Patent ID: 8590028

Claim:
A method for controlling access to protected content provided by a service provider, the method comprising: during a registration process for a given user, storing an association between a symmetric encryption key and a unique identifier of a set-top box for the given user; encrypting the protected content using the symmetric encryption key associated with the unique identifier of the set-top box, wherein the set-top box is configured to validate access to view the protected content by accepting a content token; encrypting the symmetric encryption key to an encrypted symmetric encryption key, wherein the encrypted symmetric encryption key is decryptable with the content token serving as a dynamically-generated encryption key, wherein a mobile application configured to run on a mobile device that is physically separate from the set-top box is configured to generate the content token on the mobile device that is physically separate from the set-top box in response to a user request for access to view the protected content; and transmitting the encrypted protected content and the encrypted symmetric encryption key to the set-top box.