Patent ID: 8130965

Claim:
A system comprising: at least one processor device; at least one memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: receiving encrypted content from a storage device, the encrypted content including a television program instance encrypted at a first set-top box using a content instance key, the encrypted television program instance selected by a user for recording to the storage device, wherein the content instance key is encrypted using a public key of the first set-top box; retrieving an encrypted back-up copy of the content instance key encrypted at the first set-top box using a particular public key other than the public key of the first set-top box; retrieving an encrypted copy of at least one access rights element defining a particular user's access rights to at least the television program instance, encrypted using the particular public key; identifying a particular private key paired to the particular public key and retrieving the particular private key, wherein the particular private key is different from the private key paired to the public key of the first set-top box; decrypting the encrypted back-up copy of the content instance key using the particular private key; decrypting the encrypted copy of the at least one access rights element using the particular private key; and decrypting at least a portion of the encrypted television program instance stored on the storage device using the decrypted back-up copy of the content instance key such that at least a portion of the encrypted content is available in the clear without utilizing the private key of the first set-top box; wherein the first set-top box, when accessing content stored on the storage device, decrypts another encrypted copy of the content instance key, encrypted using the public key of the first set-top box, using the private key paired to the public key of the first set-top box, and the decrypted at least one access rights element is for use in verifying whether the user is allowed access to the decrypted portion of the encrypted television program instance.