Patent ID: 6920567

Claim:
A digital content file including a license control mechanism for controlling the licensed use of digital content, comprising: a digital content, and an embedded file access control mechanism embedded in the digital content file, including a license functions mechanism embedded in the digital content file and including a license monitor and control mechanism communicating with a dynamic license database and monitoring use of the digital content by a user to determine whether a use of the digital content by a user compiles with the license defined in the dynamic license database, and a license control utility providing communications between a user system and an external system to communicate license definition information between the user system and the external system, including a graphical user interface associated with the license control utility to provide communication between a user and user accessible functions of the license functions mechanism, and the dynamic license database wherein the dynamic license database is associated with the digital content file for storing information controlling operations of the file access control mechanism and license information controlling licensed use of the digital content.