Patent ID: 7509421

Claim:
A digital rights management (DRM) system for managing a consumer's access to DRM encrypted content through a DRM client of the consumer, the DRM system comprising: at least one DRM server programmed to validate an identity of a consumer and send a first copy of at least one access right for DRM encrypted content, the at least one access right comprising electronic information to be implemented by the DRM client of the consumer to enable the consumer to decrypt and access the DRM encrypted content independently of the at least one DRM server, the first copy to be stored at the DRM client of the consumer, the at least one DRM server being further programmed to store a second copy of the at least one access right that is accessible to the at least one DRM server, wherein, upon receiving a request for engaging in a transaction with a specified DRM client of the consumer such that the consumer is able to decrypt and access the encrypted content using the at least one access right, the at least one DRM server is further programmed to: determine whether the specified DRM client is storing the first copy of the at least one access right; where the specified DRM client is not storing the first copy of the at least one access right, access the second copy of the at least one access right; determine whether a criterion of the DRM content prevents the consumer from being granted access to the DRM encrypted content at substantially the time of the request; and where the criterion of the DRM content allows the consumer to access the DRM encrypted content, allow the consumer to use the second copy of the access right to access and decrypt the DRM encrypted content using the DRM client.