License management for digital content

摘要

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to managing licenses for playback of digital content. A license management device may create licenses that determine the number of playback devices that can be authorized by the license. Each license may be included in a corresponding digital content. In addition, each license may be distributed to a set of playback devices. Thereafter, a playback device may playback digital content that includes a license when the playback device stores a matching license. A single license can be used to provide authorization to play digital content from multiple sources and/or multiple types of content. Playback devices can store multiple licenses, which allows playback devices to belong to multiple sets of playback devices authorized to playback various digital content. In one embodiment digital content files can contain multiple licenses to allow the content files to be shared by multiple sets of playback devices.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method for managing license information associated with digital content comprising:
under control of one or more serve computers implemented with specific computer readable instructions,
identifying a number of playback devices that can be authorized to playback digital content associated with a license, each playback device including a processor configured to facilitate playback of the digital content, wherein the number of playback devices is indicated by the license, and wherein the number of playback devices are authorized regardless of type of playback device;transmitting via a communication network, first license information corresponding to the license to a set of playback devices, wherein the set of playback devices includes no more than the number of playback devices authorized by the license;generating second license information corresponding to the license, wherein the second license information, when associated with an item of digital content, authorizes a playback device to play the item of digital content only if the playback device includes the first license information; andtransmitting the second license information to at least one playback device of the set of playback devices.