Patent ID: 8112810

Claim:
A method for providing media content while preventing its unauthorized distribution, said method comprising: transmitting from a client node to an administrative node a request for delivery of an instance of media content; determining which content source of a plurality of content sources to provide delivery of said instance of media content, provided said client node is authorized to receive said instance of media content; transmitting to said client node an access key and a location of said instance of media content of said content source; transmitting from said client node to said content source a second request and said access key; in response to receiving said second request and said access key, transferring said instance of media content from said content source to said client node; activating a compliance mechanism in response to receiving the instance of media content by the client node, the compliance mechanism coupled to the client node, the client node having a media content presentation application operable thereon and coupled to the compliance mechanism; controlling a data output path with the compliance mechanism by diverting, with a shim driver, a commonly used data output path of the client node media content presentation application to a controlled data output path monitored by said compliance mechanism for every instance of media content; directing the instance of media content to a custom media device coupled to the compliance mechanism via the data output path; preventing said instance of media content from being captured via said controlled data path while enabling presentation of instance of media content, said preventing performed by said compliance mechanism stopping or disrupting the delivery of said instance of media content via said controlled data output path; transmitting from said client node to said administrative node an indicator indicating a successful transfer of said instance of media content from said content source to said client node; and generating a transaction applicable to said client node and associated with said transfer of said instance of media content to said client node.