Digital rights management system

1. A digital rights management system, comprising:

a memory having a tamper-resistant portion;

a storage module that stores a usage right for digital content in the tamper-resistant portion of the memory;

a flag status module that generates a flag corresponding with a transfer status of the usage right, sets the flag to one of a plurality of transfer statuses, and stores the flag in the tamper-resistant portion of the memory, wherein the transfer statuses comprise a status indicating a request for the usage right was generated by a device with a usage right recovery mechanism; and

a usage right control module that denies a request for a transfer of the usage right to a device without a usage right recovery mechanism when the transfer status of the flag is set to the status indicating a request for the usage right was generated by a device with a usage right recovery mechanism;

wherein the request for the transfer of the usage right to a device without a usage right recovery mechanism is made during a network interruption.

2. The digital rights management system of claim 1 , wherein the transfer statuses comprise a status indicating a request for the usage right was generated by a device without a usage right recovery mechanism.

3. The digital rights management system of claim 1 , wherein the transfer statuses comprise a status indicating a request for the usage right has not been received.

4. The digital rights management system of claim 1 , wherein the usage right control module approves a request for a transfer of the usage right to the device with the usage right recovery mechanism when the transfer status of the flag is set to the status indicating a request for the usage right was generated by the device with the usage right recovery mechanism.

5. The digital rights management system of claim 1 , further comprising a tracking module that maintains a log file comprising a use history of the usage right.

6. The digital rights management system of claim 1 , wherein a copy of the flag is merged into the usage right.

7. The digital rights management system of claim 1 , wherein the usage right recovery mechanism comprises a recoverable usage right request module, and wherein the device comprises a non-recoverable usage right request module.

8. The digital rights management system of claim 1 , wherein the device with the usage right recovery mechanism is a first device, the usage right recovery mechanism comprising a recoverable usage right request module, and the system further comprising a second device separate from the first device, wherein the second device comprises a non-recoverable usage right request module.

9. A method for managing digital rights, comprising:

storing a usage right for digital content in a tamper-resistant portion of a memory;

generating a flag for the usage right;

setting the flag to a first status;

storing the flag in the tamper-resistant portion of the memory;

receiving a request for the usage right from a device having a usage right recovery mechanism;

setting the flag to a second status in response to receiving the request;

wherein the second status indicates the request is a recoverable request;

receiving a request for the usage right from a device without a usage right recovery mechanism; and

denying the request for the usage right from the device without the usage right recovery mechanism when the flag for the usage right is set to the second status;

wherein the request for the usage right from the device without a usage right recovery mechanism is received during a network interruption.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving a request to recover the usage right from the device having a usage right recovery mechanism after a transfer of the usage right to the device having a usage right recovery mechanism has been interrupted; and

transferring the usage right to the device having a usage right recovery mechanism in response to receiving the request to recover the usage right if the flag for the usage right is set to the second status.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising adding a copy of the flag to the usage right.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising transferring the usage right to the device having a usage right recovery mechanism, and setting the flag to a third status indicating the usage right has been transferred.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the usage right recovery mechanism is associated with a recoverable usage right request module of the device, the request for the usage right being received from the recoverable usage right request module, and wherein the device comprises a non-recoverable usage right request module, the method further comprising receiving a request for the usage right from the non-recoverable usage right request module, approving the request for the usage right from the recoverable usage right request module when the flag for the usage right is set to the second status, denying the request for the usage right from the non-recoverable usage right request module when the flag for the usage right is set to the second status, and approving the request for the usage right from the non-recoverable usage right requested module when the flag for the usage right is set to the first status.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising updating a log file with use history information associated with the usage right.

15. A method for managing digital rights, comprising:

storing a usage right for digital content in a tamper-resistant portion of a memory;

generating a flag for the usage right and setting the flag to a non-use status;

storing the flag in the tamper-resistant portion of the memory;

receiving a request for the usage right from a device having a usage right recovery mechanism and setting the flag to a recoverable status in response to receiving the request;

transferring the usage right to the device having a usage right recovery mechanism and stopping the transfer of the usage right to the device having a usage right recovery mechanism in response to a network interruption;

receiving a request for the usage right from a device without a usage right recovery mechanism during the network interruption and denying the request for the usage right from the device without a usage right recovery mechanism when the flag is set to the recoverable status; and

receiving a request to recover the usage right from the device having a usage right recovery mechanism after the network interruption is resolved, approving the request to recover when the flag is set to the recoverable status, and disapproving the request to recover when the flag is set to the non-use status.