Digital rights management (DRM) solutions often present problems between content providers and service providers, such as content distribution networks or other media or content distribution systems. Content providers that generate and/or provide content (e.g., audio-visual content, text-based content, non-text-based content, graphic content, software applications, etc.) to distribution network operators desire to protect the content and limit the use and/or distribution of the content to authorized use and/or distribution. Otherwise, unauthorized use of content can lead to unauthorized (and often unlawful) bypassing of the content providers to obtain the same content (e.g., pirated versions, unauthorized copying, using, or sharing), which in turn results in reduced revenue to the content providers because of the decreased demand for content through authorized channels. Similarly, service providers that distribute content or otherwise facilitate the distribution of content to consumers also share similar concerns and a desire to avoid responsibility for downstream unauthorized uses. As a result, content providers and service providers struggle with providing a superior DRM solution to distributed content, which has yet to be identified. Many proposed DRM solutions overly complicate content preparation, distribution, and/or authorization processes, and unduly distract service providers from their core business of content distribution.
Accordingly, there exists a need for systems and methods that improve the provision of DRM applications by providing separable DRM.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds