Abstract: An entertainment access system is provided that enables a user to request and receive status reports that present current information concerning a wide variety of items pertaining to the user's devices, entertainment content and usage rights in a standard, predictable and consistent manner that enhances rather than hinders the user experience. In some illustrative examples, the user can request the status report from one of his devices that is registered with the entertainment access system. The entertainment access system responds by collecting and formatting the status information so that is can be conveniently displayed or otherwise rendered on the registered device. For instance, if the request is received from a cell phone device, which generally has a relatively small screen, the information may be presented in a relatively abbreviated format.

Abstract: This document describes tools capable of managing digital content from multiple content providers based on a user's identity. By so doing, the tools may free people from the limitations of their storage media and devices. The tools may perform these and other actions through an indirect relationship with users, such as when third-party content providers use the tools but provide their own direct interface with users.

Abstract: An entertainment access system is provided that enables a user to request and receive status reports that present current information concerning a wide variety of items pertaining to the user's devices, entertainment content and usage rights in a standard, predictable and consistent manner that enhances rather than hinders the user experience. In some illustrative examples, the user can request the status report from one of his devices that is registered with the entertainment access system. The entertainment access system responds by collecting and formatting the status information so that is can be conveniently displayed or otherwise rendered on the registered device. For instance, if the request is received from a cell phone device, which generally has a relatively small screen, the information may be presented in a relatively abbreviated format.

Abstract: An entertainment access system is provided that enables a user to request and receive status reports that present current information concerning a wide variety of items pertaining to the user's devices, entertainment content and usage rights in a standard, predictable and consistent manner that enhances rather than hinders the user experience. In some illustrative examples, the user can request the status report from one of his devices that is registered with the entertainment access system. The entertainment access system responds by collecting and formatting the status information so that is can be conveniently displayed or otherwise rendered on the registered device. For instance, if the request is received from a cell phone device, which generally has a relatively small screen, the information may be presented in a relatively abbreviated format.

Abstract: An entertainment access system is provided that enables a user to request and receive status reports that present current information concerning a wide variety of items pertaining to the user's devices, entertainment content and usage rights in a standard, predictable and consistent manner that enhances rather than hinders the user experience. In some illustrative examples, the user can request the status report from one of his devices that is registered with the entertainment access system. The entertainment access system responds by collecting and formatting the status information so that is can be conveniently displayed or otherwise rendered on the registered device. For instance, if the request is received from a cell phone device, which generally has a relatively small screen, the information may be presented in a relatively abbreviated format.

Abstract: A method of establishing a protected environment within a computing device including validating a kernel component loaded into a kernel of the computing device, establishing a security state for the kernel based on the validation, creating a secure process and loading a software component into the secure process, periodically checking the security state of the kernel, and notifying the secure process when the security state of the kernel has changed.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a digital rights management system with a centralized domain service capable of creating and managing membership criteria for joining a domain in accordance with business rules defined by a content owner. A domain identification is created that allows a content provider to uniquely bind content licenses to a domain. The content licenses include usage rights that define how content associated with the licenses may be consumed by one or more members of the domain. The centralized domain service can enforce digital rights by validating membership criteria including at least one of a domain proximity check for validating that a requestor is in close proximity to the domain, a total number of requestors, or the frequency that the requests have been made by various requestors to join the domain and unjoin from the domain.

Abstract: An entertainment access system is provided that enables a user to request and receive status reports that present current information concerning a wide variety of items pertaining to the user's devices, entertainment content and usage rights in a standard, predictable and consistent manner that enhances rather than hinders the user experience. In some illustrative examples, the user can request the status report from one of his devices that is registered with the entertainment access system. The entertainment access system responds by collecting and formatting the status information so that is can be conveniently displayed or otherwise rendered on the registered device. For instance, if the request is received from a cell phone device, which generally has a relatively small screen, the information may be presented in a relatively abbreviated format.

Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects of the rights enforcement of unencrypted content, a nameplate associated with unencrypted content is generated. The nameplate includes an identifier of the unencrypted content and an identifier of an authorized user of the unencrypted content. The nameplate is sent to a device of the authorized user for rights enforcement of the unencrypted content on the device. In accordance with one or more other aspects of the rights enforcement of unencrypted content, a nameplate for unencrypted content to be played back on a device is obtained. The nameplate includes an identifier of the unencrypted content and an identifier of an authorized user of the unencrypted content. The device presents, during playback of the unencrypted content on the device, the identifier of the authorized user of the unencrypted content.

Abstract: In order to ensure that an entertainment access system is enabled to unify and simplify a user's enjoyment of content by managing the user's devices, entertainment content and usage rights, it is important to ensure the user devices, and the services they offer, function in accordance with well-established specifications and standards. Importantly, these specifications need to be the same from one device manufacturer to another. This is needed to ensure that the entertainment access system will be able to provide a consistent, reliable and predictable user experience to its users. In some illustrative examples, a certification program is implemented for user devices that receive and render the entertainment content received from the entertainment access system. The certification program establishes specifications to which the devices are to conform regardless of their manufacturer.

