Abstract: The present invention allows for a pre-licensing process for content that is subject to rights management in order to allow a principal access to the content when the principal does not have access to the rights management server. Rather than requiring the principal to submit a rights account certificate and request for a use license to the rights management server, the present invention allows the message server to obtain a use license on behalf of the principal. Accordingly, the principal can access the use license from the message server and decrypt protected content without having to request the use license from the rights management server.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new and useful composite fiber. The composite fiber is comprised of non-organic particulates bound to an organic polymer in fiber form. Many non-organic substances are serviceable and valve metal oxides are highly suitable. The organic polymer fiber is advantageously derived from fluorine-containing polymer. The composite fibers can serve as a filter, for instance as a filter-packing material for column chromatography, or can be suitable for separations, e.g., battery separations. The fiber may be compressed, or compressed and sintered, and thereby be useful as bearings or gaskets.