Patent ID: 8156049

Claim:
A computer-implemented method, at a digital rights management (DRM) system residing at a server, of transferring protected content, wherein the content is protected based on a DRM format, the computer-implemented method comprising: performing with a computer processor the following: packaging, by the DRM system residing at the server that is remote from a client, a content set within a file that is protected based on a given DRM format, wherein the given DRM format comprises a type of encoding and encrypting, and wherein the given DRM format is associated with a proprietary client application for rendering the content set; identifying, by the DRM system, a set of rights to be granted to the client with respect to the content set; determining, by the DRM system, that the client supports a DRM license format that is independent of the given DRM format used to package the content set, and independent of at least one DRM license format specific to the given DRM format and that is used to access the content set; generating, by the DRM system, in response to the determining, a license in the DRM license format that is independent of the given DRM format used to package the content set, and independent of the at least one DRM license format specific to the given DRM format and that is used to access the content set, wherein the license includes information for allowing the client to gain access to the content set; and transmitting, by the DRM system, the content set that has been packaged and the license to the client, wherein the information within the license is used by the client to render the content set even though the client fails to have a DRM client that is specific to the given DRM format used to package the content set.