Patent ID: 8806529

Claim:
A method comprising: storing content as multiple streams of data, each of the multiple streams of data encoded in accordance with a different bit rate to play back a rendition of the content according to a different level of quality; providing notification to subscribers in a network environment that the content encoded at a particular bit rate of multiple available bit rates for playing back the content is available for a limited time duration; distributing portions of the multiple streams of data in the network environment during the limited time duration; and preventing distribution of the content encoded at the particular bit rate in the network environment subsequent to expiration of the limited time duration; wherein the multiple streams of data includes a first stream of data and a second stream of data, the first stream of data encoded in accordance with the particular bit rate, the second stream of data encoded in accordance with a bit rate lower than the particular bit rate; wherein distributing the multiple streams of data includes: during the limited time duration, interleaving at least portions of the first stream of data and portions of the second stream of data to produce an adaptive bit rate data stream forwarded to at least one subscriber in the network environment; and subsequent to the limited time duration, preventing distribution of portions of the first stream of data in respective adaptive bit rate data streams to the subscribers.