Disclosed are various embodiments for predictive caching of content to facilitate instantaneous use of the content. If a user is likely to commence use of a content item through a client, and if the client has available resources to facilitate instantaneous use, the client is configured to predictively cache the content item before the user commences use. In doing so, the client may obtain metadata for the content item from a server. The client may then initialize various resources to facilitate instantaneous use of the content item by the client based at least in part on the metadata.

In a method for enabling support for backwards compatibility in a User Domain, in one of a Rights Issuer (RI) and a Local Rights Manager (LRM), a Rights Object Encryption Key (REK) and encrypted REK are received from an entity that generated a User Domain Authorization for the one of the RI and the LRM and the REK is used to generate a User Domain Rights Object (RO) that includes the User Domain Authorization and the encrypted REK.

There is provided a method and system for allocating access to digital media content. In one embodiment, the system may comprise a media server accessible over a communications network, a processor of the media server being configured to encrypt the digital media content to produce a secondary license for the digital media content, and to provide a temporary license key allowing a user to access at least a first portion of the digital media content during an activation usage interval of the secondary license for that portion of the digital media content assigned to the user. The media server further comprises an assignment database configured to store an assignment status of the license. Such a system is configured to permit the user to access the assigned portion of the digital media content during the usage interval.

Techniques for providing segments of media items associated with events to users are described herein. Computing device(s) may receive from a user a request for a segment of a media item associated with an event. The computing device(s) may also receive data presented as evidence of acquisition of a pass for the event, verify that the data is associated with a valid pass that has been purchased for the event, and, based on the verifying, provide the segment of the media item to the user. Additionally or instead, the request may include a time length for the segment and/or a beginning position of the segment, and the computing device(s) may determine, based on a policy and one the time length and/or beginning position, a part of the requested segment of the media item to provide. The computing device(s) may then provide the determined part of the segment to the user.

A method for providing an integrated service includes assigning a digital credential to a user account; receiving a request to schedule an integrated service in relation to the scheduled presentation of the digital content item; identifying, based on the digital credential assigned to the user account, the scheduled presentation of the digital content item; determining, based on the scheduled presentation of the digital content item, a set of available integrated services; providing, to the computing device, data identifying the set of available integrated services; receiving, from the computing device, a user selection of a first integrated service from the set of available integrated services; generating, based on data associated with the scheduled presentation of the digital content item, a service request to provide the first integrated service; and transmitting, to a remote server that provides the first integrated service, the service request to provide the first integrated service.

A method and apparatus to identify user who purchased/downloaded audio/video content. When an audio/video content is purchased/downloaded the content is encrypted for the user and a unique identification code is added as part of the purchase/download. When the encrypted content is decrypted and assembled the identification code is converted to a spatial or time domain vector and added to the original content. The identification code can be split into individual digits/bytes to represent in spatial or time domain vector. The identification code can be visible or invisible. By examining the encoded original content, the user who purchased/downloaded the content can be identified from the unique identification code.

A system is provided for downloading, for distribution and for acoustic reproduction of a music album, which includes at least one or several digital music files and/or multimedia content in the form of one or several multimedia files assignable to the music file, wherein the music file and/or multimedia file are provideable as data sets for downloading, wherein the music file and/or multimedia file are as data sets pre-holdable grouped after downloading as a music album in a data memory of an end-user-device, wherein the music file and/or multimedia file is treatable by a treatment means, particularly in dependency to an authorization, and wherein the treated music file and/or multimedia file is transferable to an output device of the end-user-device, especially a speaker device with or without a display device, in such a way, that the music file and/or multimedia file is at least acoustically emittable to one user.

A system and method for autonomous sustenance of digital assets, including but not limited to digital media, is described. The system may include one or more smart contracts which provide terms for executing a provision of a digital asset to a user on a permanent or duration limited basis. The method may include ensuring the terms of the smart contract are executed such that digital rights holders in the digital assets are paid for access to the digital asset.

Systems and methods are described for securely and efficiently processing electronic content. In one embodiment, a first application running on a first computing system establishes a secure channel with a second computing system, the secure channel being secured by one or more cryptographic session keys. The first application obtains a license from the second computing system via the secure channel, the license being encrypted using at least one of the one or more cryptographic session keys, the license comprising a content decryption key, the content decryption key being further encrypted using at least one of the one or more cryptographic session keys or one or more keys derived therefrom. The first application invokes a second application to decrypt the license using at least one of the one or more cryptographic session keys, and further invokes the second application to decrypt the content decryption key using at least one of the one or more cryptographic session keys or one or more keys derived therefrom, and to decrypt a piece of content using the content decryption key. The first application then provides access to the decrypted piece of content in accordance with the license.

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.