Method and apparatus for avoiding license storming during an unplanned regional blackout

1. A computer implemented method of avoiding license storming during an unplanned regional blackout comprising:

generating, by one or more servers, a first leaf license for each geographic region of a plurality of geographic regions in a broadcast area, wherein each first leaf license for each geographic region includes a first content encryption key for decrypting media content associated with the first leaf license, and where each first leaf license for each geographic region is bound to a root license for each geographic region in the plurality of geographic regions;

generating, by the one or more servers in response to a blackout event and without regard to receipt of any license requests, a second leaf license for each geographic region of the plurality of geographic regions that are located outside of a blackout area, wherein each second leaf license for each geographic region includes a second content encryption key different from the first content encryption key for decrypting protected media content, and wherein each second leaf license for each geographic region remains bound to the root license for each geographic region in the plurality of geographic regions; and

publishing the second leaf license for each geographic region to client devices located outside of the blackout area prior to receiving a license request from the client devices due to the blackout event.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

encrypting media content using the first content encryption key;

generating digital rights management (DRM) metadata for each geographic region of the plurality of geographic regions, wherein the DRM metadata comprises the first leaf license for a given geographic region of the plurality of geographic regions;

generating a manifest file for each geographic region of the plurality of geographic regions, wherein the manifest file comprises a universal resource locator (URL) of the location of the media content for broadcast to the geographic region; and

publishing the encrypted media content, the DRM metadata, and the manifest file for each geographic region in the plurality of geographic regions.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein after the blackout event, the method of claim 1 further comprises:

encrypting media content using the second content encryption key;

for each of one or more geographic regions within the blackout area:

generating first digital rights management (DRM) metadata wherein the first DRM metadata does not include a leaf license;

generating a first manifest file comprising a universal resource locator (URL) of a location of alternate content that may be viewed during a blackout period;

for each geographic region of the plurality of geographic regions outside of the blackout area:

generating second digital rights management (DRM) metadata wherein the second DRM metadata includes the second leaf license, wherein the second leaf license includes an encrypted second content encryption key;

generating a second manifest file comprising a universal resource locator (URL) of a location of protected content for a geographic region; and

publishing the encrypted media content, the second DRM metadata, and the first and second manifest files for each geographic region in the plurality of geographic regions outside of the blackout area.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second leaf license for each geographic region remains bound to the root license for the geographic region after the blackout event occurs.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the root license comprises a root key for a geographic region, wherein the root key decrypts the first content encryption key, wherein the first content encryption key decrypts protected content broadcast to the geographic region.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a second root license is not needed to decrypt the second leaf license, thereby avoiding a request for the second root license to a license server.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein a content encryption key rotation is signaled in each manifest file at a start and end of each blackout period.

8. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

a storage medium storing instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform a method of avoiding license storming during an unplanned regional blackout comprising:

generating a first leaf license for each geographic region of a plurality of geographic regions in a broadcast area, wherein each first leaf license for each geographic region includes a first content encryption key for decrypting media content associated with the first leaf license before a blackout event, and where each first leaf license for each geographic region is bound to a root license for each geographic region in the plurality of geographic regions;

generating a second leaf license when the blackout event occurs and without regard to receipt of any license requests, for each geographic region of the plurality of geographic regions that are located outside of a blackout area, wherein each second leaf license for each geographic region includes a second content encryption key different from the first content encryption key for decrypting protected media content, and wherein each second leaf license for each geographic region remains bound to the root license for each geographic region in the plurality of geographic regions; and

publishing the second leaf license for each geographic region to client devices located outside of the blackout area prior to receiving a license request from the client devices due to the blackout event.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:

encrypting media content using the first content encryption key;

generating digital rights management (DRM) metadata for each geographic region of the plurality of geographic regions, wherein the DRM metadata comprises the first leaf license for a given geographic region of the plurality of geographic regions;

generating a manifest file for each geographic region of the plurality of geographic regions, wherein the manifest file comprises a universal resource locator (URL) of the location of the media content for broadcast to the geographic region; and

