Abstract: The described embodiments include a content provider device that can assign items of content (applications, digitally-rendered music, books, videos, etc.) to users upon receiving assignment messages from administrative devices. The items of content can be electronically transferred to the user's devices to be used by users. The content provider device can also revoke assignments of items of content from users upon receiving revocation messages from administrative devices. The revocation generally causes the loss of one or more rights to the item of content for the user. For example, the content provider device can stop providing services for the item of content and/or can cause the item of content to be deleted from a corresponding user's device.