Abstract: A software application program and method are disclosed for allowing blacked-out television content to be viewed when restrictions on the television content have been lifted. The present system may be part of a software platform for providing television content to subscribers via a broadband IP network service provider such as a telephone company. For situations where a content owner has made deferred rights to television content available, the present system employs a deferred rights management software application program for affecting the download and storage of restricted content to subscribers. The restricted content is downloaded to subscribers in an encrypted format, and remains locked and unusable by subscribers as long as the license restrictions last. When the license restrictions are lifted, the SMS 116 transmits decryption keys allowing decryption and viewing of the content.

Abstract: Functionality is described for providing assets to a client environment, such as a set-top box. The functionality receives a request from the client environment that specifies an original set of parameter name-value pairs. A filtering module filters the original set of parameter name-value pairs to provide a set of germane filtered parameter name-value pairs. A matching module identifies a set of candidate assets which have characteristics which either exactly or partially match the parameter name-value pairs of the filtered set. A matching module resolves partial matches by applying preference analysis. The functionality is advantageous because it provides an intelligent mechanism for supplying assets which match asset requests, without requiring an exhaustive a priori one-to-one mapping between assets and the set-top boxes that can utilize the assets. The functionality also provides a highly extensible design.