Protected content renewal

1 . A method for playing DRM protected content, the method comprising:

receiving DRM protected content from a device for receiving digital media content to a computer, wherein said device transcrypts said DRM protected content to a DRM protocol based on a trust relationship with the computer;

receiving a license package for said DRM content from said device;

storing said DRM protected content;

storing said license package;

receiving a playback request for said DRM content;

checking a license content access policy of said DRM content within said license package;

if said license content access policy allows access, initiating playback;

if said license content access policy prevents access:

presenting said license package to said device;

receiving an updated content access policy from said device;

if said updated content access policy allows access, initiating playback.

2 . The method as recited in 1 wherein said device for receiving digital media content to a computer is an Opencable Unidirectional Receiver device.

3 . The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a prompt to a user if said content access policy prevents access to said DRM protected content.

4 . The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said prompt allows a user to renew said license for said DRM content.

5 . The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said prompt allows a user to change a plurality of access rights for said DRM content.

6 . The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said license package comprises: a plurality of renewal information and a plurality of DRM licenses, wherein each license has a content access policy, the DRM licenses comprising:

an account level license;

a service level license; and

a plurality of content specific level licenses.

7 . The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said renewal information comprises uniform resource locaters for renewing a license.

8 . A system for handling DRM protected content, the system comprising:

a first adapter for commutatively coupling a system to a device for receiving digital media content to a computer;

a trust module coupled to said first adapter for establishing a trust relationship with said device, wherein said device transcrypts said content to a DRM protocol based on said trust relationship;

a storage device coupled to said first adapter for storing a portion of DRM protected content received from said device and a plurality of license information associated with said DRM protected content, wherein said license information comprises access rules; and

a processor coupled to said storage device for checking access rules of said DRM content and making a renewal request for said DRM protected content.

9 . The system as recited in claim 8 further comprising:

An interface for communicatively coupling said system to a playback device.

10 . The system as recited in claim 8 wherein said access rules comprise the amount of time said DRM content is able to be played.

11 . The system as recited in claim 10 wherein said renewal request is made prior to the expiration of the time in said access rules.

12 . The system as recited in claim 8 wherein said renewal request is made to a web server.

13 . The system as recited in claim 8 wherein said renewal request is made to an Opencable Unidirectional Receiver device.

14 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps comprising:

detecting a content request for DRM protected content transcrypted from a device for receiving digital media content to a computer;

checking the status of the license associated with said DRM protected content;

performing a renewal request if a license associated with said content has expired; and

receiving an updated license.

15 . The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14 wherein said content request is a playback request.

16 . The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14 wherein said content request is for remote playback of said DRM content.

17 . The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14 wherein said content request is a request to stream said DRM content.

18 . The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14 wherein said content request is a request to transfer said DRM protected content and an associated license package to another device supporting said DRM protocol.

19 . The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 18 wherein said device can make renewal requests for said DRM content.

20 . The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 19 wherein said device makes renewal requests to a web server.