Method and apparatus for automatically deploying security components in a content distribution system

1. A system for securely distributing content, said system comprising:

a server having content stored thereon;

a client device operable to accomplish a task related to the content, the client device including an application program that comprises a rendering engine for rendering the content; and

a rights management module operatively coupled to said server and configured, upon a request from the client device to access the content, to determine if one or more security components are installed on the client device, and, if any of the security components are not determined to be installed on the client device, to download and install, on the client device, prior to delivery of the content from the server to the client device, at least one of the security components not determined to be installed on the client device to enable secure distribution of the content,

wherein the rights management module is operative to attach at least one of the security components to the rendering engine,

wherein the rights management module is further operative to check the content to determine if the requested content requires a client side security component, and to disengage the client side security component from the rendering engine if the requested content does not require a client side security component, and

wherein at least one of the security components is operative to enforce usage rules associated with the content.

2. A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the content is protected with usage rights associated with the content.

3. A system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the usage rights specify a manner of use of the content.

4. A system as recited in claim 3 , wherein the usage rights further specify conditions that must be satisfied to exercise the manner of use.

5. A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said rights management module is operative to determine if said client device is missing any of the one or more security components based on a predetermined configuration required for managing protection of the content.

6. A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the content comprises executable software.

7. A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said rights management module is operative to determine if the one or more security components are installed on said client device by determining if a request for content from said client device includes a signature component and is operative to send a response to said client device to load at least one of the security components if the request does not include a signature component.

8. A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the application program is a Web browser.

9. A system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the response is a Web page including an executable software component for installing at least one of the security components.

10. A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the security components includes a software agent operative to validate that the client device is secure.

11. A system as recited in claim 9 , wherein the Web page includes information relating to the location of at least one of the security components.

12. A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said rights management module checks the content by determining if the content includes a marker that the content requires at least one of the security components.

13. A system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the marker is a signature.

14. A server adapted to distribute content protected with a protection mechanism, said server comprising:

means for receiving a request from a client device for access to the content, the client device including an application program that comprises a rendering engine for rendering the content; and

a rights management module configured to examine the received request and determine if one or more security components are installed on the client device associated with the request, and, if any of the security components are not determined to be installed on the client device, to download and install, on the client device, prior to delivery of the content from the server to the client device, at least one of the security components not determined to be installed on the client device to enable secure distribution of the content,

wherein the rights management module is operative to attach at least one of the security components to the rendering engine,

wherein the rights management module is further operative to check the content to determine if the requested content requires a client side security component and to disengage the client side security component from the rendering engine if the requested content does not require a client side security component, and

wherein at least one of the security components is operative to enforce usage rules associated with the content.

15. A server as recited in claim 14 , wherein said protection mechanism comprises usage rights associated with the protected content.

16. A server as recited in claim 14 , wherein the content is stored on the server.

17. A server as recited in claim 15 , wherein the usage rights specify a manner of use of the content and conditions for exercising the manner of use.

18. A server as recited in claim 14 , wherein said rights management module is operative to determine if the client device is missing any security component software based on a predetermined configuration required for managing security of requested content and if said at least one client unit is missing any security component software based on said predetermined configuration, said rights management module is operative to provide said missing security component software to the client device.

19. A server as recited in claim 14 , wherein the protected content comprises executable software.

20. A server as recited in claim 14 , wherein said rights management module is operative to determine if one or more security components are installed on the client device by determining if a request for content from said client device includes a signature component and is operative to send a response to the client device to load at least one of the security components if the request does not include a signature component.

21. A server as recited in claim 20 , wherein the application program is a Web browser.

22. A server as recited in claim 21 , wherein the response is a Web page including an executable software component for installing at least one of the security components.

23. A server as recited in claim 14 , wherein at least one of the security components includes a software agent operative to validate that the client device is secure.

24. A server as recited in claim 22 , wherein the Web page includes information relating to the location of at least one of the security components.

25. A server as recited in claim 14 , wherein said rights management module checks the content by determining if the content includes a marker that the protected content requires at least one of the security components.

26. A server as recited in claim 25 , wherein the marker is a signature.

27. A method for securely distributing content, said method comprising:

receiving a request from a client device for access to content, the client device including an application program that comprises a rendering engine for rendering the content;

in response to the request, determining if one or more security components for controlling access to the content are installed on the client device requesting access to the content;

identifying at least one of the security components that is not determined to be installed on the client device;

downloading and installing at least one of the identified security components on the client device prior to delivery of the content from the server to the client device to enable secure distribution of the content; and

checking the content to determine if requested content requires a client side security component and to disengage the client side security component from the rendering engine if the requested content does not require a client side security component,

wherein said downloading and installing step comprises attaching at least one of the security components to the rendering engine, and

wherein at least one of the security components is operative to enforce usage rules associated with the content.

28. A method as recited in claim 27 , wherein the content is protected with usage rights associated with the content.

29. A method as recited in claim 28 , wherein the usage rights specify a manner of use of the content.

30. A method as recited in claim 29 , wherein the usage rights further specify conditions that must be satisfied to exercise the manner of use.

31. A method as recited in claim 27 , wherein said determining step comprises determining if the client device is missing any of the one or more security components based on a predetermined configuration required for managing protection of the content.

32. A method as recited in claim 27 , wherein the content comprises executable software.

33. A method as recited in claim 27 , wherein said determining step comprises determining if one or more security components are installed on the client device by determining if a request for content from the client device includes a signature component and sending a response to the client device to load at least one of the security components if the request does not include a signature component.

34. A method as recited in claim 27 , wherein the application program is a Web browser.

35. A method as recited in claim 33 , wherein the response is a Web page including an executable software component for installing at least one of the security components.

36. A method as recited in claim 27 , wherein at least one of the security components includes a software agent operative to validate that the client device is secure.

37. A method as recited in claim 35 , wherein the Web page includes information relating to the location of at least one of the security components.

38. A method as recited in claim 27 , wherein said checking step comprises checking the content by determining if the content includes a marker that the content requires at least one of the security components.

39. A method as recited in claim 38 , wherein the marker is a signature.