Abstract: The present invention provides a licensing mechanism allowing for different forms of license for use in an environment of interconnected servers providing content. The invention comprises both methods and a system for licensing individual content based upon the nature of the use, thus facilitating the distribution of content without a license for non-commercial purposes and content with a license for commercial purposes. The system utilizes a special form placed within the content, the form containing either a legal assertion of the non-commercial nature of the use, or an identification of the licensee and other related data. If the form includes an identification of the licensee, a license server may be contacted to validate the license. The invention also includes a licensing tool or server to generate the appropriate form for insertion within the content.