the request that indicates the playback capabilities of the device. The content server receives the request and determines the playback capabilities of the playback device from the information in the request. The content server then determines the assets that may be used by the playback device to obtain the media content and generates a top level index file for the playback device that includes information about the determined assets. The top level index file is then sent to the playback device that may then use the top level index file to obtain the media content using the indicated assets.

A computerized process is described for transferring content from a first entity to a second entity including first transferring separately and via a database entity for each content: a content identifier, content rights, a content encryption key, a content initialization vector, a content encryption count, and a first entity identifier. Included with the transferred content is a transfer identifier, which is encrypted. After transferred content is received by the second entity, the transfer identifier is used to retrieve the content rights, content encryption key, content encryption initialization vector, content encryption count, and first entity identifier from the database entity. After receiving the content, both actions taken on the content and disposition of the content at the second entity are controlled according to the content rights by the first entity and the status of the content is reported to the first entity via a database entity.

A method of restricting data access based on properties of at least one of a process and a machine executing the process includes receiving, by an access control management system, from a first computing device, information associated with an encrypted data object. The method includes requesting, by the access control management system, from a verifier, verification that a second computing device executes a process in accordance with a process attribute identified in the information associated with the encrypted data object. The method includes sending, by the access control management system, to the second computing device, the received information associated with the encrypted data object, responsive to the verification of the process attribute.

Media content items is provided to content consumers for playback and consumption includes plurality of nodes interacting with each other in accordance with defined protocol in communication network. A first node receives a request for playback of a media content from a content consumer. A second node owns the requested media content and provides media content rights to the first participant and/or the content consumer. The first node further provides media content metadata to the consumer device for consumption. A plurality of instances of a distributed media rights transaction ledger, associated with respective node, includes a plurality of media content rights transactions corresponding to an acquisition of the media content rights by the first participant and/or content consumer prior to the consumption of the media content. The plurality of media content rights transactions is categorized, defined, and managed by plurality of nodes in accordance with the defined protocol.

Techniques are described for reducing time to decrypt a next encrypted frame in a content stream by optimizing a license/key acquisition process. When requesting content, a key identifier and/or license identifier may be included within a webpage using a link, script, or similar access point. When a client device sends a request for content, the loading of the webpage within the client device includes the embedded key identifier. Access to the key/license identifier at the client device then may initiate a key/license acquisition process by the client device. The key/license may be obtained from a key management device in parallel with, or prior to, downloading of at least a portion of the content stream.

Systems, and methods are provided to provide cloud-based coordination of customer premise service appliances. A system can include a cloud-based service platform, which includes a coordination server and a cloud-based service appliance, and an on-premise service appliance. The coordination server is configured to establish a service session, select a service appliance, and control a sequence of operations on the selected service appliance. Establishing the service session can include establishing a service session with a first client in response to a service request received from the first client, the first client associated with an account including a service policy. Selecting the service appliance can include selecting the cloud-based service appliance or the on-premise service appliance, based on the service policy, to handle the service request. Upon selection of the on-premise service appliance, the coordination server controls a sequence of operations performed by the on-premise service appliance to satisfy the service request.