A computer-implemented method of licensing content comprising: receiving a license request, the license request comprising: an identity certificate for a first entity to whom the license is to be issued, the identity certificate indicating an issuer that issued the identity certificate, wherein the identity certificate includes a public key and either includes, or is associated with, a private key that corresponds to the public key; and a signed rights label, the signed rights label comprising: data indicative of an second entity that issued the rights label; rights data associated with the content and indicative of licensing conditions under which a license is issued; and an encrypted decryption key for the content in form that is decryptable using a private key associated with said second entity; determining that the issuer of the identity certificate is trusted; determining (606, 608, 610, 612, 614, 616) with the identity certificate that conditions for licensing the content to the entity are present; determining that the signed rights label is valid and trusted using the public key of said second entity that issued the rights label to verify the digital signature; generating rights data for the first entity from the rights data within the signed rights label; determining that said private key is available, wherein said private key is received from said second entity that issued the rights label; using said private key to decrypt said encrypted decryption key, thereby producing a decryption key for the content; creating a license for the entity to use the content that includes said decryption key in an encrypted form and the rights data, wherein the act of creating a license comprises: encrypting the decryption key for the content with the public key to produce an encrypted decryption key; and including the encrypted decryption key in the license; and transmitting the license to the first entity. receiving a license request, the license request comprising: an identity certificate for a first entity to whom the license is to be issued, the identity certificate indicating an issuer that issued the identity certificate, wherein the identity certificate includes a public key and either includes, or is associated with, a private key that corresponds to the public key; and a signed rights label, the signed rights label comprising: data indicative of an second entity that issued the rights label; rights data associated with the content and indicative of licensing conditions under which a license is issued; and an encrypted decryption key for the content in form that is decryptable using a private key associated with said second entity; an identity certificate for a first entity to whom the license is to be issued, the identity certificate indicating an issuer that issued the identity certificate, wherein the identity certificate includes a public key and either includes, or is associated with, a private key that corresponds to the public key; and a signed rights label, the signed rights label comprising: data indicative of an second entity that issued the rights label; rights data associated with the content and indicative of licensing conditions under which a license is issued; and an encrypted decryption key for the content in form that is decryptable using a private key associated with said second entity; data indicative of an second entity that issued the rights label; rights data associated with the content and indicative of licensing conditions under which a license is issued; and an encrypted decryption key for the content in form that is decryptable using a private key associated with said second entity; determining that the issuer of the identity certificate is trusted; determining (606, 608, 610, 612, 614, 616) with the identity certificate that conditions for licensing the content to the entity are present; determining that the signed rights label is valid and trusted using the public key of said second entity that issued the rights label to verify the digital signature; generating rights data for the first entity from the rights data within the signed rights label; determining that said private key is available, wherein said private key is received from said second entity that issued the rights label; using said private key to decrypt said encrypted decryption key, thereby producing a decryption key for the content; creating a license for the entity to use the content that includes said decryption key in an encrypted form and the rights data, wherein the act of creating a license comprises: encrypting the decryption key for the content with the public key to produce an encrypted decryption key; and including the encrypted decryption key in the license; and encrypting the decryption key for the content with the public key to produce an encrypted decryption key; and including the encrypted decryption key in the license; and transmitting the license to the first entity.