Content rights management for mobile devices
An electronic device for providing geolocation independent content rights management includes a non-transitory storage medium and a processing unit. The processing unit executes instructions stored in the non-transitory storage medium to receive a request for content from a content access device and, if the content access device is registered to an account associated with a geolocation, provides access to the content. In some implementations, the processing unit may determine if the content access device is registered using a token corresponding to the request. In various implementations, the processing unit may verify that one or more digital rights management and/or persistence policies allow the access, such as where access may be provided to one copy of the content at a time.
1. An electronic device for providing geolocation independent content rights management, comprising:
a non-transitory storage medium; and
a processing unit that executes instructions stored in the non-transitory storage medium to:
receive a request for content from a content access device;
determine that the content access device is registered to an account associated with an account location;
determine a first set of access rights that is associated with the account location;
determine a second set of access rights using an actual location of the content access device that is other than the account location, the second set of access rights:
being a subset of rights that would be granted based on location if the actual location were the account location; and
including at least one right in addition to the first set of access rights;
provide access to the content when the first set of access rights or the second set of access rights enables access to a single instance of the content and the processing unit determines that a copy of the content is not stored on a second content access device registered to the account; and
before providing access to the content, lock the copy on the second content access device without removing the copy when:
1) the first set of access rights or the second set of access rights enables the access to the single instance of the content; and
2) the processing unit determines that the copy of the content is stored on the second content access device.
2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit:
receives a registration request indicating the content access device;
identifies the account; and
registers the content access device to the account.
3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processing unit receives the registration request based on communication between the content access device and an additional content access device already associated with the account.
4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the processing unit receives the registration request from the additional content access device.
5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit transmits a token to the content access device as part of registering the content access device to the account.
6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the account is a content provider subscription account.
7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the content is on-demand video content.
8. An electronic device for providing geolocation independent content rights management, comprising:
a non-transitory storage medium; and
a processing unit that executes instructions stored in the non-transitory storage medium to:
receive a request for content from a first content access device, the request including a token;
verify the token indicates the first content access device is registered to an account associated with a geolocation;
when the processing unit determines that a copy of the content is not stored on a second content access device registered to the account and a digital rights management policy indicates the account is allowed to access the content, provide access to the content; and
when the processing unit determines that the copy of the content is stored on the second content access device and the digital rights management policy indicates the account is allowed to access the content, disable presentation of the copy of the content by the second content access device without impairing other operations of the second content access device before providing the access to the content.
9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the processing unit receives the token from the first content access device.
10. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the processing unit retrieves the token from the non-transitory storage medium using an indicator transmitted by the first content access device.
11. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the digital rights management policy specifies obligations a provider of the content owes to an owner of the content.
12. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the token is encrypted.
13. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the content is broadcast video content.
14. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the access to the content is provided by pulling one or more adaptive bit rate segments.
15. An electronic device for providing geolocation independent content rights management, comprising:
a non-transitory storage medium; and
a processing unit that executes instructions stored in the non-transitory storage medium to:
receive a request for content from a first content access device;
determine whether the first content access device is registered to an account associated with a geolocation;
when the processing unit determines that a copy of the content is not stored on a second content access device registered to the account and digital rights management and persistence policies indicate the account is allowed to access the content, provide access to the content; and
when the processing unit determines that the copy of the content is stored on the second content access device and the digital rights management and persistence policies indicate the account is allowed to access the content, lock the copy of the content on the second content access device without removing the copy of the content before providing the access to the content.
16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the digital rights management and persistence policies restrict access to the content based on geolocations including the geolocation.
17. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the processing unit revokes access to the content by the first content access device before allowing an additional request for the content from a content access device other than the first content access device.
18. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the processing unit denies an additional request for the content from a content access device other than the first content access device when the access to the content by the first content access device has not yet been revoked.
19. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the processing unit provides the access to the content by the first content access device when the first content access device is located other than at the geolocation.
20. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the processing unit provides the access to the content by the first content access device independent of a location of the first content access device.