Method and system to digitally sign and deliver content in a geographically controlled manner via a network

1. A method of exercising geographic control over distribution of content via a network, comprising:

via at least one computer server, in communication with the network;

receiving a request from a content requestor, the content requester located at a geographic location, for delivery of content via the network;

determining a source IP address associated with the content requestor; determining the geographic location of the content requester based on the source IP address;

retrieving, from an access server in communication with the network, access criteria associated with the requested content, including geographic location criteria; and

determining whether the determined geographic location associated with the source IP address complies with the retrieved geographic access criteria; and

if the determination is positive, releasing the requested content for delivery to the content requester; and

if the determination is negative, blocking the requested content for delivery to the content requester.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising,

determining a delivery address associated with the content requestor, utilizing information received from a user device used to make the request.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

determining whether the determined delivery address complies with the retrieved geographic access criteria,

if the determination is positive, releasing the content for delivery to the content requestor, and

if the determination is negative, blocking the content for delivery to the content requestor.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the user device includes one or more of a set-top box and PKI-enabled hardware device.

5. A system for exercising geographic control over distribution of content via a network, comprising:

at least one computer processor in communication with the network, configured to,

receive a request from a content requestor, the content requester located at a geographic location, for delivery of content via the network;

determine a source IP address associated with the content requestor; determine the geographic location of the content requester, based on the source IP address;

retrieve, from an access server in communication with the network, access criteria associated with the requested content, including geographic location criteria; and

determine whether the determined geographic location associated with the source IP address complies with the retrieved geographic access criteria, and

if the determination is positive, release the requested content for delivery to the content requester, and

if the determination is negative, block the requested content for delivery to the content requester.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the computer processor is further configured to:

determine a delivery address associated with the content requestor utilizing information received from a user device used to make the request.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the user device includes one or more of a set-top box and PKI-enabled hardware device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the geographic access criteria includes one or more of: nation, state, municipal, city, town, economic, demographic, historical, and socio-economic.

9. The method of claim 3 further comprising,

determining whether both the delivery address and source IP address comply with the retrieved geographic access criteria; and

determining whether both the delivery address and source IP address are outside any blocked geographic locations, and

if the determinations are positive, releasing the requested content for delivery to the content requester, and

if the determinations are negative, blocking the requested content for delivery to the content requester.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the request is received via the network from an access client at the content requester geographic location.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising, conducting a content requester authentication process.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the source IP address is via an external third party geographic location service.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein user device includes at least one of, a personal computer, a set-top box, a mobile telephone, and a game console.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the network is an internet.

15. The system of claim 5 wherein the geographic access criteria includes one or more of: nation, state, municipal, city, town, economic, demographic, historical, and socio-economic.

16. The system of claim 6 wherein the computer processor is further configured to,

determine whether the determined delivery address complies with the retrieved geographic access criteria, and

if the determination is positive, release the content for delivery to the content requestor, and,

if the determination is negative, block the content for delivery to the content requestor.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the computer processor is further configured to,

determine whether both the delivery address and source IP address comply with the retrieved geographic access criteria; and

determine whether both the delivery address and source IP address are outside any blocked geographic locations, and

if the determinations are positive, release the requested content for delivery to the content requester, and

if the determinations are negative, block the requested content for delivery to the content requester.

18. The system of claim 5 wherein the request is received via the network from an access client at the content requester geographic location.

19. The system of claim 5 wherein the computer processor is further configured to, conduct a content requester authentication process.

20. The system of claim 5 wherein determining the source IP address is via an external third party geographic location service.

21. The system of claim 6 wherein the user device includes at least one of, a personal computer, a set-top box, a mobile telephone, and a game console.

22. The system of claim 5 wherein the network is an internet.

23. A method of delivering content to a user device via a network, comprising:

via at least one computer server, in communication with the network,

determining a source IP address associated with the user device;

determining a geographic location of the user device, based on the source IP address;

retrieving, from an access server in communication with the network, access criteria associated with content to be delivered to the user device, including geographic location criteria; and

determining whether the determined geographic location associated with the source IP address complies with the retrieved geographic access criteria, and

if the determination is positive, causing delivery of the content to the user device, and

if the determination is negative, blocking delivery of the content to the user device.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the geographic access criteria includes one or more of: nation, state, municipal, city, town, economic, demographic, historical, and socio-economic.

25. The method of claim 23 , further comprising, determining a delivery address associated with the content requestor, utilizing information received from the user device used to make the request.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising,

determining whether the determined delivery address complies with the retrieved geographic access criteria, and

if the determination is positive, causing delivery of the content to the user device, and

if the determination is negative, blocking delivery of the content to the user device.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising,

determining whether both the delivery address and source IP address comply with the retrieved geographic access criteria; and

determining whether both the delivery address and source IP address are outside any blocked geographic locations, and

if the determinations are positive, causing delivery of the content to the user device, and

if the determinations are negative, blocking delivery of the content to the user device.

28. The method of claim 23 further comprising, conducting a content requester authentication process.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein determining the source IP address is via an external third party geographic location service.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein user device includes at least one of, a personal computer, a set-top box, a mobile telephone, and a game console.

31. The method of claim 23 wherein the network is an internet.

32. A system of delivering content to a user device via a network, comprising:

at least one computer server, in communication with the network, configured to,

determine a source IP address associated with the user device;

determine a geographic location of the user device, based on the source IP address;

retrieve, from an access server in communication with the network, access criteria associated with the requested content, including geographic location criteria; and

determine whether the determined geographic location associated with the source IP address complies with the retrieved geographic access criteria, and

if the determination is positive, cause delivery of the content to the user device, and

if the determination is negative, block delivery of the content to the user device.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the geographic access criteria includes one or more of: nation, state, municipal, city, town, economic, demographic, historical, and socio-economic.

34. The system of claim 32 , wherein the computer server is further configured to, determine a delivery address associated with the content requestor, utilizing information received from a user device used to make the request.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the computer server is further configured to,

determine whether the determined delivery address complies with the retrieved geographic access criteria,

if the determination is positive, causing delivery of the content to the user device, and

if the determination is negative, blocking delivery of the content to the user device.

36. The system of claim 34 wherein the computer server is further configured to,

determine whether both the delivery address and source IP address comply with the retrieved geographic access criteria; and

determine whether both the delivery address and source IP address are outside any blocked geographic locations,

if the determinations are positive, causing delivery of the content to the user device, and

if the determinations are negative, blocking delivery of the content to the user device.

37. The system of claim 32 wherein the computer server is further configured to, conduct a content requester authentication process.

38. The system of claim 32 wherein determining the source IP address is via an external third party geographic location service.

39. The system of claim 34 wherein the user device includes at least one of, a personal computer, a set-top box, a mobile telephone, and a game console.

40. The system of claim 32 wherein the network is an internet.