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.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method executed by one or more computing devices associated with a subscriber for creating a digital work that is made available to a subscriber computing device through a subscription, the subscriber computing device being associated with the subscriber of the subscription, the method comprising:
 before an instance of the content is available to the subscriber computing device through the subscription, receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices associated with the subscriber, a label associated with at least one usage right;   requesting, by at least one of the one or more computing devices associated with the subscriber, access to the instance of the content;   transmitting, by at least one of the one or more computing devices associated with the subscriber, information related to the environment of a computing device associated with the subscriber;   receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices associated with the subscriber, the instance of the content after the instance of the content becomes available to the subscriber computing device through the subscription, wherein the instance of the content is in a format appropriate to the environment of a computing device associated with the subscriber; and   associating, by at least one of the one or more computing devices associated with the subscriber, the at least one usage right with the instance of the content, thereby creating the digital work.   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus for creating a digital work that is made available to a subscriber computing device through a subscription, the subscriber computing device being associated with a subscriber of the subscription, 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 containing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause at least one of the one or more processors to:
 before an instance of the content is available to the subscriber computing device through the subscription, receive a label associated with at least one usage right; 
 request access to the instance of the content; 
 transmit information related to the environment of a computing device associated with the subscriber; 
 receive the instance of the content after the instance of the content becomes available to the subscriber computing device through the subscription, wherein the instance of the content is in a format appropriate to the environment of a computing device associated with the subscriber; and 
 associate the at least one usage right with the instance of the content, thereby creating the digital work. 
   
     
     
         3 . At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, create a digital work that is made available to a subscriber computing device through a subscription, the subscriber computing device being associated with a subscriber of the subscription, the instructions causing at least one of the one or more computing devices to:
 before an instance of the content is available to the subscriber computing device through the subscription, receive a label associated with at least one usage right;   request access to the instance of the content;   transmit information related to the environment of a computing device associated with the subscriber;   receive the instance of the content after the instance of the content becomes available to the subscriber computing device, wherein the instance of the content is in a format appropriate to the environment of a computing device associated with the subscriber; and   associate the at least one usage right with the instance of the content, thereby creating the digital work.