Patent ID: 7720463

Claim:
A method for controlling access to streaming media content by a subscriber via a broadcast and multicast service (BCMCS), the method comprising: at a network element associated with delivery of streaming media content to a subscriber terminal via a BCMCS: (a) receiving a message associated with a request for access to streaming media content by a requesting mobile subscriber, wherein the streaming media content is accessible via the BCMCS, where the streaming media content is made available for viewing over a mobile communications network to a plurality of mobile subscribers who join a broadcast or multicast group through which the content is offered; (b) determining requesting mobile subscriber identification and requested content identification associated with the message; (c) using the mobile subscriber identification to identify a content viewing rule for the requesting mobile subscriber; and (d) using the content identification to determine whether allowing the subscriber to view the content would violate the content viewing rule, wherein the content viewing rule is provisionable by or on behalf of a third party separate from a BCMCS network provider or BCMCS content provider and separate from the mobile subscriber to allow the third party to control the viewing of BCMCS-provided content by the mobile subscriber.