Abstract: An entertainment access system is provided that enables a user to request and receive status reports that present current information concerning a wide variety of items pertaining to the user's devices, entertainment content and usage rights in a standard, predictable and consistent manner. In some illustrative examples, the user can request the status report from one of his devices that is registered with the entertainment access system. The entertainment access system responds by collecting and formatting the status information so that is can be conveniently displayed or otherwise rendered on the registered device. For instance, if the request is received from a device having a small screen, the information may be presented in a relatively abbreviated format. On the other hand, if the request is received from the user's personal computer, the information may be presented to the personal computer in a more detailed or entirely different format.

Abstract: A cache server includes a media serving engine that is capable of distributing media content. A cache engine is coupled to the media serving engine and capable of caching media content. A set of cache policies is accessible by the cache engine to define the operation of the cache engine. The cache server can be configured to operate as either a cache server or an origin server. The cache server also includes a data communication interface coupled to the cache engine and the media serving engine to allow the cache engine to receive media content across a network and to allow the media serving engine to distribute media content across the network. The cache policies include policies for distributing media content from the media server, policies for handling cache misses, and policies for prefetching media content.

Abstract: In order to ensure that an entertainment access system is enabled to unify and simplify a user's enjoyment of content by managing the user's devices, entertainment content and usage rights, it is important to ensure the user devices, and the services they offer, function in accordance with well-established specifications and standards. Importantly, these specifications need to be the same from one device manufacturer to another. This is needed to ensure that the entertainment access system will be able to provide a consistent, reliable and predictable user experience to its users. In some illustrative examples, a certification program is implemented for user devices that receive and render the entertainment content received from the entertainment access system. The certification program establishes specifications to which the devices are to conform regardless of their manufacturer.

Abstract: An entertainment access system is provided that enables a user to request and receive status reports that present current information concerning a wide variety of items pertaining to the user's devices, entertainment content and usage rights in a standard, predictable and consistent manner that enhances rather than hinders the user experience. In some illustrative examples, the user can request the status report from one of his devices that is registered with the entertainment access system. The entertainment access system responds by collecting and formatting the status information so that is can be conveniently displayed or otherwise rendered on the registered device. For instance, if the request is received from a cell phone device, which generally has a relatively small screen, the information may be presented in a relatively abbreviated format.

Abstract: This document describes tools capable of managing digital content from multiple content providers based on a user's identity. By so doing, the tools may free people from the limitations of their storage media and devices. The tools may perform these and other actions through an indirect relationship with users, such as when third-party content providers use the tools but provide their own direct interface with users.

Abstract: This document describes tools capable of managing advertising in the field of digital entertainment content. The tools may enable advertisers to know which advertisements are more effective or are more likely to be effective with all users, users having similar demographic profiles, or a particular user. The tools may do so by building and maintaining profiles for users. These profiles may include many users' interactions with various advertisements, demographic information for the users usable to compare users, explicitly selected preferences of users, users' implicit preferences based on what entertainment content they watch, and other information.

Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects of the rights enforcement of unencrypted content, a nameplate associated with unencrypted content is generated. The nameplate includes an identifier of the unencrypted content and an identifier of an authorized user of the unencrypted content. The nameplate is sent to a device of the authorized user for rights enforcement of the unencrypted content on the device. In accordance with one or more other aspects of the rights enforcement of unencrypted content, a nameplate for unencrypted content to be played back on a device is obtained. The nameplate includes an identifier of the unencrypted content and an identifier of an authorized user of the unencrypted content. The device presents, during playback of the unencrypted content on the device, the identifier of the authorized user of the unencrypted content.

Abstract: This document describes tools capable of managing digital content based on a user's identity. By so doing, the tools free people from the limitations of their storage media and devices. If a user's CD breaks or hard drive fails, the tools permit a user to continuing accessing his content. If a user wants to use a new device or even many new devices, even if those devices play content with a different format than a user's existing devices, the tools may permit him to play his content on those new devices. If a user wants to share content with a friend, the tools may permit it even if the user does not have the content on hand.

Abstract: An active stream format is defined and adopted for a logical structure that encapsulates multiple data streams. The data streams may be of different media. The data of the data streams is partitioned into packets that are suitable for transmission over a transport medium. The packets may include error correcting information. The packets may also include clock licenses for dictating the advancement of a clock when the data streams are rendered. The format of ASF facilitates flexibility and choice of packet size and in specifying maximum bit rate at which data may be rendered. Error concealment strategies may be employed in the packetization of data to distribute portions of samples to multiple packets. Property information may be replicated and stored in separate packets to enhance its error tolerance. The format facilitates dynamic definition of media types and the packetization of data in such dynamically defined data types within the format.

Abstract: An active stream format is defined and adopted for a logical structure that encapsulates multiple data streams. The data streams may be of different media. The data of the data streams is partitioned into packets that are suitable for transmission over a transport medium. The packets may include error correcting information. The packets may also include clock licenses for dictating the advancement of a clock when the data streams are rendered. The format of ASF facilitates flexibility and choice of packet size and in specifying maximum bit rate at which data may be rendered. Error concealment strategies may be employed in the packetization of data to distribute portions of samples to multiple packets. Property information may be replicated and stored in separate packets to enhance its error tolerance. The format facilitates dynamic definition of media types and the packetization of data in such dynamically defined data types within the format.