Patent ID: 8056139

Claim:
A method for authorizing receipt of a multicast data stream by a user system comprising the activities of: requesting an authorization code from an authorization server to receive the multicast data stream by a user system; receiving at the user system an authorization code from the authorization server; providing the authorization code to a streaming server; validating the authorization code with the authorization server by the streaming server by contacting the authorization server by the streaming server, providing the authorization code from the streaming server to the authorization server, determining, by the authorization server if the authorization code is valid, and receiving a validation signal at the streaming server upon determining the authorization code is valid; receiving startup information from the streaming server for accessing the multicast data stream information upon validation of the authorization code by the authorization server; disconnecting the user system from the streaming server upon receipt of the startup information by the user system; and requesting, by the user system, the multicast data stream from a distribution server different from said streaming server in accordance with the startup information provided by said streaming server.