METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROTECTING DRM CONTENTS

1 . An apparatus for preventing access to content protected by digital rights management (DRM) comprising:

an agent for checking whether an identification card is registered at a mobile communication server, the identification card having a unique identification value; and

a DRM core for creating a first key pair, using the unique identification stored on the identification card, and a second key pair using a random value, and storing the first or second key pair,

wherein the agent transfers the unique identification to the DRM core if the identification card is registered at the mobile communication server and the random value to the DRM core if the identification card is not registered at the mobile communication server.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, if a DRM content is requested to be reproduced, the DRM core checks whether a license corresponding to the DRM content exists using the first key pair or the second key pair, and decodes the DRM content if the license exists.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:

a content reproducer for reproducing the decoded DRM content.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:

a display unit for displaying a message asking whether to purchase a license if the license does not exist.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:

a radio frequency (RE) communication unit for transmitting the message of purchasing a license to a rights issuing server if a user selects to purchase the license, and receiving the license from the rights issuing server.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the rights issuing server receives the message of purchasing a license, checks whether the user is a proper user, and transmits to a portable terminal a license to decode the DRM content if the user is a proper user, or rejects a request to purchase the license if the user is not a proper user.

7 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a storage unit for storing the license.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the identification card is selected from the group consisting of: a SIM card, a USIM card and a UIM card.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the unique identification is an IMSI.

10 . A method, operable in a portable terminal, for limiting access to content protected by digital rights management (DRM), comprising:

checking whether an identification card is registered at a mobile communication server, the identification card including a unique identification value;

creating, if the identification card is registered at the mobile communication server, a first key pair using the unique identification value;

creating, if the identification card is not registered at the mobile communication server, a second key pair using a random value; and

storing the created one of the first key pair and the second key pair.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

requesting reproduction of a DRM content;

checking whether a license corresponding to the DRM content exists; and

decoding and reproducing the DRM content if the license exists.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

displaying a message asking whether to purchase a license if the license does not exist; and

transmitting the message of purchasing a license to a rights issuing server if a user selects to purchase the license.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

checking whether a proper user requests to purchase a license, by the rights issuing server receiving the message of purchasing a license; and

transmitting to the portable terminal a license to decode the DRM content if the user is a proper user, or rejecting a request to purchase the license if the user is not a proper user.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the identification card is selected from the group consisting of: a SIM card, a USIM card and a UIM card.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the unique identification is an IMSI.

16 . A portable terminal comprising:

a processor in communication with a memory, the memory including code which when accessed by processor causes the processor to:

determine whether an identification module associated with the portable terminal is registered at a remote site;

determine a key pair as one of: a unique identification obtained from the identification module when the identification module is determined to be registered and a random value when the identification module is determined not to be registered, and

access the DRM content when the selected key pair is valid and a license associated with the DRM content is available.

17 . The terminal of claim 16 , wherein the identification card is selected from the group consisting of: a SIM card, a USIM card and a UIM card.

18 . The terminal of claim 16 , wherein the unique identification is an IMSI.