publishing the encrypted media content, the DRM metadata, and the manifest file for each geographic region in the plurality of geographic regions.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:

encrypting the media content using the second content encryption key after the blackout event; and

for each of one or more geographic regions within the blackout area:

generating first digital rights management (DRM) metadata wherein the first DRM metadata does not include a leaf license;

generating a first manifest file comprising a universal resource locator (URL) of a location of alternate content that may be viewed during a blackout period;

for each geographic region of the plurality of geographic regions that are located outside of the blackout area:

generating second digital rights management (DRM) metadata wherein the second DRM metadata includes the second leaf license, wherein the second leaf license includes an encrypted second content encryption key;

generating a second manifest file comprising a universal resource locator (URL) of a location of protected content for a geographic region; and

publishing the encrypted media content, the second DRM metadata, and the first and second manifest files for each geographic region in the plurality of geographic regions.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second leaf license for each geographic region remains bound to the root license for the geographic region after the blackout event occurs, such that a second root license is not needed to decrypt the second leaf license, thereby avoiding a request for a second root license to a license server.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the root license comprises a root key for a given geographic region, wherein the root key decrypts the first content encryption key, wherein the first content encryption key decrypts protected content broadcast to the given geographic region.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a content encryption key rotation is signaled in each manifest file at a start and end of each blackout period.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium for storing computer instructions for avoiding license storming during an unplanned regional blackout that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computer system to:

generate a first leaf license for each geographic region of a plurality of geographic regions in a broadcast area, wherein each first leaf license for each geographic region includes a first content encryption key for decrypting media content associated with the first leaf license, and where each first leaf license for each geographic region is bound to a root license for each geographic region in the plurality of geographic regions;

generate, in response to a blackout event, a second leaf license for each geographic region of the plurality of geographic regions that are located outside of a blackout area, wherein each second leaf license for each geographic region includes a second content encryption key different from the first content encryption key for decrypting protected media content, and wherein each second leaf license for each geographic region remains bound to the root license for each geographic region in the plurality of geographic regions; and

publish the second leaf license for each geographic region to client devices located outside of the blackout area prior to receiving a license request from the client devices due to the blackout event.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to:

encrypt media content using the first content encryption key;

generate digital rights management (DRM) metadata for each geographic region of the plurality of geographic regions, wherein the DRM metadata comprises the first leaf license for a given geographic region of the plurality of geographic regions;

generate a manifest file for each geographic region of the plurality of geographic regions, wherein the manifest file comprises a universal resource locator (URL) of the location of the media content for broadcast to the geographic region; and

publish the encrypted media content, the DRM metadata, and the manifest file for each geographic region in the plurality of geographic regions.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system, after the blackout event, to:

encrypt media content using the second content encryption key;

for each of one or more geographic regions within the blackout area:

generate first digital rights management (DRM) metadata wherein the first DRM metadata does not include a leaf license; and

generate a first manifest file comprising a universal resource locator (URL) of a location of alternate content that may be viewed during a blackout period;

for each geographic region of the plurality of regions outside of the blackout area:

generate second digital rights management (DRM) metadata wherein the second DRM metadata includes the second leaf license, wherein the second leaf license includes an encrypted second content encryption key;

generate a first manifest file comprising a universal resource locator (URL) of a location of protected content for a geographic region; and

publish the encrypted media content, the second DRM metadata, and the first and second manifest files for each geographic region in the plurality of geographic regions outside of the blackout area.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the second leaf license for each geographic region remains bound to the root license for the geographic region after the blackout event occurs.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the root license comprises a root key for a geographic region, wherein the root key decrypts the first content encryption key, wherein the first content encryption key decrypts protected content broadcast to the geographic region.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein a second root license is not needed to decrypt the second leaf license, thereby avoiding a request for the second root license to a license server.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein a content encryption key rotation is signaled in each manifest file at a start and end of each blackout period.