Method and system for subscription digital rights management

Abstract

A system and method for managing use of items having usage rights associated therewith. The system includes an activation device adapted to issue a software package having a public and private key pair, the public key being associated with a user, a license device adapted to issue a license, a usage device adapted to receive the software package, receive the license and allow the user to access the item in accordance with the license, and a subscription managing device adapted to maintain a subscription list including the public key associated with the user. License's is issued by the license device upon verifying presence of the public key in the subscription list corresponding to requested content.

1 . A computer-implemented method executed by one or more computing devices for managing use of content, the method comprising:
 providing, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a software package to a user device of a subscribed user, the software package enforcing a license having usage rights to control use of content;   receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a request from the subscribed user to access the content;   requesting, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the license from a license device;   receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the license from the license device;   pre-packaging, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the received license with the content; and   transmitting, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the pre-packaged license with the content to the subscribed user.   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus for managing use of content, the apparatus comprising:
 one or more processors; and   one or more memories operatively coupled to at least one of the one or more processors and having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause at least one of the one or more processors to:
 provide a software package to a user device of a subscribed user, the software package enforcing a license having usage rights to control use of content; 
 receive a request from the subscribed user to access the content; 
 request the license from a license device; 
 receive the license from the license device; 
 pre-package the received license with the content; and 
 transmit the pre-packaged license with the content to the subscribed user. 
   
     
     
         3 . At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause at least one of the one or more computing devices to:
 provide a software package to a user device of a subscribed user, the software package enforcing a license having usage rights to control use of content;   receive a request from the subscribed user to access the content;   request the license from a license device;   receive the license from the license device;   pre-package the received license with the content; and   transmit the pre-packaged license with the content to the subscribed user.