Abstract: A communication system provides a service provider marketplace that includes a data store storing provider data for a plurality of different service providers. A search or selection component provides user interface displays that allow users to search for and select service providers. A payment component provides a mechanism by which payment for the services can be made by the users.

Abstract: A communication system provides a service provider marketplace that includes a data store storing provider data for a plurality of different service providers. A search or selection component provides user interface displays that allow users to search for and select service providers. A payment component provides a mechanism by which payment for the services can be made by the users.

Abstract: To determine whether digital content can be released to an element such as a computer application or module, a scaled value representative of the relative security of the element is associated therewith, and the digital content has a corresponding digital license setting forth a security requirement. The security requirement is obtained from the digital license and the scaled value is obtained from the element, and the scaled value of the element is compared to the security requirement of the digital license to determine whether the scaled value satisfies the security requirement. The digital content is not released to the element if the scaled value does not satisfy the security requirement.

Abstract: To determine whether digital content can be released to an element such as a computer application or module, a scaled value representative of the relative security of the element is associated therewith, and the digital content has a corresponding digital license setting forth a security requirement. The security requirement is obtained from the digital license and the scaled value is obtained from the element, and the scaled value of the element is compared to the security requirement of the digital license to determine whether the scaled value satisfies the security requirement. The digital content is not released to the element if the scaled value does not satisfy the security requirement.

Abstract: To determine whether digital content can be released to an element such as a computer application or module, a scaled value representative of the relative security of the element is associated therewith, and the digital content has a corresponding digital license setting forth a security requirement. The security requirement is obtained from the digital license and the scaled value is obtained from the element, and the scaled value of the element is compared to the security requirement of the digital license to determine whether the scaled value satisfies the security requirement. The digital content is not released to the element if the scaled value does not satisfy the security requirement.

Abstract: A digital content package includes encrypted digital content to be rendered in accordance with a corresponding digital license and is separate and apart from the license. The encrypted digital content is decrypt-able according to a decryption key (KD) obtained from the license. The package also includes a content/package ID that identifies one of the digital content and the package, and license acquisition information including a location of a license provider for providing the license.

Abstract: To obtain a digital license for rendering a piece of digital content, a license requester contacts a license provider and sends a license request. The license provider checks the license request for validity and negotiates with the license requestor terms and conditions for the requested license. The license provider generates the requested license and issues the generated license to the license requestor.

Abstract: An enforcement architecture and method for implementing digital rights management are disclosed. Digital content is distributed from a content server to a computing device of a user and received, and an attempt is made to render the digital content by way of a rendering application. The rendering application invokes a Digital Rights Management (DRM) system, and such DRM system determines whether a right to render the digital content in the manner sought exists based on any digital license stored in the computing device and corresponding to the digital content. If the right does not exist, a digital license that provides such right and that corresponds to the digital content is requested from a license server, and the license server issues the digital license to the DRM system. The computing device receives the issued digital license and stores the received digital license thereon.

Abstract: A digital rights management (DRM) system operates on a computing device and requires a black box for performing decryption and encryption functions. To obtain the black box from a black box server, the DRM system requests such black box from such black box server. The black box server in response generates the black box, where such black box is unique and has a public/private key pair. The black box server then delivers the generated black box to the DRM system and the DRM system installs the delivered black box in such DRM system.

Abstract: A digital rights management (DRM) system operates on a computing device when a user requests that a protected piece of digital content be rendered by the computer device in a particular manner. The DRM system has a license store, a license evaluator, and a state store. The license store stores digital licenses on the computing device. The license evaluator determines whether any licenses stored in the license store correspond to the requested digital content and whether any such corresponding licenses are valid, reviews license rules in each such valid license, and determining based on such reviewed license rules whether such license enables the requesting user to render the requested digital content in the manner sought. The state store maintains state information corresponding to each license in the license store, where the state information is created and updated by the license evaluator as necessary.

Abstract: To determine whether digital content can be released to an element such as a computer application or module, a scaled value representative of the relative security of the element is associated therewith, and the digital content has a corresponding digital license setting forth a security requirement. The security requirement is obtained from the digital license and the scaled value is obtained from the element, and the scaled value of the element is compared to the security requirement of the digital license to determine whether the scaled value satisfies the security requirement. The digital content is not released to the element if the scaled value does not satisfy the security requirement.

Abstract: A rendering application determines that digital content is in an encrypted rights-protected form and invokes a Digital Rights Management (DRM) system which includes a license store having at least one digital license stored therein. Each license corresponds to a piece of digital content and includes a decryption key (KD) for decrypting the corresponding digital content. The DRM system locates each license in the license store corresponding to the digital content to be rendered, selects one of the located licenses, obtains (KD) from the selected license, decrypts the digital content with (KD), and returns the decrypted digital content to the rendering application for actual rendering.

Abstract: An enforcement architecture and method for implementing digital rights management are disclosed. Digital content is distributed from a content server to a computing device of a user and received, and an attempt is made to render the digital content by way of a rendering application. The rendering application invokes a Digital Rights Management (DRM) system, and such DRM system determines whether a right to render the digital content in the manner sought exists based on any digital license stored in the computing device and corresponding to the digital content. If the right does not exist, a digital license that provides such right and that corresponds to the digital content is requested from a license server, and the license server issues the digital license to the DRM system. The computing device receives the issued digital license and stores the received digital license thereon.