Abstract: A multilevel hierarchical feature rights management system (100) provides an efficient way of allocating feature keys. Sub-agents (140) are provisioned or activated with application software having features. The sub-agents request permissions from feature rights management agents (120) to use these features. The feature rights management agents (120) receive feature keys over a network (130) from a feature rights server (110). The feature rights management agents (120) then permit sub-agents (140) to use their provisioned features. In a further aspect of the invention the sub-agents (140) voluntarily release feature permissions rather than the server (110) or the agents (120) forcing the sub-agents (140) to revoke rights.

Abstract: Permission information (110), including a security parameter index SPI and a digital signature (120), form a digital rights key (140) in a digital rights management system. The security parameter index SPI identifies and algorithm for digital signature calculation (130) and of the digital rights key (140). A digital rights source generates the digital rights key (140) using the security parameter index SPI for digital rights management of licenses to an application. A digital rights client receives the digital rights key (140) and interprets it using an algorithm identified by the security parameter index SPI.